Permit
Ask Penn Township first
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Penn Township requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Penn Township, Cumberland County, PA
Half of the 1,157 homes in Penn Township were built before 1982. 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 Penn Township
Layers
One old layer can stay; two cannot
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). 44% of Penn Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
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 township code office or the contractor what Penn Township’s says.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Penn Township
84% of the occupied homes in Penn Township are lived in by their owners: 910 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 18% before 1940, 26% before 1960, 44% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 17% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 89% detached houses, 9% manufactured homes.
Of the 31 Cumberland County municipalities on this site, Penn Township has the 19th largest share of homes built before 1980: 44%, against a county range of 24% to 93%.
Penn Township and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Township, Cumberland County | 1982 | 44% | 84% | 1% | 6 |
| South Newton | 1975 | 56% | 81% | 0% | 7 |
| Dickinson | 1989 | 32% | 94% | 1% | 7 |
| West Pennsboro | 1976 | 55% | 76% | 7% | 7 |
| Newville | 1938 | 91% | 44% | 30% | 6 |
| North Newton | 1978 | 52% | 85% | 0% | 7 |
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 Penn Township
NOAA’s storm reports show 6 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Penn Township, topping out at 2 in on May 14, 2010. The most recent was August 4, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Cumberland County has had 2 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (March 2016). (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
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; 89% 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 | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 18% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Seams at walls and drainage |
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 Penn Township 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 Penn Township
Does a roof replacement in Penn Township need a permit?
Ask Penn Township first. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Penn Township requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Penn Township?
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). 44% of Penn Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
When were most homes in Penn Township built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Penn Township was built in 1982, 44% of homes were built before 1980, 84% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Penn Township had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 6 days within 10 miles of Penn Township 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 Penn Township 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 Penn Township and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Penn Township address or ZIP
- The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
- What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.