The median home in Hunlock was built in 1976; there are 956 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.
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 Hunlock 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
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 60% of Hunlock’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Hunlock’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
92% of the occupied homes in Hunlock are lived in by their owners: 814 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 13% before 1940, 26% before 1960, 60% before 1980; 18% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 88% detached houses, 12% manufactured homes.
Of the 63 Luzerne County municipalities on this site, Hunlock has the 41st largest share of homes built before 1980: 60%, against a county range of 19% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 18621
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunlock | 1976 | 60% | 92% | 0% | 0 |
| Union Township, Luzerne County | 1975 | 63% | 95% | 1% | 1 |
| Plymouth Township, Luzerne County | 1959 | 78% | 84% | 12% | 10 |
| Newport Township | 1938 | 85% | 70% | 22% | 5 |
| Nanticoke | 1946 | 91% | 56% | 19% | 10 |
| Lehman Township, Luzerne County | 1978 | 54% | 87% | 5% | 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.
From 2006 through 2025 no hail of 1 inch or larger was reported within 10 miles of Hunlock (NOAA Storm Prediction Center).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 4 federal storm declarations covering Luzerne County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Hunlock, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
Lifespans come from HUD’s capital-needs table, not from a brochure. 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; 88% 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; 13% 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 | Seams at walls and drainage |
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Hunlock, and search it.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
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 Hunlock wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 60% of Hunlock’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Hunlock was built in 1976, 60% of homes were built before 1980, 92% are owner-occupied.
From 2006 through 2025 no hail of 1 inch or larger was reported within 10 miles of Hunlock (NOAA Storm Prediction Center).
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Hunlock, and search it.
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.