Permit
Ask Heidelberg Township first
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Heidelberg Township requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, PA
Heidelberg Township has 1,318 homes, and half of them were standing by 1977. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners
This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. The call must come from the homeowner who decides on the roof. Calls may be recorded.
The rules for a reroof in Heidelberg Township
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). With 57% of Heidelberg Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
Whether an eave membrane is a code item depends on the climate table the municipality filled in when it adopted the code (IRC R905.1.2, Table R301.2). Ask the township code office or the contractor what Heidelberg Township’s says.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Heidelberg Township
Of 1,298 occupied homes in Heidelberg Township, 1,164 (90%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 22% before 1940, 25% before 1960, 57% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 15% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 79% detached houses, 9% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 9% manufactured homes.
Of the 25 Lehigh County municipalities on this site, Heidelberg Township has the 14th largest share of homes built before 1980: 57%, against a county range of 22% to 90%.
ZIP codes: 18053
Heidelberg Township and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County | 1977 | 57% | 90% | 9% | 13 |
| Washington Township, Lehigh County | 1976 | 60% | 94% | 3% | 18 |
| Lowhill | 1980 | 50% | 86% | 3% | 16 |
| East Penn | 1989 | 40% | 87% | 4% | 14 |
| Lynn | 1980 | 50% | 83% | 8% | 5 |
| Slatington | 1938 | 90% | 59% | 29% | 18 |
Median built: median year the homes were built. Before 1980: share of homes built then. Owners: share of homes that are owner-occupied. Row, twin: share of homes that are rowhouses, twins or townhouses. Census ACS 2020–2024. Hail days: days with hail of 1 inch or larger within 10 miles, 2006–2025, NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Hail and storms near Heidelberg Township
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 13 separate days within 10 miles of Heidelberg Township; the largest was 2.75 in on August 17, 2007. The most recent was April 30, 2024.
Lehigh County has had 2 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (March 2016). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
Useful life is HUD’s planning figure, not a warranty. More in the guides to shingles, metal, slate and flat roofs.
| Material | HUD useful life | Fits a house like | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | 20 years | Most pitched roofs; 79% of homes here are detached | Wind class set by the design wind speed (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Roofs that will carry solar later | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 22% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in Heidelberg Township and look it up.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
Questions about a new roof in Heidelberg Township
Does a roof replacement in Heidelberg Township need a permit?
Ask Heidelberg Township first. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Heidelberg Township requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Heidelberg Township?
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). With 57% of Heidelberg Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
When were most homes in Heidelberg Township built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Heidelberg Township was built in 1977, 57% of homes were built before 1980, 90% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Heidelberg Township had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Heidelberg Township from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in Heidelberg Township have?
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in Heidelberg Township and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Heidelberg Township, or at least the ZIP code
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.