Half of the 780 homes in Madison Township were built before 1979. 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
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 Madison Township requires.
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). 52% of Madison Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Madison Township’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 594 of Madison Township’s occupied homes, or 86%. By year built, 21% before 1940, 28% before 1960, 52% before 1980; 13% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 86% detached houses, 10% manufactured homes.
Of the 22 Columbia County municipalities on this site, Madison Township has the 19th largest share of homes built before 1980: 52%, against a county range of 42% to 93%.
ZIP codes: 17815
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Township, Columbia County | 1979 | 52% | 86% | 2% | 5 |
| Derry Township, Montour County | 1976 | 61% | 83% | 4% | 4 |
| Mount Pleasant Township, Columbia County | 1978 | 57% | 83% | 1% | 6 |
| Hemlock | 1991 | 42% | 86% | 5% | 4 |
| Greenwood | 1971 | 66% | 80% | 0% | 3 |
| Anthony | 1977 | 55% | 90% | 1% | 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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 5 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Madison Township, topping out at 2.5 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was August 12, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-4408, November 2018) is the latest of 2 federal storm declarations covering Columbia County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Madison 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; 86% 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 | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 21% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Seams at walls and drainage |
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 Madison Township, and search it.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Madison Township’s ordinance decides. 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 Madison Township requires.
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). 52% of Madison 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 Madison Township was built in 1979, 52% of homes were built before 1980, 86% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 5 days within 10 miles of Madison Township 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 Madison Township, 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.