19133
Roof replacement in Fairhill and Hartranft
Covers Hartranft, West Kensington, Fairhill and McGuire, in the city's North planning district. Most owner-occupied homes here, 79%, 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.
48
EZ roof covering replacement permits in 19133 in 2025
79%
of owner-occupied homes are rowhomes or twins (1-unit attached)
56%
of homes built in 1939 or earlier
43%
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 19133
In 2025 the City issued 48 EZ permits for roof covering replacement in 19133, 20th of 46 ZIP codes. That is 11.1 per 1,000 owner-occupied homes, well above the city's 6.6 (rented houses get permits too, so read it as a yardstick). It has stayed in the same range since 2021, when there were 37. Through October 23, 2026, 23 more were issued in 2026, after 60 in 2024. Residential: 47; commercial: 1.
The homes in 19133
The Census Bureau counts 11,195 homes in 19133, 43% of the occupied ones owner-occupied (city: 52%). 56% were built in 1939 or earlier, against 40% citywide. On houses that old the roof has usually been replaced more than once, and the next replacement often starts with finding out what is underneath. Median owner-reported value: $89,500 (city $243,100).
What the roof job looks like here
The City's own Rowhouse Manual puts it plainly: "Most rowhouse roofs appear 'flat', although they are actually gently sloped toward a drain." Replacing one means a low-slope membrane, run up the parapet and sealed where it meets the roofs next door.
On houses this old, check for slate, including a slate mansard front, and for more than one layer. The City's EZ standard requires every existing layer to come off first where the roof is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or already has two or more coverings.
Read more: rowhouse flat roofs, flat roof systems , slate roofs, tear-off or roof-over.
Historic designation
No local historic district covers 19133, but 10 properties here are individually listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. For those, the Historical Commission approves the work before L&I issues the permit.
Which streets, which months
From 2021 through 2025, roof permits in 19133 went to addresses on 62 different streets. The most were on Fairhill St (14), N 7th St (12) and Darien St (10). Of the 236 permits issued in 19133 from 2021 through 2025, the most came in August (28) and April (26), the fewest in June (13). December through February accounted for 24%.
- Fairhill St · 14
- N 7th St · 12
- Darien St · 10
- N 12th St · 9
- N 6th St · 9
- N 4th St · 8
- N 5th St · 7
- Lawrence St · 7
Questions about a new roof in Fairhill and Hartranft
Does a roof replacement in Fairhill and Hartranft need a City permit?
Yes. A roof covering replacement in Philadelphia goes through an EZ permit from L&I. In 2025 the City issued 48 of them in 19133 (Hartranft and West Kensington), 20th of 46 ZIP codes.
When were the homes in Fairhill and Hartranft built?
56% of homes in 19133 were built in 1939 or earlier (city: 40%); the median year built is 1938. 43% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners (Census ACS 2020–2024).
What kind of roof do rowhomes in Fairhill and Hartranft have?
79% 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.
Does the old roof have to come off on an older house in Fairhill and Hartranft?
Under the City's EZ re-roofing standard, every existing layer comes off first where the roof is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or already has two or more coverings. On houses this old, check for slate and for more than one layer.
Does the Historical Commission review roofs in Fairhill and Hartranft?
No local historic district covers 19133, but 10 properties are individually on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places; for those the Historical Commission approves the work before L&I issues the permit.
Next to 19133
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.