Roof decks in East Passyunk & Passyunk Square

East Passyunk & Passyunk Square houses and roofs

Passyunk Square runs from Washington Avenue to Tasker Street between Broad and 6th Streets. East Passyunk Crossing runs from Tasker Street to Snyder Avenue between the same streets. Both are rowhouse neighborhoods, with blocks of houses sharing party walls.

What we hear about in East Passyunk & Passyunk Square

• Privacy between decks on attached houses
• Railing height questions
• Adding a deck to a two-story rowhome
• Replacing an older deck on a worn roof

What to know before you build

Zoning caps roof deck guard rails and fences at 42 inches, but allows privacy screens up to 60 inches tall and no more than 50% opaque on the sides, within 18 inches of a side lot line that is not also a street line. That screen is the legal way to get privacy from the neighbors. The building code sets the minimum guard requirements, and the deck surface can sit no more than 48 inches above the roof’s mid-plane.

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 East Passyunk & Passyunk Square

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

Nearby: Point Breeze · Queen Village · Graduate Hospital · All neighborhoods

We are a free referral service, not a contractor. We pass your request to an independent Philadelphia contractor who quotes and does the work.