Half of the 1,431 homes in Jefferson Township were built before 1978. 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
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Jefferson Township 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). With 56% of Jefferson Township’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. Ask the township code office or the contractor what Jefferson Township’s says.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 1,122 of Jefferson Township’s occupied homes, or 90%. By year built, 8% before 1940, 16% before 1960, 56% before 1980; 20% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 87% detached houses, 6% buildings of two to four units, 8% manufactured homes.
Of the 34 Lackawanna County municipalities on this site, Jefferson Township has the 25th largest share of homes built before 1980: 56%, against a county range of 42% to 88%.
ZIP codes: 18436
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Township, Lackawanna County | 1978 | 56% | 90% | 0% | 16 |
| Jessup | 1958 | 72% | 69% | 7% | 17 |
| Olyphant | 1958 | 68% | 69% | 5% | 16 |
| Archbald | 1970 | 59% | 76% | 7% | 16 |
| Throop | 1948 | 84% | 79% | 5% | 17 |
| Jermyn | 1952 | 82% | 77% | 6% | 17 |
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.
Within 10 miles of Jefferson Township, hail of an inch or more was reported on 16 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on June 9, 2011. 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 Jefferson Township, 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; 87% 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; 8% 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 |
Before signing for a roof in Jefferson Township, 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).
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Jefferson Township’s ordinance decides. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Jefferson Township 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). With 56% of Jefferson Township’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 Jefferson Township was built in 1978, 56% of homes were built before 1980, 90% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of Jefferson Township from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Before signing for a roof in Jefferson Township, 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).
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.