Half of the 967 homes in Washington Township were built before 1980. 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.
Permit
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 Washington Township requires.
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). 50% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Washington Township’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 745 of Washington Township’s occupied homes, or 81%. By year built, 17% before 1940, 24% before 1960, 50% before 1980; 13% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 82% detached houses, 7% buildings of two to four units, 6% manufactured homes.
Of the 31 Dauphin County municipalities on this site, Washington Township has the 25th largest share of homes built before 1980: 50%, against a county range of 31% to 100%.
ZIP codes: 17023
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township, Dauphin County | 1980 | 50% | 81% | 0% | 8 |
| Elizabethville | 1951 | 94% | 69% | 14% | 8 |
| Jackson Township, Dauphin County | 1977 | 54% | 92% | 1% | 7 |
| Lykens Borough | 1938 | 94% | 62% | 20% | 4 |
| Lykens Township | 1964 | 64% | 73% | 2% | 5 |
| Wiconisco | 1938 | 86% | 87% | 3% | 4 |
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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 8 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Washington Township, topping out at 1.5 in on June 3, 2023. The most recent was June 26, 2023.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 5 federal storm declarations covering Dauphin County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Washington Township, not that it damaged a 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 Washington Township’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; 82% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 17% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
Before signing for a roof in Washington Township, 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. The township code office can say what Washington Township requires.
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). 50% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Washington Township was built in 1980, 50% of homes were built before 1980, 81% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Washington Township 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 Washington Township, 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.