Home › Pennsylvania
How do roofers in Pennsylvania get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Roofers in Pennsylvania get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HICPA). Trade licenses are set by cities and townships..
- Licensing body: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HICPA). Trade licenses are set by cities and townships..
- The HIC registration number must appear in ads, contracts, estimates and proposals, in the form PA plus the number.
- 855 businesses with staff in 2022, 8th of 50 states; 82% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown.
- Common words in local searches: “reviews”, “best” and “repair”.
- Coldest month January (about 27°F), warmest July (about 71°F), statewide average.
Do roofers need a license in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania leaves most roofing licensing to cities and counties. The state contact is Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HICPA). Trade licenses are set by cities and townships..
License or registration types named by the state: Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration; Local trade licenses (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and others).
- No state roofing license. Roofers who do $5,000 or more of home improvements a year register under HICPA.
- Philadelphia and other cities can add local licenses and permits.
Contractor registration in Pennsylvania sits with Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HICPA). Trade licenses are set by cities and townships.. Pennsylvania has no general contractor license. HICPA registration is required unless a contractor does less than $5,000 of home improvements in a calendar year. Required insurance: $50,000 personal injury and $50,000 property damage. Registration lasts two years. Fee is $100 per one source, $50 per another page of the same AG site.
License numbers in ads and on websites
The HIC registration number must appear in ads, contracts, estimates and proposals, in the form PA plus the number. Vehicles need the number only if they carry business advertising.
What do homeowners in Pennsylvania’s biggest cities search for?
Google autocomplete for roofer searches in each city (job-seeker searches removed):
Philadelphia
- best roofer philadelphia
- philadelphia roofing and siding
- philadelphia roofing company
- philadelphia roofing company reviews
- philadelphia roofing contractors
- philadelphia roofing management
- philadelphia roofing permit
- philadelphia roofing repair
Pittsburgh
- amish roofer pittsburgh
- amish roofers pittsburgh
- best pittsburgh roofers
- best roofer pittsburgh
- dr roofer pittsburgh
- pittsburgh area roofers
- pittsburgh commercial roofers
- pittsburgh roofers reviews
Allentown
- able roofing allentown pa
- allentown roofing company
- allentown roofing contractors
- bachman's roofing allentown
- bachman's roofing allentown reviews
- dougherty roofing allentown pa
- metal roofing allentown pa
- roofer allentown pa
Reading
- flat roofers reading
- how do roofers measure a roof
- how long does it take roofers to replace roof
- north reading roofers
- read roofing atherstone
- reading roofing blueprints
- reading roofing company
- reading roofing company reviews
Erie
- amish roofers erie pa
- best roofers erie pa
- erie home roofers
- erie home roofers reviews
- erie metal roofs phone number
- erie metal roofs reviews
- erie roofing company
- erie roofing company reviews
Across these cities, the words that come up most are “reviews”, “best”, “repair” and “commercial”.
Source: Google autocomplete suggestions, checked November 9, 2026. Suggestions change over time.
What does a year of roofer work look like in Pennsylvania?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| February | 29°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| March | 37°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| April | 48°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| May | 59°F | full replacements, gutters |
| June | 67°F | full replacements, gutters |
| July | 71°F | full replacements, gutters |
| August | 70°F | full replacements, gutters |
| September | 63°F | full replacements, gutters |
| October | 51°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| November | 41°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| December | 32°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
Temperatures: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide data. Job column: our planning suggestion, not survey data.
How many roofing contractors compete in Pennsylvania’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia County | 67 | 23,142 |
| Pittsburgh | Allegheny County | 82 | 14,937 |
| Allentown | Lehigh County | 22 | 17,171 |
| Reading | Berks County | 30 | 14,427 |
| Erie | Erie County | 12 | 22,298 |
Competition is tightest around Reading (Berks County), with one business for every 14,427 residents, and loosest around Philadelphia, at one per 23,142.
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 and County Population Estimates 2023. Counts businesses with paid employees only.
