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 city code office can say what Carbondale requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Carbondale, PA
Carbondale has 4,224 homes, and half of them were standing by 1955. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
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 Carbondale
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 80% of Carbondale’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Carbondale’s answer is with the city code office.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Carbondale
51% of the occupied homes in Carbondale are lived in by their owners: 1,920 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 38% before 1940, 57% before 1960, 80% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 3% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 53% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 27% buildings of two to four units.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off.
Of the 34 Lackawanna County municipalities on this site, Carbondale has the 8th largest share of homes built before 1980: 80%, against a county range of 42% to 88%.
Carbondale and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbondale | 1955 | 80% | 51% | 6% | 12 |
| Carbondale Township | 1979 | 52% | 71% | 0% | 15 |
| Fell | 1958 | 71% | 82% | 2% | 9 |
| Mayfield | 1944 | 78% | 81% | 1% | 18 |
| Jermyn | 1952 | 82% | 77% | 6% | 17 |
| Archbald | 1970 | 59% | 76% | 7% | 16 |
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 Carbondale
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 12 separate days within 10 miles of Carbondale; the largest was 1.75 in on June 9, 2011. The most recent was April 30, 2024.
At the county level, Carbondale shares Lackawanna County’s record of 3 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4408 (Severe Storms and Flooding, November 2018). (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
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Carbondale’s houses: 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; 53% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 38% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Coating is not a replacement |
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
Before signing for a roof in Carbondale, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
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 Carbondale
Is a permit required for a new roof in Carbondale, PA?
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 city code office can say what Carbondale requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Carbondale?
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 80% of Carbondale’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
When were most homes in Carbondale built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Carbondale was built in 1955, 80% of homes were built before 1980, 51% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Carbondale?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 12 days within 10 miles of Carbondale 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 Carbondale have?
Before signing for a roof in Carbondale, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
What they will ask on the phone
- Your address or ZIP code in Carbondale
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.