The City's own map layers list 45 local historic districts and 14,988 properties on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places (City of Philadelphia ArcGIS, October 24, 2026). For a house on that register, whether on its own or inside a district, a new roof starts with the Historical Commission rather than with L&I.
What designation means for a roof
The commission tells owners: "You need the commission's approval if you want to: Make changes to your property that require a building permit, or Alter the exterior of the building or site features." A roof replacement requires a permit, so it is covered. L&I's EZ re-roofing standard says the same from its side:
EZ permit process shall not be applicable to buildings listed as historic as established by the Philadelphia Historical Commission without prior approval, contact the staff at [email protected] in the planning stages of your project.
The local register is not the National Register. The commission notes that a property may be on both, but the local register is the one that triggers its review.
How the approval works
According to the commission, its staff looks at building permit applications first and "approves over 90% of building permit applications without referral to a committee." When the scope goes beyond what staff may approve, the application goes to the Architectural Committee and then the commission at a public meeting. Like-for-like work moves through staff; a change of material or form on a visible roof is the kind of change that can be referred.
Alterations made before designation are grandfathered: "You'll only need to get the commission's approval if you decide to replace them," the commission says, using windows as its example.
How to check an address
- Ask the commission: (215) 686-7660 or [email protected], as its owner page suggests.
- Look at the City's historic districts and register map layers (linked in the sources below).
- Your ZIP code page lists the districts that reach into it and the number of listed properties.
| ZIP | Local historic districts reaching into it |
|---|---|
| 19106 | Old City, Society Hill, Chestnut St East |
| 19107 | Washington Square West, Society Hill, Chestnut St East |
| 19119 | Mt Airy Historic District, French Village, and others |
| 19128 | Ridge Avenue Roxborough, Victorian Roxborough, Manayunk Main Street |
| 19131, 19151 | Overbrook Farms Historic District |
| 19144 | Germantown Urban Village, East Logan Street, Wayne Junction, and others |
| 19145 | Girard Estate |
| 19146 | Christian St Historic District, Rittenhouse-Fitler Residential |
From the City's district boundaries overlaid on its ZIP code boundaries; a district that only touches a ZIP at its edge is listed too.
What to settle before the call
- whether the house is designated;
- which parts of the roof can be seen from the street;
- whether you want the existing material again;
- who files the commission application: you or the contractor.
The rest of the permit, once the commission has approved, is the ordinary EZ permit: see roof permits and, for slate, slate roofs.