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Roofing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Philadelphia, PA, issued by City of Philadelphia - Department of Licenses and Inspections. Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections names roof covering replacement as permit work. Its EZ Permit Standard for re-roofing (https://www.phila.gov/media/20260806124639/PB_012_F-EZ-Re-Roofing-Permit-Standard-2021-Code.pdf, revised July 2026, read October 5, 2026) says "Obtain permits for the installation of new roof coverings on existing roofs without submitting plans by meeting the Conditions and Requirements below," and its construction permit fee summary, effective October 1, 2026, lists "Roof Covering (replacement only)" at $69 for a one- or two-family dwelling. Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code requires a building permit for "Altering, modifying, repairing, or improving a structure" (section A-301.1.1) and exempts "Ordinary repairs to restore to good or sound condition any part of an existing structure for the purpose of its maintenance" (A-301.2.1); neither section names roof work. Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6) say the Act does not apply to "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" or to "Repairs to residential buildings," in each case "except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503," and section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists Philadelphia's 2026 ordinance amending the 2021 International Residential Code, with an approval letter issued May 18, 2026. 34 Pa. Code 403.62(c) says "A permit is not required for the exceptions listed in § 403.1(b) (relating to scope) and the following, if the work does not violate a law or ordinance." In practice the Department states a permit is needed for a roof covering replacement, and Title 4 adds a charge for work started without one: "In addition to the permit or license fee, an inspection fee equal to the permit or license fee shall be imposed when work has commenced without first obtaining the required permit(s) or license(s)" (A-901.13). The EZ standard says "Any deviations from this permit standard will result in permit revocation." It does not apply to skylights or other new roof penetrations, to work adding more than 5% to the design gravity load, or to buildings listed as historic without the Historical Commission's prior approval, and "Complete manufacturer's installation instructions shall be submitted at time of application filing prior to commencement of work"; its sheathing condition is set out under deck sheathing. Apply online through eCLIPSE or, by appointment, at the Permit and License Center, 1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, MSB, Public Service Concourse, open "8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday." The EZ page says "Some permits may be issued immediately if the application is made by the contractor with a current license, insurance, and tax account," naming roof covering among them, and "When the contractor is ready to start work, request an inspection through eCLIPSE or by calling (215) 255-4040." For questions the Department directs callers to 311, or (215) 686-8686 from outside Philadelphia. This hub aggregates roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along with sourced roofing material references — every fact linked to its directory record.

Roofing permits & building code in Philadelphia

Roofing permit and contractor-licensing rules in Philadelphia are set locally by City of Philadelphia - Department of Licenses and Inspections. Pennsylvania issues no state roofing licence, but its Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires a contractor to register with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection before doing home improvement work, which the Act defines to include roofs on jobs over $500, unless the contractor’s home improvement work totalled less than $5,000 in the previous tax year — and the Uniform Construction Code applies to buildings throughout the Commonwealth as a minimum a municipality may exceed but not fall below, with ordinary repairs to a house outside it unless a local ordinance brings them in, so whether a reroof needs a permit is a municipal question — always confirm the current requirements with the authority before starting work.

