Permit
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. The borough code office can say what Upland requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Upland, PA
Half of the 1,254 homes in Upland were built before 1946. 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.
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 Upland
Layers
No third layer
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). 90% of Upland’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
Upland’s climate table decides
Whether an eave membrane is a code item depends on the climate table the municipality filled in when it adopted the code (IRC R905.1.2, Table R301.2). The contractor or the borough code office in Upland will know.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Upland
Owners live in 514 of Upland’s occupied homes, or 42%. By year built, 47% before 1940, 72% before 1960, 90% before 1980; 4% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 31% detached houses, 58% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
With about three in five 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.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 48 Delaware County municipalities on this site, Upland has the 13th largest share of homes built before 1980: 90%, against a county range of 20% to 98%.
Upland and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upland | 1946 | 90% | 42% | 58% | 16 |
| Parkside | 1952 | 98% | 78% | 32% | 15 |
| Chester | 1949 | 85% | 40% | 62% | 15 |
| Chester Township | 1972 | 73% | 55% | 77% | 15 |
| Brookhaven | 1970 | 73% | 85% | 16% | 16 |
| Eddystone | 1948 | 88% | 63% | 58% | 14 |
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.
Storm record around Upland
Within 10 miles of Upland, hail of an inch or more was reported on 16 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2.5 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was April 4, 2025.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 3 federal storm declarations covering Delaware County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Upland, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
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; 31% 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 | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 47% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (58% 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 Upland, and search it.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Questions about a new roof in Upland
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Upland?
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. The borough code office can say what Upland requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Upland?
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). 90% of Upland’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Upland?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Upland was built in 1946, 90% of homes were built before 1980, 42% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Upland?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of Upland from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
How do I check a roofing contractor in Upland?
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 Upland, and search it.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Upland, or at least the ZIP code
- Detached, twin or rowhouse, and the number of stories
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Upland
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.