Half of the 1,164 homes in Greenfield were built before 1976. 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.
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.
Permit
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Greenfield wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
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). 59% of Greenfield’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Greenfield’s answer is with the township code office.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
88% of the occupied homes in Greenfield are lived in by their owners: 839 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 13% before 1940, 28% before 1960, 59% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 24% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 92% detached houses, 5% manufactured homes.
Of the 34 Lackawanna County municipalities on this site, Greenfield has the 23rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 59%, against a county range of 42% to 88%.
ZIP codes: 18407 · 18433
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenfield | 1976 | 59% | 88% | 0% | 9 |
| Clifford | 1979 | 53% | 85% | 1% | 10 |
| Fell | 1958 | 71% | 82% | 2% | 9 |
| Scott Township, Lackawanna County | 1975 | 62% | 94% | 1% | 14 |
| Carbondale | 1955 | 80% | 51% | 6% | 12 |
| Benton Township, Lackawanna County | 1956 | 66% | 87% | 0% | 8 |
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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 9 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Greenfield, topping out at 1.75 in on June 9, 2011. The most recent was April 30, 2024.
At the county level, Greenfield 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.
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; 92% 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; 13% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
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 Greenfield and look it up.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
Local ordinance, not the state. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Greenfield wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
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). 59% of Greenfield’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Greenfield was built in 1976, 59% of homes were built before 1980, 88% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 9 days within 10 miles of Greenfield from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
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 Greenfield and look it up.
The full list: before you call.
Checked October 24, 2026. Laws and code editions change; the date says when these were last read at the source.