How many roofing contractors are in Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau counted 855 businesses with employees in Pennsylvania in 2022, in the category “Roofing contractors”. That ranks Pennsylvania 8th of 50 states, one of the largest markets in the country, and 3% of the US total. 82% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 68 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 9,068 people, with an average yearly payroll of $770,922 per business. The three busiest counties hold 31% of them, so the work is spread across the state.
With 12,961,683 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 15,160 people, against 13,628 nationally: more residents per business than the US average, so each business has more homes to serve.
Pennsylvania next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 855 | 15,160 | 82% |
| Delaware | 66 | 15,635 | 71% |
| Maryland | 355 | 17,409 | 76% |
| New Jersey | 393 | 23,641 | 80% |
| New York | 830 | 23,580 | 81% |
| Ohio | 866 | 13,610 | 81% |
| West Virginia | 92 | 19,240 | 86% |
Counties with the most roofing contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Bucks County | 93 | 6,946 |
| Lancaster County | 92 | 6,072 |
| Allegheny County | 82 | 14,937 |
| Philadelphia County | 67 | 23,142 |
| Montgomery County | 63 | 13,790 |
| Chester County | 39 | 14,097 |
| Delaware County | 33 | 17,476 |
| Berks County | 30 | 14,427 |
| York County | 26 | 17,871 |
| Lehigh County | 22 | 17,171 |
44 of Pennsylvania’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 563 with 1-4 staff, 138 with 5-9 staff, 85 with 10-19 staff, 47 with 20-49 staff, 21 with 50+ staff.
Where Pennsylvania is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Pennsylvania's population changed -0.3% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Pike County: 61,247 people, +4.6% since 2020, 5 roofing contractors
- Cumberland County: 270,738 people, +4.0% since 2020, 7 roofing contractors
- Adams County: 106,748 people, +2.8% since 2020, 9 roofing contractors
- Chester County: 549,784 people, +2.8% since 2020, 39 roofing contractors
- Butler County: 198,413 people, +2.2% since 2020, 9 roofing contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania uses the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) (2021 IRC under the state UCC, effective 2026-01-01 with a transition window). Homeowners rarely ask about code editions, but inspectors do, and a line on your service pages saying your work meets the current 2021 code answers the question before it comes up.
What should a Pennsylvania roofer website show?
- Your license number in the footer of every page. Pennsylvania requires it in advertising for at least some trades.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Bucks County, Lancaster County and Allegheny County.
- Seasonal pages published before May, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Pennsylvania questions
Who licenses roofers in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HICPA). Trade licenses are set by cities and townships. No state roofing license. Roofers who do $5,000 or more of home improvements a year register under HICPA. Philadelphia and other cities can add local licenses and permits.
How many roofing contractors are there in Pennsylvania?
The US Census Bureau counted 855 businesses with employees in Pennsylvania in 2022 in the category Roofing contractors, and 82% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Pennsylvania has the most roofing contractors?
Bucks County, with 93 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Do I need my license number on my website in Pennsylvania?
The HIC registration number must appear in ads, contracts, estimates and proposals, in the form PA plus the number. Vehicles need the number only if they carry business advertising.
Which edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) does Pennsylvania use?
The 2021 edition. 2021 IRC under the state UCC, effective 2026-01-01 with a transition window.
What do people in Philadelphia search for when they need a roofer?
Google autocomplete for Philadelphia shows searches such as “best roofer philadelphia”, “philadelphia roofing and siding”, “philadelphia roofing company” and “philadelphia roofing company reviews”.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- NOAA NCEI, nClimDiv statewide temperature and degree days, 1991 to 2020
- Google autocomplete suggestions for the cities named, checked November 2026
- https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/?p=2817
- https://contractorlicenserequirements.com/pennsylvania/
- https://www.jensenhughes.com/code-alerts/pennsylvania-adopts-2021-i-codes-into-the-ucc
We build your new website free, before you pay, then work every week to get you named when homeowners ask Google and AI who to call. Claim your free demo site.