Permit
Ask Narberth first
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. So the borough code office in Narberth is the one to ask before work starts.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Narberth, PA
The median home in Narberth was built in 1938; there are 2,077 of them. 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 Narberth
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 94% of Narberth’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Narberth’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). Narberth’s answer is with the borough code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Narberth
55% of the occupied homes in Narberth are lived in by their owners: 1,107 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 70% before 1940, 87% before 1960, 94% before 1980; 3% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 41% detached houses, 18% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 16% 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 61 Montgomery County municipalities on this site, Narberth has the 2nd largest share of homes built before 1980: 94%, against a county range of 17% to 98%.
Narberth and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narberth | 1938 | 94% | 55% | 18% | 18 |
| Lower Merion | 1955 | 81% | 75% | 12% | 18 |
| Millbourne | 1944 | 93% | 34% | 36% | 14 |
| Haverford | 1950 | 90% | 87% | 19% | 15 |
| Upper Darby | 1948 | 92% | 58% | 48% | 12 |
| East Lansdowne | 1938 | 96% | 64% | 28% | 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.
Storm record around Narberth
Within 10 miles of Narberth, hail of an inch or more was reported on 18 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on June 6, 2023. The most recent was April 4, 2025.
That is more hail days than 85% of the places in the state on this site.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Montgomery County since 2006: 6, most recently DR-4618, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Narberth, 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; 41% 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; 70% 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 (18% of homes here are attached) | Coating is not a replacement |
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 Narberth and look it up.
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 Narberth
Does a roof replacement in Narberth need a permit?
Ask Narberth first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. So the borough code office in Narberth is the one to ask before work starts.
Is a roof-over allowed in Narberth, or is it a tear-off?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 94% of Narberth’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Narberth?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Narberth was built in 1938, 94% of homes were built before 1980, 55% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Narberth?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 18 days within 10 miles of Narberth 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 Narberth?
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 Narberth and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Narberth address or ZIP
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Narberth
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.