Permit
Ask Lower Chichester first
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Lower Chichester requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Lower Chichester, PA
Lower Chichester has 1,212 homes, and half of them were standing by 1948. 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.
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 Lower Chichester
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). 95% of Lower Chichester’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Lower Chichester’s climate table decides
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). The contractor or the township code office in Lower Chichester will know.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Lower Chichester
49% of the occupied homes in Lower Chichester are lived in by their owners: 576 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 32% before 1940, 85% before 1960, 95% before 1980; 0% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 18% detached houses, 58% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 16% buildings of two to four units.
With about three in five of homes attached, many roofs here meet a neighbor’s roof at a party wall. Say so on the call, and ask the contractor how the new roof will be tied in where it meets the house next door.
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 48 Delaware County municipalities on this site, Lower Chichester has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 95%, against a county range of 20% to 98%.
Lower Chichester and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Chichester | 1948 | 95% | 49% | 58% | 14 |
| Marcus Hook | 1944 | 89% | 36% | 56% | 14 |
| Trainer | 1957 | 64% | 72% | 54% | 16 |
| Upper Chichester | 1974 | 59% | 73% | 12% | 15 |
| Chester Township | 1972 | 73% | 55% | 77% | 15 |
| Bethel Township, Delaware County | 1995 | 21% | 98% | 18% | 14 |
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.
Storm record around Lower Chichester
NOAA’s storm reports show 14 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Lower Chichester, topping out at 2.5 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was April 4, 2025.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 3 federal storm declarations covering Delaware County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Lower Chichester, not that it damaged a 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; 18% 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; 32% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (58% of homes here are attached) | Seams at walls and drainage |
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
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 Lower Chichester, and search it.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Questions about a new roof in Lower Chichester
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Lower Chichester?
Ask Lower Chichester first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Lower Chichester requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Lower Chichester?
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). 95% of Lower Chichester’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Lower Chichester?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Lower Chichester was built in 1948, 95% of homes were built before 1980, 49% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Lower Chichester?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of Lower Chichester from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
How do I check a roofing contractor in Lower Chichester?
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 Lower Chichester, and search it.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Lower Chichester, or at least the ZIP code
- Detached, twin or rowhouse, and the number of stories
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Lower Chichester
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.