Roof replacement cost in Philadelphia, PA
A new roof in the Philadelphia area cost a median of $8,800, based on what homeowners told the U.S. Census Bureau (jobs from 2021 to mid-2023). About 3 in 4 paid $12,000 or less. This page doesn't use Philadelphia permit records, so the only local number besides the survey comes from homeowners like you.
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Homeowner reports
The survey shows what owners paid a few years ago, across the whole area. Only homeowners can show today's estimates and bills. Add yours, and the next person in Philadelphia sees it too. Your report is the only local number besides the survey.
We read every report before it shows, but we can't check the amounts. Reports stay apart from the survey numbers.
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What Philadelphia-area owners paid
Owners of single-family homes told the U.S. Census Bureau what their new roof cost. We count only roofs where someone outside the household did most of the work. The price is for the whole job, including any part insurance paid. In the Philadelphia area, the median is $8,800 — about half paid less, about half paid more. About 3 in 4 paid $12,000 or less.
In this area, fewer than half of the households the Census Bureau asked (48%) answered the survey. Fewer answers can make the numbers less exact. Of the 71 roofs, about 1 in 3 were on attached homes, like row houses and twins; for detached houses alone (47 roofs), the median was $11,000.
$8,800or less
$8,800to $12,000
$12,000or more
Each person stands for about 1 in 4 owners · 71 Philadelphia-area roofs · 2021–2023
What the survey tells you — and what it doesn't
- What the owner says the whole job cost
- New roofs put on by someone outside the household
- Single-family homes
- The whole area, suburbs included
- Jobs finished from 2021 to mid-2023
- Roof size
- Roof material — shingles, metal or flat
- Philadelphia on its own
- Today's prices
- Repairs
Most owners gave a round number, like $12,000. We left out amounts under $1,000, which are too low for a new roof, and amounts the Census Bureau filled in itself. Source: American Housing Survey 2023, U.S. Census Bureau and HUD. We counted the numbers ourselves. The Census Bureau did not make or check this page.
Philadelphia roof permits
In Philadelphia, a new roof covering on an existing roof needs an "EZ" permit — a simple permit with no plans. The city's public permit file lists no amounts, and this page doesn't use Philadelphia permit records — only the survey and homeowner reports.
Roof rules in Philadelphia
The permit rule
In Philadelphia, a new roof covering on an existing roof needs an EZ permit — no plans required. If more than 10% of the roof deck will be replaced, the EZ permit doesn't apply, so ask L&I which permit you need. On a building listed as historic, you need the Historical Commission's approval first. If the roof already has two layers, is water-damaged or worn out, or has slate, tile or wood shakes, all old layers must come off first; slate and tile in good shape may go back on. Asphalt shingles are allowed only on slopes of 2:12 or steeper.
The permit fee
Philadelphia charges $69 for a roof covering replacement permit on a one- or two-family home (fee schedule effective October 1, 2026), plus a $3 city and a $4.50 state surcharge.
Who can do the work
On a one- or two-family home, the work can be done by an owner who lives there, by a contractor licensed by the City of Philadelphia, or by a contractor registered with Pennsylvania as a Home Improvement Contractor who also holds a Philadelphia Commercial Activity License. Pennsylvania registers these contractors but doesn't vouch for their work. Check the registration and insurance yourself.
Hail
Hail is rare here. NOAA's storm records list hail 1 inch or larger in Philadelphia County on only 3 days from 2016 to 2025; the largest was 1.25 inches.
What the numbers say about Philadelphia roof costs
What the survey shows about Philadelphia roofs. Some answers are for the whole US, and we say so each time.
Is a new roof in Philadelphia cheaper than average?
Probably, but only just. Philadelphia-area owners paid a median of $8,800 for a new roof. Across the whole US, the median was $11,000. The gap is close to what the survey can tell apart, so treat it as "likely lower", not as a fact.
American Housing Survey 2023 · jobs from 2021 to mid-2023 · the Philadelphia area includes its suburbs in PA, NJ, DE and MD · We counted the US median the same way as this area's. The Census Bureau's own US median is $10,000, because it also counts amounts it filled in itself and amounts under $1,000.
Why might Philadelphia roofs cost less? Likely attached homes.
About 1 in 3 roofs in the survey were on attached homes, like row houses and twins. Owners of detached houses paid a median of $11,000 — the same as the US median. So the lower area-wide number likely comes from attached homes. The survey doesn't say why they cost less.
American Housing Survey 2023 · 47 detached-home roofs · attached homes too few to show a median on their own
Does the age of the house matter?
