Half of the 441 homes in Silverdale were built before 1982. 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 Silverdale
Permit
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 Silverdale wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough code office before the old roof comes off.
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). 45% of Silverdale’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. Ask the borough code office or the contractor what Silverdale’s says.
Of 441 occupied homes in Silverdale, 389 (88%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 19% before 1940, 37% before 1960, 45% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 3% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 67% detached houses, 30% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
With 30% 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.
Of the 50 Bucks County municipalities on this site, Silverdale has the 40th largest share of homes built before 1980: 45%, against a county range of 16% to 88%.
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 Silverdale
NOAA’s storm reports show 13 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Silverdale, topping out at 2 in on May 29, 2019. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
At the county level, Silverdale shares Bucks County’s record of 5 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4618 (Remnants of Hurricane Ida, September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
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; 67% 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
A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1)
Slate
75 years
Older houses; 19% 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 (30% of homes here are attached)
Coating is not a replacement
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
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 Silverdale, and search it.
Is a permit required for a new roof in Silverdale, PA?
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 Silverdale wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough code office before the old roof comes off.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Silverdale?
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). 45% of Silverdale’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
When were most homes in Silverdale built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Silverdale was built in 1982, 45% of homes were built before 1980, 88% are owner-occupied.
Does Silverdale get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Silverdale 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 Silverdale have?
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 Silverdale, and search it.
What they will ask on the phone
Where the house is: the Silverdale address or ZIP
Whether the house is detached, a twin or a rowhouse, and how many stories
The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA