The median home in Philadelphia was built in 1949; there are 748,270 of them. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Philadelphia
Permit
An EZ permit: $69 for a one- or two-family house
Philadelphia lists roof covering replacement among its EZ permits, which need no plans. The fee for “Roof Covering (replacement only)” on a one- or two-family dwelling is $69. After the job the contractor files form TP_019_F, the Roof Replacement Certification, which asks among other things whether less than 10% of the sheathing was replaced.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 83% of Philadelphia’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. Philadelphia’s answer is with the city code office.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Roof replacements in Philadelphia, from the city’s permits
In 2025 the City issued 2,334 EZ permits for roof covering replacement. ZIP 19143 had the most, 191, followed by 19145 (138), 19140 (129), 19132 (117) and 19120 (107); 19127 had 3. The permit table carries no job values, so it says how many roofs were replaced, not what they cost (OpenDataPhilly, L&I permits).
Homes and roofs in Philadelphia
Owners live in 351,905 of Philadelphia’s occupied homes, or 52%. Counting by decade, 40% before 1940, 65% before 1960, 83% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 10% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 9% detached houses, 56% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 14% 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.
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 Philadelphia
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 21 separate days within 10 miles of Philadelphia; the largest was 2.5 in on May 20, 2022. The most recent was May 3, 2025.
That is more hail days than 95% of the places in the state on this site.
Philadelphia County has had 5 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4618, Remnants of Hurricane Ida (September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
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; 9% 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
A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1)
Slate
75 years
Older houses; 40% 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)
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 Philadelphia and look it up.
In Philadelphia a contractor working on an existing one- or two-family house also needs the City’s “PA Home Improvement” registration on top of the state one; 555 were active on October 22, 2026 (OpenDataPhilly, trade licenses).
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Philadelphia?
An EZ permit: $69 for a one- or two-family house. Philadelphia lists roof covering replacement among its EZ permits, which need no plans. The fee for “Roof Covering (replacement only)” on a one- or two-family dwelling is $69. After the job the contractor files form TP_019_F, the Roof Replacement Certification, which asks among other things whether less than 10% of the sheathing was replaced.
Is a roof-over allowed in Philadelphia, 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. 83% of Philadelphia’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
When were most homes in Philadelphia built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Philadelphia was built in 1949, 83% of homes were built before 1980, 52% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Philadelphia?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 21 days within 10 miles of Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
The street address in Philadelphia, 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
