Permit
Ask Marcus Hook first
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The borough code office can say what Marcus Hook requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Marcus Hook, PA
Marcus Hook has 1,008 homes, and half of them were standing by 1944. 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 Marcus Hook
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 89% of Marcus Hook’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 borough code office or the contractor what Marcus Hook’s says.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Marcus Hook
Of 936 occupied homes in Marcus Hook, 335 (36%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 44% before 1940, 69% before 1960, 89% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 1% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 7% detached houses, 56% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 32% buildings of two to four units.
With 56% 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.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off.
Of the 48 Delaware County municipalities on this site, Marcus Hook has the 15th largest share of homes built before 1980: 89%, against a county range of 20% to 98%.
Marcus Hook and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Hook | 1944 | 89% | 36% | 56% | 14 |
| Trainer | 1957 | 64% | 72% | 54% | 16 |
| Lower Chichester | 1948 | 95% | 49% | 58% | 14 |
| Upper Chichester | 1974 | 59% | 73% | 12% | 15 |
| Chester Township | 1972 | 73% | 55% | 77% | 15 |
| Chester | 1949 | 85% | 40% | 62% | 15 |
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 Marcus Hook
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 14 separate days within 10 miles of Marcus Hook; the largest was 2.5 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was April 4, 2025.
Delaware County has had 3 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4618, Remnants of Hurricane Ida (September 2021). (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
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; 7% 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; 44% 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 (56% of homes here are attached) | 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 Marcus Hook 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 Marcus Hook
Does a roof replacement in Marcus Hook need a permit?
Ask Marcus Hook first. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The borough code office can say what Marcus Hook requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Marcus Hook?
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 89% of Marcus Hook’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
When were most homes in Marcus Hook built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Marcus Hook was built in 1944, 89% of homes were built before 1980, 36% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Marcus Hook had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of Marcus Hook 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 Marcus Hook 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 Marcus Hook and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Marcus Hook, or at least the ZIP code
- Whether the house is detached, a twin or a rowhouse, and how many stories
- 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.