Half of the 8,802 homes in South Whitehall were built before 1974. 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
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. So the township code office in South Whitehall is the one to ask before work starts.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
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). With 60% of South Whitehall’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. The contractor or the township code office in South Whitehall will know.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 6,773 of South Whitehall’s occupied homes, or 79%. By year built, 10% before 1940, 30% before 1960, 60% before 1980; 20% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 70% detached houses, 14% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 25 Lehigh County municipalities on this site, South Whitehall has the 12th largest share of homes built before 1980: 60%, against a county range of 22% to 90%.
ZIP codes: 18104
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Whitehall | 1974 | 60% | 79% | 14% | 20 |
| Whitehall | 1967 | 70% | 62% | 19% | 24 |
| Allentown | 1952 | 82% | 43% | 36% | 21 |
| Coplay | 1956 | 73% | 64% | 39% | 25 |
| North Whitehall | 1985 | 41% | 89% | 11% | 20 |
| North Catasauqua | 1951 | 83% | 78% | 20% | 24 |
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 Whitehall, hail of an inch or more was reported on 20 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2.5 in on May 14, 2010. The most recent was May 6, 2025.
That is more hail days than 93% of the places in the state on this site.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Lehigh County since 2006: 2, most recently DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared March 2016. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near South Whitehall, 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; 70% 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; 10% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
Before signing for a roof in South Whitehall, 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. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. So the township code office in South Whitehall is the one to ask before work starts.
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). With 60% of South Whitehall’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 Whitehall was built in 1974, 60% of homes were built before 1980, 79% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 20 days within 10 miles of South Whitehall 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 South Whitehall, 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.