In the Philadelphia area, yes, a lot. Owners of homes built before 1960 paid a median of $5,000; owners of homes built from 1960 to 1999 paid $11,000. The survey doesn't say why.
American Housing Survey 2023 · 33 and 30 Philadelphia-area roofs
How do Philadelphia-area owners pay for a new roof?
Mostly from savings. Savings were the main source of money for about 2 in 3 new roofs (68%). Too few owners used insurance to give a reliable share.
American Housing Survey 2023 · 71 Philadelphia-area roofs · main source of money, as the owner reported it
How common is a leaking roof in the Philadelphia area?
About 5 in 100 owner-occupied single-family homes had a roof leak in the 12 months before the survey (5.4%). About 12 in 100 homes got a new roof in the two years before the survey (12.1%).
American Housing Survey 2023 · about 880 Philadelphia-area homes asked
Are roof prices going up?
Across the whole US, yes. Owners paid a median of $10,000 for a new roof in 2021 and $12,000 in 2023 (jobs up to mid-year). These numbers are for the US, not Philadelphia alone.
American Housing Survey 2023 · whole US
What can't this page tell you about Philadelphia yet?
Roof size, roof material and neighborhoods. The survey doesn't ask about the roof itself. Homeowner reports will fill this in.
Why: this page uses only the survey and homeowner reports
Questions people ask
Is $30,000 too much for a roof?
It's far above what most owners here paid. In the survey, about 3 in 4 Philadelphia-area owners paid $12,000 or less for a new roof (jobs from 2021 to mid-2023). Even on detached houses the median was $11,000. Across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania together, about 9 in 10 owners paid $30,000 or less. Roof size, a new roof deck and old layers that must come off all change the amount. Check your amount at the top of this page.
Will insurance cover a 20-year-old roof?
We can't tell. It depends on your policy and on what damaged the roof, so ask your insurer before you sign an estimate. What we can show: about 2 in 3 Philadelphia-area owners paid for a new roof mainly from savings (68%). Too few used insurance to give a reliable share.
What is the 25% rule for roofing?
Philadelphia's permit rules don't use 25%. Ordinary repairs usually need no permit. If the house is on the city's historic register, the historic rules still apply. A new roof covering needs an EZ permit; if more than 10% of the roof deck will be replaced, the EZ permit doesn't apply, so ask L&I which permit you need. Source: Philadelphia L&I, EZ Re-Roofing Permit Standard ↗ · Philadelphia Code A-301.2.1 ↗. In some other states, like Florida, the "25% rule" means something else. There, if more than 25% of a roof section is repaired or replaced within 12 months, the whole section may have to meet today's building code. Since 2022, Florida applies this only to older roofs, not to roofs built to the 2007 code or later. Source: J.S. Held, "Florida Building Code 25% rule" ↗
How much does it cost to replace a roof on a 2,200 square-foot house?
Across the whole US, owners of homes from 1,500 to 2,499 sq ft paid a median of $12,000 for a new roof (jobs from 2021 to mid-2023). That's the size of the house, not the roof. The survey has too few Philadelphia-area roofs to split them by house size. Across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania together, the median for homes that size was also $12,000.
How much does it cost to get a permit in Philadelphia?
For a new roof covering on a one- or two-family home, $69, plus a $3 city and a $4.50 state surcharge: $76.50 in all (fee schedule effective October 1, 2026). Paying by card adds a fee. Source: Philadelphia L&I fee schedule ↗ · EZ permits ↗
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Philadelphia?
Yes. A new roof covering needs an EZ permit, with no plans needed. If more than 10% of the roof deck will be replaced, the EZ permit doesn't apply, so ask L&I which permit you need. If the roof already has two layers, is water-damaged or worn out, or has slate, tile or wood shakes, all old layers must come off first. Source: Philadelphia L&I ↗
Why are there no Philadelphia permit numbers?
Philadelphia's public permit file lists the permit, the date and the address, but no amount. The city's website terms of use also don't allow commercial use without written permission, so this page doesn't use Philadelphia permit records.
Where do these numbers come from?
Two places, kept apart: the American Housing Survey 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau and HUD) and reports from homeowners like you. We review every homeowner report before it shows.
Why do cost guides show a lower number?
Most cost guides give one average for a typical shingle roof, worked out from national prices or from their own customers, then adjusted for your area. They rarely say how many jobs are behind the number or which years it covers. We show what Philadelphia-area owners said they paid in a government survey, with the count of jobs behind each number. A bigger roof, a flat roof, or rotten deck boards push a real job well above a guide's average.
More ways to look at roof costs.