Permit
Washington Township’s ordinance decides
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Washington Township requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Washington Township, Schuylkill County, PA
Half of the 1,175 homes in Washington Township were built before 1975. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
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 Washington Township
Layers
One old layer can stay; two cannot
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). 60% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. The contractor or the township code office in Washington Township will know.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Washington Township
90% of the occupied homes in Washington Township are lived in by their owners: 976 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 25% before 1940, 37% before 1960, 60% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 15% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 93% detached houses, 3% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 3% manufactured homes.
Of the 41 Schuylkill County municipalities on this site, Washington Township has the 33rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 60%, against a county range of 42% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 17963 · 17972
Washington Township and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township, Schuylkill County | 1975 | 60% | 90% | 3% | 3 |
| Wayne Township, Schuylkill County | 1980 | 50% | 92% | 3% | 4 |
| Pine Grove Borough | 1938 | 87% | 70% | 14% | 5 |
| Bethel Township, Berks County | 1975 | 61% | 86% | 1% | 8 |
| Pine Grove Township | 1976 | 61% | 83% | 3% | 5 |
| Tremont | 1938 | 93% | 75% | 41% | 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.
Hail and storms near Washington Township
Within 10 miles of Washington Township, hail of an inch or more was reported on 3 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1 in on May 6, 2025.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Schuylkill County has had 5 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was 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
Lifespans come from HUD’s capital-needs table, not from a brochure. 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; 93% 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; 25% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | 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 Washington Township, and search it.
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 Washington Township
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Washington Township?
Washington Township’s ordinance decides. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Washington Township requires.
Is a roof-over allowed in Washington Township, or is it a tear-off?
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). 60% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
When were most homes in Washington Township built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Washington Township was built in 1975, 60% of homes were built before 1980, 90% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Washington Township?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 3 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.
What license or registration should a roofer in Washington Township have?
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 Washington Township, and search it.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Washington Township address or ZIP
- The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
- What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.