Roof decks in Point Breeze

Point Breeze houses and roofs

Point Breeze is the South Philadelphia neighborhood bounded roughly by 25th Street, Washington Avenue, Broad Street and Moore Street. It is mostly rowhouses, a mix of older houses and newer construction.

What we hear about in Point Breeze

• Wobbly railings or loose posts on a deck that came with the house
• Leaks under a deck on a newer roof
• Boards and fasteners wearing out
• Adding a deck to an older rowhouse on the same block

What to know before you build

If you bought a house with a deck, find the original building permit and any structural drawings. L&I’s EZ deck standard says roof decks need their own building permit. Ask a contractor to check the railing connections first: L&I notes that the 2021 residential code tightened deck guard rules to require a continuous load path to the joists and to limit end-grain fasteners. For a leak, the fix is often in the roof membrane under the deck, not the deck itself.

The rules are the same citywide

In every Philadelphia neighborhood, roof decks on homes are allowed by the Zoning Code within limits: 5 feet back from the front, a deck surface within 48 inches of the roof’s mid-plane, railings up to 42 inches, and a pilot house of limited size. Every roof deck needs a building permit, and properties on the Philadelphia Register need Historical Commission review. Read the rules guide · See typical costs

Services in Point Breeze

• New roof decks
• Pilot houses & roof access
• Roof deck repair & replacement
• Roofing under the deck
• Design, engineering & permits

Nearby: Graduate Hospital · East Passyunk & Passyunk Square · Queen Village · All neighborhoods

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