Half of the 2,375 homes in Jim Thorpe were built before 1938. 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 Jim Thorpe wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough 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). 82% of Jim Thorpe’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. Jim Thorpe’s answer is with the borough 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.
87% of the occupied homes in Jim Thorpe are lived in by their owners: 1,667 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 58% before 1940, 68% before 1960, 82% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 6% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 63% detached houses, 27% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 6% buildings of two to four units.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off.
Of the 15 Carbon County municipalities on this site, Jim Thorpe has the 5th largest share of homes built before 1980: 82%, against a county range of 21% to 95%.
ZIP codes: 18229
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Thorpe | 1938 | 82% | 87% | 27% | 11 |
| Nesquehoning | 1938 | 75% | 61% | 32% | 11 |
| Mahoning Township, Carbon County | 1973 | 63% | 87% | 1% | 12 |
| Lehighton | 1942 | 93% | 50% | 21% | 12 |
| Summit Hill | 1938 | 92% | 82% | 44% | 10 |
| Franklin Township, Carbon County | 1974 | 56% | 84% | 2% | 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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 11 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Jim Thorpe, topping out at 3 in on May 26, 2011. The most recent was July 3, 2025.
At the county level, Jim Thorpe shares Carbon County’s record of 1 storm disaster declaration since 2006, the newest DR-1649 (Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides, June 2006). (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; 63% 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; 58% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (27% of homes here are attached) | 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 Jim Thorpe 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 Jim Thorpe wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough 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). 82% of Jim Thorpe’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 Jim Thorpe was built in 1938, 82% of homes were built before 1980, 87% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 11 days within 10 miles of Jim Thorpe 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 Jim Thorpe 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.