Shippensburg Borough has 664 homes, and half of them were standing by 1962. 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.
Permit
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The borough code office can say what Shippensburg Borough requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 80% of Shippensburg Borough’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
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 Shippensburg 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 614 occupied homes in Shippensburg Borough, 525 (86%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 6% before 1940, 44% before 1960, 80% before 1980; 6% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 83% detached houses, 10% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 7% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 31 Cumberland County municipalities on this site, Shippensburg Borough has the 6th largest share of homes built before 1980: 80%, against a county range of 24% to 93%.
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shippensburg Borough, Cumberland County | 1962 | 80% | 86% | 10% | 8 |
| Shippensburg Borough, Franklin County | 1962 | 80% | 86% | 10% | 8 |
| Southampton Township, Franklin County | 1987 | 39% | 84% | 7% | 9 |
| Shippensburg Township | 1983 | 44% | 42% | 24% | 5 |
| Southampton Township, Cumberland County | 1996 | 32% | 72% | 1% | 6 |
| Greene Township, Franklin County | 1987 | 38% | 78% | 11% | 10 |
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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 8 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Shippensburg Borough, topping out at 1.75 in on August 10, 2008. The most recent was August 4, 2023.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Cumberland County since 2006: 2, most recently DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared March 2016. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Shippensburg Borough, 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; 83% 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; 6% 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 | Seams at walls and drainage |
Before signing for a roof in Shippensburg Borough, 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)). The borough code office can say what Shippensburg Borough requires.
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 80% of Shippensburg Borough’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Shippensburg Borough was built in 1962, 80% of homes were built before 1980, 86% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Shippensburg Borough 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 Shippensburg Borough, 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.