Permit
Ask Solebury first
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Solebury requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Solebury, PA
The median home in Solebury was built in 1983; there are 3,786 of them. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners
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 Solebury
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 46% of Solebury’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
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 township code office or the contractor what Solebury’s says.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Solebury
Owners live in 3,327 of Solebury’s occupied homes, or 93%. Counting by decade, 16% before 1940, 25% before 1960, 46% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 22% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 88% detached houses, 9% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 50 Bucks County municipalities on this site, Solebury has the 38th largest share of homes built before 1980: 46%, against a county range of 16% to 88%.
ZIP codes: 18913 · 18933 · 18938
Solebury and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solebury | 1983 | 46% | 93% | 9% | 10 |
| New Hope | 1977 | 64% | 71% | 32% | 10 |
| Buckingham | 1993 | 31% | 94% | 11% | 11 |
| Plumstead | 1994 | 24% | 90% | 27% | 8 |
| Upper Makefield | 1986 | 36% | 95% | 17% | 11 |
| Wrightstown | 1968 | 62% | 88% | 1% | 13 |
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 Solebury
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 10 separate days within 10 miles of Solebury; the largest was 1.75 in on May 29, 2019. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
At the county level, Solebury shares Bucks County’s record of 5 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4618 (Remnants of Hurricane Ida, September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Solebury’s houses: 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; 88% 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 | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 16% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
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 Solebury and look it up.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
Questions about a new roof in Solebury
Does a roof replacement in Solebury need a permit?
Ask Solebury first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Solebury requires.
Is a roof-over allowed in Solebury, 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. With 46% of Solebury’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
When were most homes in Solebury built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Solebury was built in 1983, 46% of homes were built before 1980, 93% are owner-occupied.
Does Solebury get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 10 days within 10 miles of Solebury 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 Solebury 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 Solebury and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Solebury address or ZIP
- One story or two (or more), detached or attached
- The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
- Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.