Roof Repair and Flat Roofing for Philadelphia Homes
A stain spreading across the bedroom ceiling, water pooling on a rowhome roof, shingles in the alley after a nor'easter. We take the call at any hour, find the real entry point, and fix it with materials that suit the roof you actually have.
Roof leaks in Philadelphia rowhomes usually start at a seam, a scupper or a parapet, not above the stain, so we trace the water before we patch anything. We repair flat and shingle roofs, replace them when repair no longer pays, and answer the phone 24 hours a day from our Frankford service office.
Why Roofs Here Fail Differently Than in the Suburbs
More than half of the homes in this city are attached rowhouses, and most of them carry a flat or barely sloped roof. Water does not run off a flat roof; it has to be led off, through scuppers, drains and a slope built into the insulation. When a drain clogs or a seam opens, the water sits, finds the low spot, and works its way under the membrane until it appears two rooms away from the actual hole.
Age adds a second layer of trouble. About four in ten Philadelphia homes were built before 1940, and many roofs have three or four generations of material stacked on the original boards. A patch on top of that pile lasts a season. A proper fix means finding out what the roof is made of, how many layers are up there, and whether the deck underneath is still sound.
The pitched roofs of the Northeast have their own habits. The 1920s stone-front rows below Cottman Avenue often still show slate, or shingles laid over slate decking, while the post-war twins farther north are on their second or third shingle roof with tired ventilation. Ice dams, flashing failures at chimneys, and wind-lifted shingles are the calls we take most in those blocks.
Roofing Work for Rowhomes, Twins and Commercial Buildings
Every service below is work we do on Philadelphia roofs, from a same-day leak repair to a full tear-off and replacement. County Line Roofing handles flat membranes, asphalt shingle, slate repair, metal accents, gutters and the storm work that follows a bad night of wind. Shingles come from lines such as GAF, Owens Corning and CertainTeed, and flat roof membranes from Firestone, Carlisle and Johns Manville.
Roof Repair
Leaks traced to the source, flashing rebuilt, flat seams and blisters repaired, and after-hours calls answered.
Replacement & Installation
Full tear-offs, TPO, EPDM and modified bitumen flat roofs, architectural shingles, metal and skylights.
Flat & Commercial
Membrane roofs for stores, warehouses and apartment buildings, plus coatings and parapet work.
Masonry & Rowhome Details
Brick pointing, chimney and cornice repair, parapets and coping, and the aluminum capping on rowhome trim.
Storm & Emergency
Tarping, wind and impact repairs, ice dams, and the paperwork that goes with an insurance claim.
Exterior & Water Management
Gutters, downspouts, soffit, fascia, siding and the attic ventilation that keeps a roof dry from below.
Inspection & Maintenance
Roof inspections, certification letters for a sale, scheduled flat roof maintenance and gutter cleaning.
Brands we install and service
Based in Frankford, Working Across Philadelphia and Over the County Line
Our office sits on Edmund Street in Frankford, which puts a crew within a short drive of most of the Lower Northeast and the river wards. From there we cover the city from the Center City and South Philadelphia rows up through Bustleton, Somerton and Torresdale, and into the Bensalem and Lower Bucks County neighborhoods just over the county line.
Coverage is not the same everywhere. Emergency calls are prioritized inside the city, where most of our trucks already are, and scheduled replacements stretch farther out. The service area page explains region by region what to expect.
What Happens After You Call
- 1
The call is answered, day or night
A person picks up, takes the address, the symptom and how urgent it is. Active leaks and storm damage get moved to the front of the schedule.
- 2
We look at the whole roof, not just the stain
A roofer walks the roof, checks the drains, seams, flashing and parapets, and photographs what was found so you can see it too.
- 3
You get a written scope with options
Repair, coat or replace, with what each one costs and how long it should last. Where a smaller fix is honest, we say so.
- 4
Permit and materials are lined up
Replacements get the L&I re-roofing permit filed before the tear-off. Membrane, shingles and flashing are ordered to match the roof type.
- 5
The work is done and the site is cleaned
Tear-off debris goes in the dumpster, not the alley, magnets sweep for nails, and the neighbors' roofs are checked where we tied in.
- 6
You receive photos and the paperwork
Before and after photos, the permit certification where one applies, and the manufacturer information for the materials installed.
Roofs We Have Put On Around the City
Flat membranes, coated modified bitumen, shingle replacements, chimney flashing and skylights on the kinds of houses Philadelphia is built from.
How a Philadelphia Roof Job Is Run Well
Leaks are traced, not guessed
Water enters at one place and shows up at another. We find the entry with the roof open, not by patching around the stain.
Materials matched to the roof type
Modified bitumen, EPDM or TPO on flats, architectural shingle on pitched roofs, and slate repaired with slate, not covered over.
Layers come off when the code says so
Two layers already up means a full tear-off to the deck. We inspect the boards and replace the ones that have gone soft.
Parapets and shared walls handled
On an attached row the coping, the party-wall flashing and the neighbor's tie-in are part of the job, and they are where most leaks live.
The phone is answered all week, all night
Storm calls, holiday leaks and after-hours emergencies reach a person who can dispatch, every day of the year.
Water coming in right now?
Call and a roofer will talk you through containing it while a truck is dispatched.
Questions Philadelphia Homeowners Ask Us
Yes. The number on this page is answered 24 hours a day, every day, and an active leak or storm opening is dispatched ahead of scheduled work.
Many can be repaired. A single open seam, a blocked scupper or a damaged flashing on a membrane with life left in it is a repair. When the membrane is brittle, has multiple layers, or holds water across large areas, replacement costs less over the next ten years than repeated patches.
All three are flat roof membranes. Modified bitumen is the traditional Philadelphia rowhome roof, often silver coated. EPDM is a black rubber sheet with glued seams. TPO is a white heat-welded sheet that reflects sun. Each suits a different roof and budget, and we lay out the choice on the flat roof replacement page.
A roof replacement needs a permit from Licenses and Inspections. Most re-roofs qualify for the EZ re-roofing permit, which we file before work begins; historic-listed buildings and jobs that replace a lot of decking need a fuller review.
Most Philadelphia rowhomes run ten to fifteen squares of roof, and a straightforward replacement takes one to two days. Multiple layers, rotten decking or a rear addition roof can add a day.
Yes. We do pre-purchase inspections and issue roof certification letters that buyers, sellers and lenders ask for at settlement, with the repairs needed to earn the certification listed plainly.
On attached rows a leak often enters at a shared parapet or coping. We identify where the water actually enters, document it with photos, and repair our side properly; the report gives you what you need to talk to the neighbor.
We repair slate: individual slates, valleys, ridges and chimney flashing. Full slate replacement is rare and expensive, and we will tell you when a repair keeps an old slate roof going for another decade.
Read Before You Decide
Short guides on what roof work costs here, when to repair versus replace, and what to do the night a leak starts.
What a Roof Replacement Costs in Philadelphia, PA
Published price ranges for flat and shingle roofs, and what moves a quote.
Read the guideFlat Roof Leaking in Philadelphia: What to Do First
The first hour of a rowhome roof leak, and what not to do on the roof.
Read the guideTPO vs EPDM vs Mod Bit for Philadelphia Rowhomes
How the three flat roof membranes compare on a Philadelphia rowhome.
Read the guideReady for a roofer who knows Philadelphia roofs?
One number, answered around the clock. Tell us the street, the symptom and how urgent it is, and we take it from there.