19123
Roof replacement in Northern Liberties and Callowhill
Covers Northern Liberties, West Poplar, East Poplar and Callowhill, in the city's Central planning district. 60% of owner-occupied homes here are rowhomes or twins and 10% are detached, so the roofs on one block can be a low-slope membrane and on the next a pitched shingle roof.
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.
8
EZ roof covering replacement permits in 19123 in 2025
60%
of owner-occupied homes are rowhomes or twins (1-unit attached)
1991
median year homes here were built
35%
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 19123
City records show 8 EZ permits for replacing a roof covering in 19123 in 2025, one of the fewest among the 46 ZIP codes with any. Measured against owner-occupied homes it is 2.2 per 1,000, well below the 6.6 for the city as a whole. It was higher in 2021, with 17 permits. Through October 23, 2026, 13 more were issued in 2026, after 19 in 2024. Residential: 5; commercial: 3.
The homes in 19123
Of 11,366 homes here, 3,640 are lived in by their owners: 35% of occupied homes, against 52% for the city. 55% were built in 1980 or later, a large share for Philadelphia, and the median year built is 1991. Median owner-reported value: $539,500 (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.
Where a house here has a pitched roof, the City's re-roofing standard allows asphalt shingles only on slopes of 2 in 12 or steeper, so a shingled main slope and a low rear roof can need two different systems on one house.
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
No local historic district covers 19123, but 67 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
28 streets in 19123 had at least one roof permit between 2021 and 2025; N 3rd St (8), N 5th St (6) and Brown St (5) had the most. Of the 69 permits issued in 19123 from 2021 through 2025, the most came in April and August (9 each), the fewest in January (2). December through February accounted for 16%.
- N 3rd St · 8
- N 5th St · 6
- Brown St · 5
- Fairmount Ave · 5
- Callowhill St · 4
- Parrish St · 4
- N 4th St · 4
- Bodine St · 4
Questions about a new roof in Northern Liberties and Callowhill
Does a roof replacement in Northern Liberties and Callowhill need a City permit?
Yes. A roof covering replacement in Philadelphia goes through an EZ permit from L&I. In 2025 the City issued 8 of them in 19123 (Northern Liberties and West Poplar), 43rd of 46 ZIP codes.
When were the homes in Northern Liberties and Callowhill built?
55% of homes in 19123 were built in 1980 or later, and the median year built is 1991. 35% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners (Census ACS 2020–2024).
What kind of roof do rowhomes in Northern Liberties and Callowhill have?
60% 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 Historical Commission review roofs in Northern Liberties and Callowhill?
No local historic district covers 19123, but 67 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 19123
- West Kensington and Old Kensington · 19122 · 10 permits
- Old City and Society Hill · 19106 · 18 permits
- Fairmount and Spring Garden · 19130 · 15 permits
- Fishtown and East Kensington · 19125 · 25 permits
- Washington Square West and Chinatown · 19107 · 9 permits
- Rittenhouse and Logan Square · 19102 · 7 permits
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.