Roofer in Philadelphia, PA: written quotes on one scope

Key facts for hiring a roofer in Philadelphia

• 83.3% of Philadelphia's housing units were built before 1980 (Census ACS 2020-2024 estimate, read 2026-10-17).
• 9.7% of Philadelphia's housing units were built in 2000 or later and 7% from 1980 to 1999 (Census ACS 2020-2024 estimate, read 2026-10-17).
• NOAA's Storm Events Database lists hail reports on 3 days, thunderstorm wind on 35 days and high wind on 4 days in Philadelphia County in 2021-2025 (distinct days per event type, read 2026-10-17).

How to get written quotes on one scope

After you pick a roofer, use the City of Philadelphia's Contractor License source to read the selected firm's record (Department of Licenses and Inspections, read 2026-10-30).

The same page says a business that only works on existing one-or-two-family dwellings, and does no work that needs a special trade license, does not need this license and instead submits as a Home Improvement Contractor after registering with the State (read 2026-10-30).

The city's permit page for that route says such a contractor registers with the PA Office of the Attorney General and can apply for permits for home improvement work using its PA Home Improvement Contractor Registration, with no additional fee for applying that way (read 2026-10-30).

The Attorney General's page says HICPA is a Pennsylvania law that requires home improvement contractors to register and follow consumer protection rules to protect homeowners, and that registration is not an endorsement, recommendation or approval of a contractor's competency or skill (read 2026-10-30).

After you pick a roofer, you can search its registration on the Attorney General's contractor search by a PA registration number of at least 6 characters or a business name of at least 3, with Philadelphia among its county choices (read 2026-10-30). You can also use the city's L&I contractor lookup, which the city says lists every contractor with an active Philadelphia license and any licensing violations (read 2026-10-30). InstaBids gives no verdict on any firm.

1. Describe the job once, using the scope checklist below, built from what we found for Philadelphia.
2. Post it on InstaBids and send it.
3. Every quote is written against the same scope, so they compare line by line.
4. You choose who gets your number.
5. Your AI assistant can help you write it: InstaBids works as a connector in Claude and in any MCP client, added by URL with your InstaBids sign-in, and a ChatGPT app is coming. You send the request yourself. Connect an assistant

Your written scope for a roofing job in Philadelphia

The city's EZ permits page names roof covering replacement among the project types that may qualify for an EZ permit, says EZ permits need no plans, and says an EZ permit is revoked when the work does not follow its EZ Standard (Department of Licenses and Inspections, read 2026-10-30).

For an existing one-or-two-family home, the same page names an owner who lives in the building, or a registered PA Home Improvement Contractor who holds a Philadelphia Commercial Activity License, as also allowed to do the work, alongside a contractor with a Philadelphia Contractor License (read 2026-10-30).

It says most applications without plans are processed within 5 business days, and names roof covering among the permits that may be issued immediately when the contractor applies with a current license, insurance and tax account (read 2026-10-30).

The city's L&I permits data on OpenDataPhilly lists 2,162 residential permits with the work type EZ Roof Covering Replacement issued in 2025 across 45 zip codes, and 1,443 issued from October 2025 through September 2026, the most in zip code 19143 (97), then 19119 (95) and 19114 (88) (read 2026-10-30).

Ask each quote to say whether your job fits the EZ roof covering route, who files the permit in eCLIPSE, and what start date it assumes once the permit is issued.

• Roof covering, roof area and how many layers come off
• If your home was built before 1980, ask how damaged decking is handled
• Whether your job is one Philadelphia's document quoted below lists, and who applies for the permit if one applies to your job
• Removal and disposal of the old parts or materials
• Warranty terms on parts and labor, in writing

Do you need a permit for a roofing job in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia's permit document on www.phila.gov (read 17 October 2026): “Obtain permits for the installation of new roof coverings on existing roofs without submitting plans by meeting the Conditions and Requirements below. Any deviations from this permit standard will result in permit revocation.” Open Philadelphia's source document

Roof inspection, Philadelphia

The city's EZ permits page says a Certificate of Approval is issued when all required inspections are completed successfully (Department of Licenses and Inspections, read 2026-10-30).

L&I's contractor information page tells owners that once they hire a contractor, the contractor should hold the required L&I permits and post them on the property before work begins, and that the L&I permit lookup tool shows whether the permits were obtained (read 2026-10-30).

The Philadelphia Historical Commission says work to a property on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places needs its approval through a project or design review, and that most reviews concern changes to a property's exterior (read 2026-10-30).

Ask whether your house is on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, look for the posted permit before the tear-off starts, and hold the last payment until the inspections pass.

Ask how the quote handles damaged decking; housing age is not roof age.

For extreme hail, NOAA says: “Extreme Hail: Roof damage possible to homes.” These report counts do not establish that impact level at your home. Ask the quote to name the wind and impact ratings of the covering it prices.

Median hourly wage for Roofers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area, May 2025: $28.72 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).

This is what workers in this occupation are paid per hour. It is not what a contractor charges for a job.

How does InstaBids work?

InstaBids does not hold payment for the work; you pay the contractor directly on the terms of the bid you accepted.

How is InstaBids different?

Each bidder appears under a stable label such as Contractor A, so you judge the work, not the brand.

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

The contact-detail filter can miss disguised contact details.

Sources for the facts on this page

• Philadelphia permit document, read 17 October 2026: www.phila.gov
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year (B25035), ACS 5-year 2020-2024, read 17 October 2026: api.census.gov
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (series OEUM003798000000047218108), May 2025, read 17 October 2026: api.bls.gov
• NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, event years 2021-2025; files 20260323, 20260625, 20260323, 20260728, 20260819 (creation dates in file names), read 17 October 2026: www.ncei.noaa.gov
• NOAA NWS hail and convective wind impacts, read 3 November 2026: www.weather.gov

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.