Permit
Ask Clarks Summit first
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The borough code office can say what Clarks Summit requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Clarks Summit, PA
Clarks Summit has 2,360 homes, and half of them were standing by 1966. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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 Clarks Summit
Layers
One old layer can stay; two cannot
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). 75% of Clarks Summit’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
Clarks Summit’s climate table decides
Whether an eave membrane is a code item depends on the climate table the municipality filled in when it adopted the code (IRC R905.1.2, Table R301.2). Clarks Summit’s answer is with the borough code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Clarks Summit
73% of the occupied homes in Clarks Summit are lived in by their owners: 1,691 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 20% before 1940, 34% before 1960, 75% before 1980; 10% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 81% detached houses, 3% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 10% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 34 Lackawanna County municipalities on this site, Clarks Summit has the 12th largest share of homes built before 1980: 75%, against a county range of 42% to 88%.
Clarks Summit and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarks Summit | 1966 | 75% | 73% | 3% | 16 |
| Clarks Green | 1959 | 77% | 92% | 2% | 15 |
| South Abington | 1984 | 43% | 74% | 11% | 15 |
| Waverly | 1964 | 68% | 97% | 1% | 13 |
| Glenburn | 1979 | 52% | 76% | 1% | 12 |
| Dalton | 1962 | 68% | 86% | 8% | 12 |
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.
Storm record around Clarks Summit
NOAA’s storm reports show 16 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Clarks Summit, topping out at 2.75 in on May 28, 2019. The most recent was April 30, 2024.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Lackawanna County since 2006: 3, most recently DR-4408, Severe Storms and Flooding, declared November 2018. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Clarks Summit, not that it damaged a 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; 81% 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 | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 20% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
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 Clarks Summit and look it up.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Questions about a new roof in Clarks Summit
Is a permit required for a new roof in Clarks Summit, PA?
Ask Clarks Summit first. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The borough code office can say what Clarks Summit requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Clarks Summit?
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). 75% of Clarks Summit’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Clarks Summit?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Clarks Summit was built in 1966, 75% of homes were built before 1980, 73% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Clarks Summit had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of Clarks Summit from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
How do I check a roofing contractor in Clarks Summit?
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 Clarks Summit and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Your address or ZIP code in Clarks Summit
- The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Clarks Summit
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.