Half of the 478 homes in Noxen were built before 1954. 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 Noxen 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 68% of Noxen’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
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 township code office in Noxen will know.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Of 419 occupied homes in Noxen, 346 (83%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 37% before 1940, 56% before 1960, 68% before 1980; 16% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 72% detached houses, 7% buildings of two to four units, 17% manufactured homes.
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 13 Wyoming County municipalities on this site, Noxen has the 4th largest share of homes built before 1980: 68%, against a county range of 46% to 89%.
ZIP codes: 18636
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noxen | 1954 | 68% | 83% | 2% | 3 |
| Lake Township, Luzerne County | 1978 | 54% | 84% | 2% | 2 |
| Harveys Lake | 1974 | 59% | 79% | 6% | 4 |
| Monroe Township, Wyoming County | 1975 | 61% | 85% | 0% | 5 |
| Ross Township, Luzerne County | 1977 | 54% | 88% | 1% | 1 |
| 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.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 3 separate days within 10 miles of Noxen; the largest was 1.75 in on June 24, 2013.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Wyoming County since 2006: 7, most recently DR-4815, Tropical Storm Debby, declared September 2024. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Noxen, not that it damaged a 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; 72% 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; 37% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Seams at walls and drainage |
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 Noxen and look it up.
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. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Noxen 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 68% of Noxen’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 Noxen was built in 1954, 68% of homes were built before 1980, 83% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 3 days within 10 miles of Noxen 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 Noxen 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.