19125
Roof replacement in Fishtown and East Kensington
Part of the River Wards planning district. Most owner-occupied homes here, 82%, 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.
25
EZ roof covering replacement permits in 19125 in 2025
82%
of owner-occupied homes are rowhomes or twins (1-unit attached)
57%
of homes built in 1939 or earlier
59%
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 19125
25 EZ roof covering replacement permits were issued in 19125 during 2025: 29th of 46 ZIP codes. Per 1,000 owner-occupied homes that comes to 3.4, well below the citywide 6.6; landlords pull these permits as well. The count has grown from 16 in 2021. Through October 23, 2026, 25 more were issued in 2026, after 20 in 2024. Residential: 22; commercial: 3.
The homes in 19125
19125 has 13,583 homes by the Census Bureau's count; owners live in 59% of those occupied, against 52% citywide. 57% 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: $392,400 (city $243,100).
What the roof job looks like here
On a rowhome the main roof is usually low-slope: the City's Rowhouse Manual says most "appear 'flat', although they are actually gently sloped toward a drain." The new membrane is turned up the parapet and tied into the neighbors' roofs at both party walls.
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 19125, but 56 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
Roof permits issued in 19125 from 2021 through 2025 were filed for houses on 42 streets, led by Cumberland St (6), Palmer St (5) and Sergeant St (5). Of the 96 permits issued in 19125 from 2021 through 2025, the most came in June (15) and July (12), the fewest in February (3). December through February accounted for 19%.
- Cumberland St · 6
- Palmer St · 5
- Sergeant St · 5
- Huntingdon St · 5
- Norris St · 4
- Lehigh Ave · 4
- Memphis St · 4
- Columbia Ave · 4
Questions about a new roof in Fishtown and East Kensington
Does a roof replacement in Fishtown and East Kensington need a City permit?
Yes. A roof covering replacement in Philadelphia goes through an EZ permit from L&I. In 2025 the City issued 25 of them in 19125 (Fishtown - Lower Kensington and East Kensington), 29th of 46 ZIP codes.
When were the homes in Fishtown and East Kensington built?
57% of homes in 19125 were built in 1939 or earlier (city: 40%); the median year built is 1938. 59% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners (Census ACS 2020–2024).
What kind of roof do rowhomes in Fishtown and East Kensington have?
82% 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 Fishtown and East Kensington?
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 Fishtown and East Kensington?
No local historic district covers 19125, but 56 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 19125
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.