How much does a new roof or a roof repair cost in Pennsylvania?
Published price ranges for a new roof and for common repairs, side by side, with the add-ons that change a quote and a Pennsylvania deposit rule to know.
Roofers guides
25 guides for Pennsylvania homeowners. Every guide lists its sources.
Pennsylvania guides
How to choose a roofing contractor in Pennsylvania
A step-by-step way to vet a roofer in Pennsylvania, built on what the Attorney General, insurance regulators, the FTC and the roofing trade association advise.
Questions to ask a roofer before you hire, and the answers to listen for
A checklist of questions for a roofer, grouped by subject, with a line on why each matters and what Pennsylvania law or the roofing trade association says about it.
Signs your roof needs repair or replacement, and signs that mean less than they seem
What the roofing trade association, ENERGY STAR, IBHS and extension specialists say to look for outside, in the attic and indoors, plus the marks that are normal wear rather than damage.
Can you fix your own roof, or should you hire a roofer?
The roof checks and stopgap measures that are within a homeowner's reach, the work the trade association says to leave alone, and the fall, asbestos and lead risks behind that advice.
How often should a roof be inspected or replaced, and when is the best time?
Inspection schedules and design lives from the roofing trade association and the Park Service, the seasonal limits on installing shingles, and how storm season changes the timing.
What happens during a roof replacement, step by step
The stages of a roof replacement in the order they happen, what the building code and the roofing trade association expect at each one, and the paperwork to collect at the end.
Do roofers need a license in Pennsylvania?
What the state requires of a roofer (registration, not a license), what a roofing contract must say, the deposit cap, when a permit applies, the code rules on layers, and Philadelphia's extra steps.
Roofing scams after a storm: free inspections, claim handlers and waived deductibles
The roofing scams consumer authorities warn about most: door-to-door storm inspections, signing over your insurance claim, offers to cover your deductible, oversized deposits and pressure to pay in cash.
Roofing questions and answers for Pennsylvania homeowners
Sixteen common questions about roof repair and replacement in Pennsylvania, each answered in a few sentences from a government body, the building code or the trade association.
Asbestos and lead paint in old roofs: what to check before a tear-off
What the EPA, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia say about asbestos in roofing and siding and about lead paint on older homes, how many local homes are old enough to matter, and the questions to ask a roofer.
Attic ventilation and insulation: what they do for your roof
What ENERGY STAR, the roofing trade association and extension specialists say about venting and insulating the attic under a roof, the Pennsylvania code's own vent rules, and the warranty catch.
Can new shingles go over old ones? Roof-overs versus tear-offs
The 2021 residential code's reroofing rules as Pennsylvania applies them, the cases where a re-cover is banned, what tear-off adds to the price, and what to ask a roofer who proposes either.
Hail and wind damage to roofs: how to spot it and how to build a tougher roof
The signs of hail and wind damage according to IBHS, the look-alikes that are not damage, what to do next, and the features research says help a replacement roof hold up to storms.
How to file a homeowners insurance claim for roof storm damage in Pennsylvania
What the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and the NAIC advise at each stage of a roof claim, how payments and mortgage lenders work, where public adjusters fit, and what to do if the claim is denied.
Ice dams on your roof: why they form, what to do now and how to stop them
The physics of ice dams in plain terms, the emergency steps sources agree and disagree on, the long-term cure through air sealing and insulation, and the ice barrier the building code requires.
Roof warranties explained: manufacturer versus workmanship coverage
How manufacturer and workmanship warranties differ according to the roofing trade association, the conditions that can void them, and the FTC's advice on reading, keeping and enforcing a warranty.
Should you repair your roof or replace it?
What the roofing trade association, the Park Service and IBHS say about repairing versus replacing, the published price gap between the two, and how to test a recommendation to replace.
Slate roofs in Pennsylvania: repair, replace or switch to synthetic?
Slate's Pennsylvania history and life span, the National Park Service's case for repair, what the building code says about re-covering slate, prices for repair and replacement, and how to pick a slate roofer.
The roof when buying or selling a house in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's seller disclosure and home inspection laws as they apply to the roof, the limits of a visual inspection, and the paperwork about the roof that buyers and sellers should collect.
County guides
Roofers in Bucks County, PA: long-held homes, 54 permit offices and a complaint office
What Census figures say about Bucks County homes and their owners, who decides whether your roof job needs a permit, and where to turn if a roofer lets you down.
Roofers in Chester County, PA: newer homes, 73 municipalities and what to check
How Chester County's young housing stock, steady new building and 73 local governments bear on a roof repair or replacement, and how to check a roofer from the county.
Roofers in Delaware County, PA: older houses, attached homes and a county complaint office
Why Delaware County's prewar and early postwar homes raise particular questions for a roof job, who handles permits, and where the county takes complaints about contractors.
Roofers in Montgomery County, PA: a large, mixed housing stock and 62 local codes
How Montgomery County's mix of houses, older homes and multi-unit buildings bears on who hires the roofer, what the state law covers and where permits come from.
Roofers in Philadelphia: old row houses, city permits and free repair help
What Philadelphia adds to the state rules for a roof job: licensing, EZ permits and inspections, Historical Commission review, row-house party walls, asbestos rules and free emergency repairs.