Permit
Local ordinance, not the state
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Buffalo Township requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Buffalo Township, Union County, PA
The median home in Buffalo Township was built in 1980; there are 1,472 of them. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners
This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. The call must come from the homeowner who decides on the roof. Calls may be recorded.
The rules for a reroof in Buffalo Township
Layers
No third layer
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 50% of Buffalo Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. Ask the township code office or the contractor what Buffalo Township’s says.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Buffalo Township
Owners live in 819 of Buffalo Township’s occupied homes, or 57%. Counting by decade, 17% before 1940, 27% before 1960, 50% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 19% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 61% detached houses, 15% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 11% buildings of two to four units, 11% manufactured homes.
Of the 12 Union County municipalities on this site, Buffalo Township has the 9th largest share of homes built before 1980: 50%, against a county range of 35% to 90%.
ZIP codes: 17837
Buffalo Township and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Township, Union County | 1980 | 50% | 57% | 15% | 6 |
| Kelly | 1984 | 42% | 61% | 13% | 6 |
| East Buffalo | 1977 | 56% | 83% | 3% | 7 |
| Lewisburg | 1938 | 90% | 41% | 7% | 6 |
| Mifflinburg | 1960 | 71% | 66% | 8% | 3 |
| West Buffalo | 1989 | 35% | 78% | 6% | 4 |
Median built: median year the homes were built. Before 1980: share of homes built then. Owners: share of homes that are owner-occupied. Row, twin: share of homes that are rowhouses, twins or townhouses. Census ACS 2020–2024. Hail days: days with hail of 1 inch or larger within 10 miles, 2006–2025, NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Hail and storms near Buffalo Township
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 6 separate days within 10 miles of Buffalo Township; the largest was 1.5 in on May 28, 2019. The most recent was July 24, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
At the county level, Buffalo Township shares Union County’s record of 1 storm disaster declaration since 2006, the newest DR-4815 (Tropical Storm Debby, September 2024). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
Useful life is HUD’s planning figure, not a warranty. More in the guides to shingles, metal, slate and flat roofs.
| Material | HUD useful life | Fits a house like | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | 20 years | Most pitched roofs; 61% of homes here are detached | Wind class set by the design wind speed (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Roofs that will carry solar later | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 17% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (15% of homes here are attached) | Seams at walls and drainage |
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in Buffalo Township and look it up.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
Questions about a new roof in Buffalo Township
Does a roof replacement in Buffalo Township need a permit?
Local ordinance, not the state. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Buffalo Township requires.
Is a roof-over allowed in Buffalo Township, or is it a tear-off?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 50% of Buffalo Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
When were most homes in Buffalo Township built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Buffalo Township was built in 1980, 50% of homes were built before 1980, 57% are owner-occupied.
Does Buffalo Township get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 6 days within 10 miles of Buffalo Township from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in Buffalo Township have?
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in Buffalo Township and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Buffalo Township address or ZIP
- One story or two (or more), detached or attached
- The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
- Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.