York Township has 13,508 homes, and half of them were standing by 1982. 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.
The rules for a reroof in York Township
Permit
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 York Township 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). 47% of York Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. York Township’s answer is with the township code office.
Of 12,939 occupied homes in York Township, 9,072 (70%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 6% before 1940, 19% before 1960, 47% before 1980; 24% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 54% detached houses, 18% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 8% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 57 York County municipalities on this site, York Township has the 29th largest share of homes built before 1980: 47%, against a county range of 25% to 98%.
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 York Township
NOAA’s storm reports show 16 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around York Township, topping out at 2 in on August 2, 2008. The most recent was April 15, 2024.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 3 federal storm declarations covering York County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
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; 54% 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; 6% here predate 1940
Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Low-slope roofs and rear sections (18% of homes here are attached)
Where the roof meets a wall or parapet
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in York Township and look it up.
Is a permit required for a new roof in York Township, PA?
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 York Township wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Is a roof-over allowed in York Township, or is it a tear-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). 47% of York Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in York Township?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in York Township was built in 1982, 47% of homes were built before 1980, 70% are owner-occupied.
Does York Township get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of York Township 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 York Township?
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in York Township and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
Where the house is: the York Township address or ZIP
One story or two (or more), detached or attached
What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
How many layers are on it, if you know
That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in York Township