West Brunswick has 1,555 homes, and half of them were standing by 1971. 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.
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)). Whether West Brunswick wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 67% of West Brunswick’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. West Brunswick’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Of 1,410 occupied homes in West Brunswick, 1,147 (81%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 29% before 1940, 36% before 1960, 67% before 1980; 8% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 68% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 8% manufactured homes.
Of the 41 Schuylkill County municipalities on this site, West Brunswick has the 27th largest share of homes built before 1980: 67%, against a county range of 42% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 17922 · 17961
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Brunswick | 1971 | 67% | 81% | 8% | 3 |
| Orwigsburg | 1960 | 65% | 71% | 15% | 4 |
| East Brunswick | 1986 | 44% | 89% | 2% | 3 |
| South Manheim | 1985 | 42% | 98% | 2% | 5 |
| Schuylkill Haven | 1944 | 86% | 67% | 21% | 4 |
| North Manheim | 1969 | 64% | 87% | 4% | 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 3 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around West Brunswick, topping out at 1 in on June 8, 2015.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 5 federal storm declarations covering Schuylkill County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near West Brunswick, 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; 68% 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; 29% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
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 West Brunswick, and search it.
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. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether West Brunswick wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 67% of West Brunswick’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in West Brunswick was built in 1971, 67% of homes were built before 1980, 81% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 3 days within 10 miles of West Brunswick 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 West Brunswick, 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.