Roofing permit
Required
Contractor registration
Required
Adopted building code
The 2021 International Residential Code, as adopted by the State in the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC). 34 Pa. Code 403.21(a)(7) adopts "The 'International Residential Code of 2021,' except that:" followed by the State's list of exclusions and modifications, effective January 1, 2026 (55 Pa.B. 7701). None of the State's changes touches Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, or Section R803, Roof Sheathing, so those apply as the International Code Council publishes them. Work on existing buildings is also pointed to the State's existing-building code: "The repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition and relocation of existing buildings must comply with Chapter 34 of the 'International Building Code of 2021' or with the 'International Existing Building Code of 2021'" (34 Pa. Code 403.21(f)). The UCC is the minimum everywhere in the state: "no municipality may propose or enact any ordinance which is less than the minimum requirement of the Uniform Construction Code" (Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, section 503(b)). The Act also lists work it "shall not apply to", including "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" or to "Repairs to residential buildings," in each case "except as might be required by ordinances" kept in force under section 303(b)(1) or adopted under section 503 (Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6); 34 Pa. Code 403.1(b)(8) and (9)). The Act defines a repair as "The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing building for the purpose of its maintenance." So whether the code's roofing rules reach a given house reroof depends on the municipality's own ordinances. Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Locally, the City of Philadelphia administers the Uniform Construction Code itself, through its Department of Licenses and Inspections, under Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, the Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code. Its own Residential Code, Subcode R of Title 4, adopts the 2021 International Residential Code "as the Residential Code of the City of Philadelphia" and "subject to the amendments provided in this Subcode R" (section R-1.1, as repealed and replaced by Bill No. 260395, approved June 12, 2026). Subcode R says its provisions "shall apply to the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, removal and demolition of detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories above grade plane in height" (section R-R101.2). Its Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, carries one amendment, section R-R905.18, a cool-roof reflectance rule for low-slope roof coverings "on newly constructed buildings and additions to existing buildings"; it does not amend the reroofing section, R908. The Department's Code Bulletin B-2501 (October 20, 2025) says "The Philadelphia Administrative Code shall continue as a local construction code and remains a component of the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) as applicable within the City of Philadelphia," that "Permit applications received before July 1, 2026, may be reviewed under either the 2018 or 2021 editions," and that applications received on or after July 1, 2026 "must comply with the 2021 editions of the adopted codes." Title 4 requires a building permit for "Altering, modifying, repairing, or improving a structure" (section A-301.1.1), and the Department lists "Roof Covering (replacement only)" as a permit fee line and publishes an EZ permit standard for re-roofing.
Registration details
  • state_level: Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, Act 132 of 2008, 73 P.S. 517.1 et seq.: registration with the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection before performing any home improvement over $500 (section 2, section 3(a)); persons whose home improvements totalled less than $5,000 in the previous taxable year are not "contractors" (section 2). Section 12 precludes local registration or licensing of home improvement contractors, with carve-outs for building permits, pre-existing tested trade licences, and local insurance standards adopted before January 1, 2006.
  • city_level: Philadelphia licenses contractors itself. The Philadelphia Code section 9-1004 (added by Bill No. 980334, approved December 15, 1998) says "No person or business entity of any type shall act as a Contractor unless the person or entity possesses a current and valid license issued under this Section," and defines construction to include the "repair or other alteration of any building." The licence requires proof of insurance, a $100 application fee, a $100 yearly renewal and, for most contractors, completed safety training of a supervisory employee such as OSHA 30. The section excepts, among others, owners doing their own work on property they own and occupy, and "a Contractor who does not perform any job for which the Contractor is paid more than five hundred dollars ($500)." The Department's building permit page says "A licensed Philadelphia contractor must perform the work, except for projects on an existing one-or-two-family home that don't require an electrical or plumbing permit," and that in that case the work may also be done by an owner who resides in the building or by "A registered PA Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) who holds a Philadelphia Commercial Activity License." Its EZ re-roofing standard says "Roof certification shall be completed by Licensed Contractor." This record does not decide whether section 12 of Act 132 limits the City's licence for home improvement work.
Permit process
Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections names roof covering replacement as permit work. Its EZ Permit Standard for re-roofing (https://www.phila.gov/media/20260806124639/PB_012_F-EZ-Re-Roofing-Permit-Standard-2021-Code.pdf, revised July 2026, read October 5, 2026) says "Obtain permits for the installation of new roof coverings on existing roofs without submitting plans by meeting the Conditions and Requirements below," and its construction permit fee summary, effective October 1, 2026, lists "Roof Covering (replacement only)" at $69 for a one- or two-family dwelling. Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code requires a building permit for "Altering, modifying, repairing, or improving a structure" (section A-301.1.1) and exempts "Ordinary repairs to restore to good or sound condition any part of an existing structure for the purpose of its maintenance" (A-301.2.1); neither section names roof work. Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6) say the Act does not apply to "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" or to "Repairs to residential buildings," in each case "except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503," and section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists Philadelphia's 2026 ordinance amending the 2021 International Residential Code, with an approval letter issued May 18, 2026. 34 Pa. Code 403.62(c) says "A permit is not required for the exceptions listed in § 403.1(b) (relating to scope) and the following, if the work does not violate a law or ordinance." In practice the Department states a permit is needed for a roof covering replacement, and Title 4 adds a charge for work started without one: "In addition to the permit or license fee, an inspection fee equal to the permit or license fee shall be imposed when work has commenced without first obtaining the required permit(s) or license(s)" (A-901.13). The EZ standard says "Any deviations from this permit standard will result in permit revocation." It does not apply to skylights or other new roof penetrations, to work adding more than 5% to the design gravity load, or to buildings listed as historic without the Historical Commission's prior approval, and "Complete manufacturer's installation instructions shall be submitted at time of application filing prior to commencement of work"; its sheathing condition is set out under deck sheathing. Apply online through eCLIPSE or, by appointment, at the Permit and License Center, 1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, MSB, Public Service Concourse, open "8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday." The EZ page says "Some permits may be issued immediately if the application is made by the contractor with a current license, insurance, and tax account," naming roof covering among them, and "When the contractor is ready to start work, request an inspection through eCLIPSE or by calling (215) 255-4040." For questions the Department directs callers to 311, or (215) 686-8686 from outside Philadelphia.
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Permit portal

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Roofing suppliers in Philadelphia

10 roofing distributor branches serving Philadelphia are cataloged in the directory:

Roofing suppliers in Philadelphia

ABC Supply Co., Inc.ABC Supply - Philadelphia, PA (Roosevelt Blvd) ABC Supply Co., Inc.ABC Supply - Philadelphia, PA (Aramingo Ave) Loring Building ProductsLoring Building Products - Philadelphia QXOQXO - Philadelphia, PA (East Tioga St) QXOQXO - Philadelphia, PA (Whitaker Avenue) Stelwagon Roofing Supply, Inc.Stelwagon - Northeast Philadelphia Stelwagon Roofing Supply, Inc.Stelwagon - Tacony Stelwagon Roofing Supply, Inc.Stelwagon - Northwest Philadelphia Stelwagon Roofing Supply, Inc.Stelwagon - South Philadelphia Stelwagon Roofing Supply, Inc.Stelwagon - Port Richmond & Kensington

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Roofing materials for Philadelphia

Compare roofing material families — service life, weight, cost band, and durability — for a Philadelphia reroof. Every material entry in the directory carries a cited, dated source.

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Local permitting authority

City of Philadelphia - Department of Licenses and Inspectionscity

Roofing guides

Class 4 Impact-Resistant ShinglesGuide Asphalt vs. Metal vs. TileGuide Wind & Fire RatingsGuide

Sources