Shippensburg Borough has 664 homes, and half of them were standing by 1962. 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
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. 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; 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. Ask the borough code office or the contractor what Shippensburg Borough’s says.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: 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 20 Franklin County municipalities on this site, Shippensburg Borough has the largest share of homes built before 1980: 80%, against a county range of 38% to 80%.
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shippensburg Borough, Franklin County | 1962 | 80% | 86% | 10% | 8 |
| Shippensburg Borough, Cumberland 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.
Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4267, March 2016) is the latest of 4 federal storm declarations covering Franklin County since 2006. (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 | 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; 6% 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 | 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 Shippensburg Borough, and search it.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Ask Shippensburg Borough first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. 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; many have been reroofed before.
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.
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 Shippensburg 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.