The median home in Richland Borough was built in 1954; there are 595 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.
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
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Richland Borough wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough 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. 84% of Richland Borough’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. The contractor or the borough code office in Richland Borough will know.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Of 586 occupied homes in Richland Borough, 487 (83%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 39% before 1940, 62% before 1960, 84% before 1980; 3% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 77% detached houses, 14% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 7% 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 23 Lebanon County municipalities on this site, Richland Borough has the 2nd largest share of homes built before 1980: 84%, against a county range of 31% to 88%.
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Borough | 1954 | 84% | 83% | 14% | 13 |
| Myerstown | 1942 | 77% | 52% | 31% | 13 |
| Millcreek | 1991 | 38% | 81% | 11% | 11 |
| Marion | 1980 | 50% | 80% | 5% | 9 |
| Womelsdorf | 1976 | 53% | 86% | 21% | 13 |
| Jackson Township, Lebanon County | 1990 | 38% | 82% | 9% | 11 |
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 13 separate days within 10 miles of Richland Borough; the largest was 1.75 in on March 29, 2009. The most recent was May 6, 2025.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Lebanon County since 2006: 3, most recently DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared March 2016. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Richland Borough, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
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; 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 | Roofs that will carry solar later | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 39% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Richland Borough, and search it.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Richland Borough’s ordinance decides. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Richland Borough wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough 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. 84% of Richland Borough’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Richland Borough was built in 1954, 84% of homes were built before 1980, 83% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Richland Borough from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Richland Borough, and search it.
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.