The median home in South Manheim was built in 1985; there are 1,282 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.
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)). Whether South Manheim wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township 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. With 42% of South Manheim’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
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 township code office or the contractor what South Manheim’s says.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 1,041 of South Manheim’s occupied homes, or 98%. Counting by decade, 12% before 1940, 18% before 1960, 42% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 21% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 97% detached houses.
Of the 41 Schuylkill County municipalities on this site, South Manheim has the smallest share of homes built before 1980: 42%, against a county range of 42% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 17922
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Manheim | 1985 | 42% | 98% | 2% | 5 |
| Schuylkill Haven | 1944 | 86% | 67% | 21% | 4 |
| Cressona | 1938 | 87% | 76% | 14% | 4 |
| Wayne Township, Schuylkill County | 1980 | 50% | 92% | 3% | 4 |
| Orwigsburg | 1960 | 65% | 71% | 15% | 4 |
| Upper Tulpehocken | 1977 | 56% | 84% | 5% | 7 |
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.
Within 10 miles of South Manheim, hail of an inch or more was reported on 5 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1 in on August 15, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
At the county level, South Manheim shares Schuylkill 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.
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For South Manheim’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; 97% 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; 12% 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 |
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 South Manheim and look it up.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
South Manheim’s ordinance decides. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether South Manheim wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township 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. With 42% of South Manheim’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in South Manheim was built in 1985, 42% of homes were built before 1980, 98% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 5 days within 10 miles of South Manheim from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
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 South Manheim and look it up.
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.