Half of the 2,612 homes in Plainfield were built before 1970. 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 Plainfield 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). 63% of Plainfield’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. Plainfield’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Of 2,514 occupied homes in Plainfield, 1,963 (78%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 27% before 1940, 36% before 1960, 63% before 1980; 10% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 75% detached houses, 11% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 5% buildings of two to four units, 8% manufactured homes.
Of the 34 Northampton County municipalities on this site, Plainfield has the 16th largest share of homes built before 1980: 63%, against a county range of 20% to 91%.
ZIP codes: 18072
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | 1970 | 63% | 78% | 11% | 10 |
| Wind Gap | 1964 | 71% | 50% | 22% | 6 |
| Pen Argyl | 1938 | 86% | 74% | 40% | 8 |
| Bushkill | 1987 | 42% | 92% | 1% | 10 |
| Washington Township, Northampton County | 1979 | 51% | 82% | 1% | 3 |
| Bangor | 1938 | 91% | 73% | 23% | 4 |
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 10 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Plainfield, topping out at 1.75 in on May 27, 2010. The most recent was August 22, 2022.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 6 federal storm declarations covering Northampton County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Plainfield, 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; 75% 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 | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 27% 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 |
Before signing for a roof in Plainfield, 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.
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 Plainfield 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). 63% of Plainfield’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 Plainfield was built in 1970, 63% of homes were built before 1980, 78% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 10 days within 10 miles of Plainfield 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 Plainfield, 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.