One of our finished roofs, seen from the air. This post does not say which town it is in.
Can you get a roof replacement in West Goshen, PA over the winter?
Yes, a roof replacement in West Goshen, PA can go ahead in winter. Plan for the township permit first, since a full re-roof needs one, and then for the cold, because shingles won't seal on their own below 40°F.
We are Clear Roofing & Exteriors, based in West Chester. Our roof replacement in West Goshen page covers how we do the job on a house there. This post is about the township's permit timing and what low temperatures do to a shingle.
Is the house in the township?
West Goshen Township wraps around the north and west sides of West Chester Borough, and the township's own office at 1025 Paoli Pike lists a West Chester, PA 19380 address. So if you searched roof replacement West Chester PA from a house with that kind of address, the permit may still come from West Goshen and not the borough.
Look at your tax bill. The township's permit application prints "Tax Parcel # 52" ahead of the blank, so a parcel number that starts with 52 points to West Goshen, and if yours doesn't, ask the township office before you plan around the rules below.
Where the township draws the permit line
The township's Residential Code Package lists the work it treats as an ordinary repair, which needs no permit. One item on that list is replacing existing roof material that doesn't exceed 25% of the total roof area in any 12-month period. A full replacement is well past that.
Read as written, a repair in the spring and another in the fall both count toward the same 25%, so keep the invoices.
The fee schedule in that package, effective January 3, 2023, has a line for Re-Roofing (Non-Structural) at $100, plus a $4.50 state fee on each permit, and it asks for the contract or estimate with the application. Structural roof changes sit under a different line, figured at 1.5% of the construction cost with a $100 minimum. Starting work without a permit doubles the fee. That schedule is a few years old, so ask the office for the current number when you file.
Count the review time back from your start date
The package says plan review for residential permits takes 15 working days from a complete submission, and that a submission missing required items can be rejected at the counter. It doesn't give a separate timeline for a non-structural re-roof, so ask when you file. Fifteen working days is three weeks on the calendar, which means a roof you want done in January needs its paperwork in before the holidays.
Ask who files it. When we pull a permit in Chester County, the township wants our contractor credentials on file. Our Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor registration is PA179710, and you can check any number in the Attorney General's Home Improvement Contractor Search.
What cold does to the shingles
GAF, the shingle manufacturer, says asphalt shingles lose flexibility and may crack below 40°F, and that the sealant strip needs warmth, sun and temperatures above 40°F to activate. It allows installation below that line when the crew follows its cold-weather steps. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association adds that sealing time varies with the slope of the roof, its orientation and how much sun it gets.
Under 40°F the strip won't bond on its own, so GAF calls for hand sealing with an approved asphalt roofing cement, in quarter-sized dabs under each shingle tab. Too much cement can run down the shingle face or cause blistering. GAF says the warranty isn't affected as long as all of its application instructions are followed, hand sealing included, which is why we'd want that step on the estimate.
GAF wants bundles kept at 70°F for at least 24 hours before installation, and ARMA says to store shingles indoors and not throw or drop them in the cold.
The deck has to be clean and clear of frost and snow before anything goes down. Frost can push back the morning start, the crew has to stop before dark, and GAF suggests spreading the work over several days to install during the warmest hours, so a winter job can run longer than the same roof in June.
What to get on the estimate for a winter job
- Permit: who files with West Goshen, and whether the job stays on the non-structural re-roof line.
- Hand sealing: written in for any day the crew installs below 40°F.
- Storage: where the bundles stay warm before they go up.
- Ventilation: GAF says balanced intake and exhaust reduces condensation and ice dams, and that it can be checked before installation.
- Decking: how the price changes if the tear-off finds rot.
On West Goshen's 1960s and 1970s houses a second layer laid over the first is common, and the deck stays hidden until both come off. We strip everything down to the sheathing and we don't add a third layer. Our post on what happens at tear-off explains how we handle rotted boards once they are exposed. We put ice-and-water shield at the eaves and in the valleys and balance the attic ventilation as part of the same job.
For a free inspection and a written estimate on a West Goshen roof, call us at (484) 983-3476, 8 AM to 8 PM any day, or use the contact page.
Sources, read November 9, 2026: West Goshen Township Residential Code Package and Inspection Requirements, including its fee schedule effective January 3, 2023, and Building and Zoning Permit Application; GAF, Cool Weather Roofing (October 10, 2025); Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, Recommendations for Installation of Asphalt Roofing Shingles in Cold Weather (March 28, 2022); West Goshen Township on Wikipedia for the township's postal code. Fees and review times can change, so confirm them with the township at 610-696-5266.
