19136
Roof replacement in Holmesburg and Pennypack Woods
Covers Holmesburg, Torresdale, Pennypack Woods and Winchester Park, in the city's North Delaware planning district. Most owner-occupied homes here, 83%, 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.
13
EZ roof covering replacement permits in 19136 in 2025
83%
of owner-occupied homes are rowhomes or twins (1-unit attached)
13%
of homes built in 1939 or earlier
58%
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 19136
In 2025 the City issued 13 EZ permits for roof covering replacement in 19136, 40th of 46 ZIP codes. That is 1.7 per 1,000 owner-occupied homes, well below 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 12. Through October 23, 2026, 8 more were issued in 2026, after 18 in 2024. Residential: 10; commercial: 3.
The homes in 19136
The Census Bureau counts 13,942 homes in 19136, 58% of the occupied ones owner-occupied (city: 52%). Building here peaked after the war: 67% of homes date from before 1960 but only 13% from before 1940. The median year built is 1955. Median owner-reported value: $226,100 (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.
The Rowhouse Manual notes that some rowhouses "have almost flat roofs and no attics," and that "when a new roof is installed, it's possible to add rigid insulation between the decking and beneath the roofing material."
Read more: rowhouse flat roofs, flat roof systems , tear-off or roof-over.
Historic designation
One local historic district reaches into 19136: Greenbelt Knoll. In all, 32 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
From 2021 through 2025, roof permits in 19136 went to addresses on 40 different streets. The most were on Hartel Ave (5), Frankford Ave (5) and Tolbut St (4). Of the 67 permits issued in 19136 from 2021 through 2025, the most came in January and July (11 each), the fewest in February (1). December through February accounted for 24%.
- Hartel Ave · 5
- Frankford Ave · 5
- Tolbut St · 4
- State Rd · 4
- Walker St · 3
- Torresdale Ave · 3
- Enfield Ave · 2
- Fairfield St · 2
Questions about a new roof in Holmesburg and Pennypack Woods
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Holmesburg and Pennypack Woods?
Yes. A roof covering replacement in Philadelphia goes through an EZ permit from L&I. In 2025 the City issued 13 of them in 19136 (Holmesburg and Torresdale), 40th of 46 ZIP codes.
How old are the houses in Holmesburg and Pennypack Woods?
13% of homes in 19136 were built in 1939 or earlier (city: 40%); the median year built is 1955. 58% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners (Census ACS 2020–2024).
What kind of roof do rowhomes in Holmesburg and Pennypack Woods have?
83% 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 Holmesburg and Pennypack Woods in a historic district?
One local historic district reaches into 19136: Greenbelt Knoll. 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 19136
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.