Full Roof Replacement for Philadelphia Homes
A new roof is only as good as what is under it. We strip to the deck, fix what the old layers were hiding, and install the system that suits your house, whether that is membrane on a rowhome or shingles on a twin.
A roof replacement in Philadelphia means a permit from Licenses and Inspections, a tear-off to the deck once two layers are already up, and new underlayment and roofing on sound boards. A typical rowhome runs 10 to 15 squares and takes one to two days. We handle the permit, the tear-off and the disposal.
When Replacement Beats Another Repair
Replacement makes sense when leaks keep appearing in new places, when the membrane or shingles are brittle across the whole roof, or when the deck has gone soft in more than one spot. At that point each repair is buying months rather than years.
On older Philadelphia houses the deciding factor is often what is underneath. Several layers of old roofing trap moisture and hide rotted boards, and the city requires a full tear-off once two layers are already on the roof. On shingle roofs we install lines from GAF, Owens Corning and CertainTeed; on flat sections, membranes from Firestone, Carlisle and Johns Manville.
What Sets the Price of a New Roof
- Size and shapeSquares of roof, number of slopes, dormers and rear additions.
- Layers coming offEach extra old layer adds tear-off labor and disposal.
- Deck conditionReplacing boards is priced as found, once the old roof is off.
- System chosenShingle, mod bit, TPO, EPDM and metal all price differently.
- Permit and accessPermit fees, parking, dumpster placement and roof height.
Published figures for a Philadelphia rowhome architectural shingle replacement run $5,500 to $10,000, an extra layer tear-off adds $1,000 to $2,000, and the permit runs $150 to $350. These are planning ranges, not our quote.
Choosing the Right Roof for Your House
The shape of the roof decides most of this. Planning ranges below come from published Philadelphia market data, not our quotes.
| System | Where it fits | Published planning range |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural shingle | Pitched roofs on twins and singles | $5 to $8 per square foot |
| Modified bitumen | The traditional rowhome flat roof, often silver coated | $3.50 to $4 per square foot |
| TPO membrane | Flat roofs where a white, reflective, heat-welded sheet makes sense | $8,000 to $14,000 per row house |
| EPDM rubber | Flat roofs and additions with few penetrations | Priced per roof |
| Metal | Porch roofs, bays and accents | $8.60 to $11.30 per square foot |
Full Tear-Off and Deck Inspection
Every replacement we do starts with the old roof coming off, all of it, down to the boards. That is required once two layers are up, and it is the only way to see the deck. We check for soft spots, rot along the eaves and around chimneys, and old repairs where someone patched over a problem instead of fixing it. Debris goes straight into a dumpster or truck, not the alley, and magnets sweep the yard for nails at the end of each day.
Decking and Sheathing Replacement
Older houses often have plank decking with gaps, while newer ones use plywood or OSB sheets. Rotted or delaminated boards are cut out and replaced before anything new goes down, and on plank decks we may sheath over the planks to give the roofing a solid, even base. Replacing more than a small share of the sheathing moves the job off the city's EZ permit, which we handle as part of the scope. Soft decking left in place is why some new roofs sag within a few years.
Underlayment and Ice Barrier
Under the shingles goes a synthetic underlayment across the whole deck, with self-adhering ice and water barrier along the eaves, in valleys and around chimneys and skylights, where ice dams and wind-driven rain do their damage. On flat roofs the equivalent layer is insulation board, often tapered to move water toward the drains, with a cover board under the membrane. This is the part of the roof you never see again, which is exactly why it is worth doing properly the first time.
Brands we install and service
What a Replacement Includes
Scope varies between roofers more than price does. Ours covers all of this.
- L&I permit filed before work starts
- Full tear-off to the deck
- Soft or rotted boards replaced
- Underlayment across the whole deck
- Ice and water barrier at eaves and valleys
- New flashing at walls and chimneys
- New pipe boots and vent collars
- Drip edge and ridge finished
- Dumpster, nail sweep and cleanup
Ready to stop patching the same roof?
Call and we measure it, check the deck and price the options.
What We See on Philadelphia Roofs
Philadelphia issues an EZ re-roofing permit for new coverings on existing roofs, but it does not apply to historic-listed buildings, to jobs replacing much of the sheathing, or to work that adds a new opening like a skylight, and the contractor files a certification when the roof is done. Most city rowhomes run 10 to 15 squares of roof, which is why a straightforward replacement usually fits into one or two working days.
From Estimate to Final Cleanup
- 1
Measure and inspect
Roof measured, layers counted, deck checked from the attic.
- 2
Written estimate
System, scope and price, with the options side by side.
- 3
Permit and materials
L&I permit filed and materials ordered for your roof.
- 4
Tear-off and deck repair
Old roof off, soft boards replaced, same day.
- 5
New roof installed
Underlayment, flashing, roofing and ridge or edge details.
- 6
Final walk and paperwork
Photos, permit certification and product information handed over.
Roof Replacement Questions
Only when there is a single layer and the deck is sound. With two layers already on, the city requires a full tear-off.
We only tear off what we can close the same day, so the roof is covered every night.
Not necessarily. We need access to the attic for the deck check and someone reachable by phone.
It depends on drainage and foot traffic more than the label. A well-drained mod bit roof here typically lasts 15 to 20 years.
On attached rows we tie into the neighbors' roofs at the parapet or edge and seal those joints as part of the job.
More Replacement & Installation Work in Philadelphia
From our guides: What a Roof Replacement Costs in Philadelphia
Get a Roof Built on a Sound Deck
Call for a measured estimate. We check what is under the old roof before we price the new one.