Hellertown has 2,597 homes, and half of them were standing by 1952. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
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.
Permit
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Hellertown wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough code office before the old roof comes off.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
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). 87% of Hellertown’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. Ask the borough code office or the contractor what Hellertown’s says.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
67% of the occupied homes in Hellertown are lived in by their owners: 1,599 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 30% before 1940, 67% before 1960, 87% before 1980; 5% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 62% detached houses, 18% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 9% buildings of two to four units.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 34 Northampton County municipalities on this site, Hellertown has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 87%, against a county range of 20% to 91%.
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellertown | 1952 | 87% | 67% | 18% | 22 |
| Lower Saucon | 1979 | 51% | 88% | 14% | 20 |
| Bethlehem City, Northampton County | 1957 | 79% | 48% | 30% | 23 |
| Bethlehem City, Lehigh County | 1957 | 79% | 48% | 30% | 23 |
| Freemansburg | 1981 | 49% | 56% | 44% | 26 |
| Fountain Hill | 1947 | 89% | 58% | 35% | 24 |
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.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 22 separate days within 10 miles of Hellertown; the largest was 2 in on May 29, 2019. The most recent was July 3, 2025.
That is more hail days than 96% of the places in the state on this site.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 6 federal storm declarations covering Northampton County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Hellertown, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Hellertown’s houses: 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; 62% 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 | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 30% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (18% of homes here are attached) | Coating is not a replacement |
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Hellertown, and search it.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Ask Hellertown first. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Hellertown wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough code office before the old roof comes 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). 87% of Hellertown’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Hellertown was built in 1952, 87% of homes were built before 1980, 67% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 22 days within 10 miles of Hellertown from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Hellertown, and search it.
The full list: before you call.
Checked October 24, 2026. Laws and code editions change; the date says when these were last read at the source.