Roofing in Newtown, PA

Three kinds of Newtown roof

The borough: old houses on tight lots

Newtown Borough is one of the oldest towns in the county, and the streets around State Street, Court Street and Washington Avenue still have Federal-era and 19th-century houses close together. Steep roofs, chimneys, porches with low-slope roofs of their own, and in places slate or old metal. Like other historic boroughs, parts of it are a historic district, so check with the borough before changing the look of a roof you can see from the street.

Newtown Township: subdivision colonials

Off the Bypass, Durham Road and Eagle Road, most houses are two-story colonials and traditionals built from the 1980s on. Many have their original builder-grade shingles, and on a lot of streets those are wearing out house after house. Here the choice is usually between a few more years of repairs and planning a replacement.

Upper Makefield: bigger houses, bigger roofs

Out toward Washington Crossing and Tyler State Park, houses are larger and on bigger lots. Roofs have multiple gables, dormers, hips and long valleys, and some sit on open, higher ground that catches more wind than the sheltered streets in town.

On a complicated roof, the joints wear out before the shingles

A simple ranch roof is mostly flat field shingles. A big Newtown colonial is mostly joints: valleys where two slopes meet, step flashing where the roof runs into a wall, flashing around chimneys, skylights and dormers. Those joints carry the most water and take the most movement, so they tend to fail years before the shingles in the open field do.

• Valleys. All the water from two slopes runs through one channel. Leaves pile up in them, hold water and wear the shingles there faster.
• Wall and dormer flashing. Where a lower roof runs into a second-story wall, a single failed piece of step flashing can leak into the wall for months before a stain shows.
• Skylights. Most skylight leaks are the flashing around the frame, not the glass. See skylight repair.
• Wind on exposed ridges. Houses on open ground near Tyler State Park and the higher parts of Upper Makefield lose ridge caps and edge shingles in strong storms.

The good news is that fixing flashing on a roof with sound shingles is a repair, not a new roof. If the shingles themselves are worn out all over, that changes the math. Our rule of thumb: once a repair would cost more than about 30% of a new roof, put the money toward replacement.

What to look for on a big roof, from the ground

1. Look at the valleys in fall. With binoculars, check whether leaves and twigs are piling up in the valleys. If they are, they need clearing before winter.
2. Check where roofs meet walls. Inside, look for stains or bubbling paint on walls under a lower roof, not just on ceilings. That usually points to step flashing.
3. Walk around after a windstorm. Look for ridge caps or shingle pieces in the yard, and lifted edges along the rakes and ridges.
4. Watch the gutters. On a large roof, gutters carry a lot of water. If they overflow in a heavy rain, they may be too small or clogged. See gutter installation.

Stay off the roof: Steep, high roofs are no place for a homeowner on a ladder. Everything above you can check from the yard, a window or the attic. For the rest, book a free roof inspection and we will send photos.

Who you are hiring

Armstrong Roofing is family-owned and based in Horsham. Owner Jim Armstrong personally oversees every job, and the team brings 50+ years of combined roofing experience. We're licensed (PA #PA164826), insured, BBB A+ rated, and have a 5.0 rating across 172+ reviews on Google. Newtown is part of our regular area, along with Yardley down the road and the rest of Bucks County.

• Free inspection with photos of every slope we can see
• Written, line-item estimate before any work starts
• Architectural shingles from GAF, Owens Corning and CertainTeed, plus metal and flat-roof systems for porches and additions
• 24/7 for active leaks: we tarp to stop the water, then schedule the permanent repair

What it usually costs

Roof size and complexity drive the price more than anything. A large Upper Makefield house with many valleys and dormers sits at the top of the replacement range; a plainer township colonial sits lower.

• Roof Inspection: Free
• Roof Repair: $350 – $2,500
• Roof Replacement: $6,500 – $18,000
• Storm Damage Roof Repair: $550 – $6,000
• Skylight Repair: $350 – $1,800
• Gutter Installation: $1,200 – $7,500

Questions we get asked

Do you work in Newtown Borough, Newtown Township and Upper Makefield?

Yes, all three, plus Wrightstown, Washington Crossing and the Yardley side of Lower Makefield. That runs from the borough streets around State Street out along the Bypass, Durham Road and Eagle Road to the Tyler State Park area.

How much does a new roof cost in Newtown?

Most roof replacements we do run between $6,500 and $18,000. Newtown houses tend to be on the larger side, and big roofs with many valleys and dormers land toward the top of that range. You get a free written estimate after we've seen the roof.

My roof leaks but the shingles look fine. What is going on?

On a complicated roof it's usually a valley, step flashing where the roof meets a wall, or flashing around a chimney or skylight. Those joints wear out before the shingles do. Fixing them is a repair, not a new roof.

Do I need permission to change my roof in the borough?

If your house is in the historic district, changes you can see from the street can need review first. Ask the borough before you pick a new material or color. Matching what's there is usually simplest.

My subdivision house still has its original shingles. Repair or replace?

If they still lie flat, hold their granules and only leak in one spot, repair. If they're curling, bald or leaking in several places, plan a replacement. We stop recommending repairs once a fix would cost more than about 30% of a new roof.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. PA license #PA164826, with general liability and workers' compensation insurance. We'll show you proof before any work starts.

Related pages

• Roof Repair: Leaks, missing shingles, flashing and vents. We fix the problem and tell you honestly how much life the roof has left.
• Roof Replacement: Full tear-off and new roof when repairs stop making sense. Written, line-item estimate before anything starts.
• Roof Inspection: A free, top-to-bottom look at your roof with photos, so you know what you actually need before you spend anything.
• Skylights: Leaking skylight, or want a new one? Most skylight leaks are flashing, not the glass.
• Gutter Installation: Seamless gutters and downspouts sized to move water away from your foundation.
• Storm Damage Repair: Wind, hail and fallen limbs. We document the damage with photos and work with your insurance adjuster.
• Bucks County: Warminster, Doylestown, Newtown, Yardley, Chalfont and everywhere in between.
• Yardley: River-town homes along the Delaware.
• Doylestown: Historic borough homes plus the townships around it.
• Warminster: Our neighbor to the north; lots of 1950s-70s ranchers and splits.
• Roof Replacement in Bensalem, PA: Full roof replacement in Bensalem.
• Chalfont: Borough and surrounding townships in central Bucks.
• Hatboro: Borough homes and older twins right next door to Horsham.