Half of the 1,072 homes in Washington Township were built before 1978. 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)). 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). With 55% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Ask the township code office or the contractor what Washington Township’s says.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 996 of Washington Township’s occupied homes, or 94%. By year built, 22% before 1940, 27% before 1960, 55% before 1980; 23% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 89% detached houses, 10% manufactured homes.
Of the 57 York County municipalities on this site, Washington Township has the 24th largest share of homes built before 1980: 55%, against a county range of 25% to 98%.
ZIP codes: 17316 · 17365
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township, York County | 1978 | 55% | 94% | 0% | 11 |
| Reading Township | 1987 | 36% | 90% | 1% | 9 |
| Warrington Township, York County | 1982 | 47% | 90% | 3% | 10 |
| East Berlin | 1955 | 69% | 61% | 4% | 13 |
| Latimore | 1981 | 47% | 95% | 3% | 8 |
| Franklin Township, York County | 1988 | 32% | 82% | 13% | 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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 11 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Washington Township, topping out at 1.75 in on July 18, 2012. The most recent was August 3, 2024.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in York County since 2006: 3, most recently DR-4618, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (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; 89% 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; 22% 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 | Seams at walls and drainage |
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.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Washington Township’s ordinance decides. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). 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). With 55% of Washington Township’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 Washington Township was built in 1978, 55% of homes were built before 1980, 94% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 11 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.
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.
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.