19138
Roof replacement in East Germantown and Ogontz
Covers West Oak Lane, East Germantown and Ogontz, in the city's Upper North planning district. Most owner-occupied homes here, 88%, are rowhomes or twins: houses that share at least one wall, so a new roof has to meet the neighbors' on one side or both.
This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. The call must come from the homeowner who decides on the roof. Calls may be recorded.
86
EZ roof covering replacement permits in 19138 in 2025
88%
of owner-occupied homes are rowhomes or twins (1-unit attached)
43%
of homes built in 1939 or earlier
71%
of occupied homes lived in by their owners
Permits: City of Philadelphia L&I open data. Homes: Census ACS 2020–2024.
Roofs Philadelphia connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
Roof permits in 19138
City records show 86 EZ permits for replacing a roof covering in 19138 in 2025, 10th of 46 ZIP codes. Measured against owner-occupied homes it is 9.5 per 1,000, well above the 6.6 for the city as a whole. The count has grown from 48 in 2021. Through October 23, 2026, 36 more were issued in 2026, after 67 in 2024. All of them were filed as residential work.
The homes in 19138
Of 13,552 homes here, 9,073 are lived in by their owners: 71% of occupied homes, against 52% for the city. The median year built is 1943; 43% of homes date from 1939 or earlier and 4% from 1980 or later. Median owner-reported value: $177,000 (city $243,100).
What the roof job looks like here
A rowhouse roof that looks flat is built to drain: in the words of the City's Rowhouse Manual, most "are actually gently sloped toward a drain." That slope, the parapet and the joints with the houses on either side are what a replacement here is mostly about.
Read more: rowhouse flat roofs, flat roof systems , tear-off or roof-over.
Historic designation
One local historic district reaches into 19138: Awbury Arboretum. In all, 28 properties in this ZIP code are on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
For a designated property the City's EZ re-roofing standard does not apply "without prior approval" of the Historical Commission, so the commission's sign-off comes before the permit, and a change of material, such as slate to asphalt, is part of what it looks at.
Which streets, which months
79 streets in 19138 had at least one roof permit between 2021 and 2025; N 21st St (20), N 20th St (12) and Tulpehocken St (12) had the most. Of the 351 permits issued in 19138 from 2021 through 2025, the most came in May (41) and April (39), the fewest in July (19). December through February accounted for 23%.
- N 21st St · 20
- N 20th St · 12
- Tulpehocken St · 12
- Chew Ave · 11
- Limekiln Pike · 11
- Washington Ln · 10
- Rittenhouse St · 10
- Forrest Ave · 9
Questions about a new roof in East Germantown and Ogontz
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in East Germantown and Ogontz?
Yes. A roof covering replacement in Philadelphia goes through an EZ permit from L&I. In 2025 the City issued 86 of them in 19138 (West Oak Lane and East Germantown), 10th of 46 ZIP codes.
How old are the houses in East Germantown and Ogontz?
43% of homes in 19138 were built in 1939 or earlier (city: 40%); the median year built is 1943. 71% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners (Census ACS 2020–2024).
What kind of roof do rowhomes in East Germantown and Ogontz have?
88% of owner-occupied homes here are rowhomes or twins. Most rowhouse roofs look flat but slope gently toward a drain, so a replacement means a low-slope membrane turned up the parapet and sealed to the roofs next door.
Is East Germantown and Ogontz in a historic district?
One local historic district reaches into 19138: Awbury Arboretum. For a designated property the Historical Commission approves the work, including a change of material such as slate to asphalt, before the permit.
Next to 19138
Sources: L&I permits (OpenDataPhilly) and City map layers, queried October 24, 2026; Census ACS 2020–2024; L&I EZ re-roofing standard; Rowhouse Manual. All sources. Checked October 24, 2026.