Permit
Dunmore’s ordinance decides
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 Dunmore requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Dunmore, PA
Half of the 6,658 homes in Dunmore were built before 1944. 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 Dunmore
Layers
No third layer
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). With 83% of Dunmore’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
Dunmore’s climate table decides
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. The contractor or the borough code office in Dunmore will know.
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 Dunmore
Of 6,022 occupied homes in Dunmore, 3,678 (61%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 46% before 1940, 66% before 1960, 83% before 1980; 4% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 57% detached houses, 4% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 31% buildings of two to four units.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 34 Lackawanna County municipalities on this site, Dunmore has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 83%, against a county range of 42% to 88%.
ZIP codes: 18505 · 18509 · 18512
Dunmore and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunmore | 1944 | 83% | 61% | 4% | 18 |
| Throop | 1948 | 84% | 79% | 5% | 17 |
| Olyphant | 1958 | 68% | 69% | 5% | 16 |
| Roaring Brook | 1975 | 63% | 95% | 3% | 16 |
| Scranton | 1938 | 88% | 50% | 11% | 19 |
| Dickson City | 1946 | 83% | 67% | 8% | 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.
Storm record around Dunmore
Within 10 miles of Dunmore, hail of an inch or more was reported on 18 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on February 25, 2017. The most recent was April 30, 2024.
That is more hail days than 85% of the places in the state on this site.
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 Dunmore, 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; 57% 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 | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 46% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
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 Dunmore 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 Dunmore
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Dunmore?
Dunmore’s ordinance decides. 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 Dunmore requires.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Dunmore?
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). With 83% of Dunmore’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
How old are the houses in Dunmore?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Dunmore was built in 1944, 83% of homes were built before 1980, 61% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Dunmore?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 18 days within 10 miles of Dunmore 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 Dunmore?
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 Dunmore and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Dunmore address or ZIP
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is 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 you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Dunmore
- That the house is yours and the decision is yours
The full list: before you call.