19144
Roof replacement in Germantown
Covers West Central Germantown, Southwest Germantown, East Germantown and Wister, in the city's Upper Northwest planning district. Most owner-occupied homes here, 76%, 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.
97
EZ roof covering replacement permits in 19144 in 2025
76%
of owner-occupied homes are rowhomes or twins (1-unit attached)
52%
of homes built in 1939 or earlier
37%
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 19144
City records show 97 EZ permits for replacing a roof covering in 19144 in 2025, 7th of 46 ZIP codes. Measured against owner-occupied homes it is 11.7 per 1,000, well above the 6.6 for the city as a whole. It has stayed in the same range since 2021, when there were 65. Through October 23, 2026, 51 more were issued in 2026, after 69 in 2024. Residential: 89; commercial: 8.
The homes in 19144
Of 24,162 homes here, 8,291 are lived in by their owners: 37% of occupied homes, against 52% for the city. 52% 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: $238,700 (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.
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
4 local historic districts reach into 19144: East Logan Street, Germantown Urban Village, Northwest Philadelphia Apartments and Wayne Junction. In all, 413 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
88 streets in 19144 had at least one roof permit between 2021 and 2025; Walnut Ln (21), Greene St (14) and Johnson St (11) had the most. Of the 381 permits issued in 19144 from 2021 through 2025, the most came in December (39) and June (37), the fewest in January and February (24 each). December through February accounted for 23%.
- Walnut Ln · 21
- Greene St · 14
- Johnson St · 11
- Baynton St · 11
- School House Ln · 11
- Queen Ln · 10
- Price St · 9
- McCallum St · 9
Questions about a new roof in Germantown
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Germantown?
Yes. A roof covering replacement in Philadelphia goes through an EZ permit from L&I. In 2025 the City issued 97 of them in 19144 (West Central Germantown and Southwest Germantown), 7th of 46 ZIP codes.
How old are the houses in Germantown?
52% of homes in 19144 were built in 1939 or earlier (city: 40%); the median year built is 1938. 37% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners (Census ACS 2020–2024).
What kind of roof do rowhomes in Germantown have?
76% 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 Germantown?
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.
Is Germantown in a historic district?
4 local historic districts reach into 19144: East Logan Street, Germantown Urban Village, Northwest Philadelphia Apartments and Wayne Junction. 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 19144
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.