The median home in Penn Township was built in 1979; there are 679 of them. 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.
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
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Penn Township wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 52% of Penn Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Penn Township’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 396 of Penn Township’s occupied homes, or 93%. By year built, 13% before 1940, 16% before 1960, 52% before 1980; 27% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 77% detached houses, 21% manufactured homes.
21% of homes in Penn Township are manufactured homes (141). A roof on a manufactured home is its own kind of job; tell the person on the line that it is one.
30% of the homes in Penn Township are seasonal or occasional-use homes (ACS 2020–2024). If yours is one of them and you live elsewhere, the call still has to come from you as the owner.
Of the 12 Huntingdon County municipalities on this site, Penn Township has the 9th largest share of homes built before 1980: 52%, against a county range of 42% to 84%.
ZIP codes: 16647
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Township, Huntingdon County | 1979 | 52% | 93% | 0% | 5 |
| Walker Township, Huntingdon County | 1981 | 49% | 87% | 0% | 5 |
| Cass Township, Huntingdon County | 1975 | 58% | 84% | 2% | 4 |
| Smithfield Township, Huntingdon County | 1970 | 61% | 66% | 2% | 4 |
| Huntingdon | 1940 | 84% | 58% | 6% | 4 |
| Porter Township, Huntingdon County | 1973 | 66% | 86% | 0% | 3 |
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.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 5 separate days within 10 miles of Penn Township; the largest was 1.75 in on May 27, 2011. The most recent was August 4, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 4 federal storm declarations covering Huntingdon County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Penn Township, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
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; 77% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 13% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Before signing for a roof in Penn Township, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Local ordinance, not the state. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Penn Township wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 52% of Penn Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Penn Township was built in 1979, 52% of homes were built before 1980, 93% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 5 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.
Before signing for a roof in Penn Township, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
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.