Half of the 917 homes in Hopewell Township were built before 1986. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). So the township code office in Hopewell Township is the one to ask before work starts.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). 38% of Hopewell Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
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. Hopewell Township’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Of 905 occupied homes in Hopewell Township, 847 (94%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 8% before 1940, 14% before 1960, 38% before 1980; 30% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 90% detached houses, 7% manufactured homes.
Of the 31 Cumberland County municipalities on this site, Hopewell Township has the 27th largest share of homes built before 1980: 38%, against a county range of 24% to 93%.
ZIP codes: 17240
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hopewell Township, Cumberland County | 1986 | 38% | 94% | 2% | 7 |
| Upper Mifflin | 1987 | 42% | 86% | 1% | 8 |
| Lurgan | 1973 | 61% | 84% | 4% | 6 |
| North Newton | 1978 | 52% | 85% | 0% | 7 |
| Shippensburg Township | 1983 | 44% | 42% | 24% | 5 |
| Shippensburg Borough, Cumberland County | 1962 | 80% | 86% | 10% | 8 |
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.
Within 10 miles of Hopewell Township, hail of an inch or more was reported on 7 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on August 2, 2008. The most recent was August 4, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4267, March 2016) is the latest of 2 federal storm declarations covering Cumberland County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Hopewell Township, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
Lifespans come from HUD’s capital-needs table, not from a brochure. 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; 90% 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; 8% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Before signing for a roof in Hopewell Township, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Hopewell Township’s ordinance decides. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). So the township code office in Hopewell Township is the one to ask before work starts.
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). 38% of Hopewell Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Hopewell Township was built in 1986, 38% of homes were built before 1980, 94% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 7 days within 10 miles of Hopewell Township from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Before signing for a roof in Hopewell Township, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
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.