Roof Replacement in Polk, PA

Polk has 3,367 homes, and half of them were standing by 1983. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.

New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.

Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners

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.

A Pennsylvania stone-and-brick house with a new shingle roof

The rules for a reroof in Polk

Permit

Ask Polk first

Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Polk requires.

Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)

Layers

Two layers means a tear-off

On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 45% of Polk’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.

Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)

Ice barrier

Polk’s climate table decides

The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. Ask the township code office or the contractor what Polk’s says.

Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)

Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.

Homes and roofs in Polk

Of 2,799 occupied homes in Polk, 2,428 (87%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 12% before 1960, 45% before 1980; 20% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)

By building type: 92% detached houses, 4% manufactured homes.

Of the 19 Monroe County municipalities on this site, Polk has the 8th largest share of homes built before 1980: 45%, against a county range of 22% to 78%.

ZIP codes: 18058 · 18331 · 18333

Polk and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Polk	1983	45%	87%	2%	9
Chestnuthill	1986	30%	94%	2%	5
Eldred Township, Monroe County	1978	53%	88%	6%	8
Penn Forest	1992	21%	90%	3%	7
Towamensing	1987	33%	89%	0%	11
Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County	1990	22%	91%	3%	7

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.

Storm record around Polk

NOAA’s storm reports show 9 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Polk, topping out at 2.75 in on August 17, 2007. The most recent was July 25, 2023.

Hurricane Sandy (DR-4099, January 2013) is the latest of 3 federal storm declarations covering Monroe County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)

A report says hail fell near Polk, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.

What goes on the roof next

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; 92% 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 and historic houses	Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO	15 years	Porches, additions, low-slope rears	Where the roof meets a wall or parapet

Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania

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 Polk, and search it.

The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.

Questions about a new roof in Polk

Is a permit required for a new roof in Polk, PA?

Ask Polk first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what Polk requires.

Is a roof-over allowed in Polk, or is it a tear-off?

How old are the houses in Polk?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Polk was built in 1983, 45% of homes were built before 1980, 87% are owner-occupied.

Does Polk get hail that damages roofs?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 9 days within 10 miles of Polk from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.

How do I check a roofing contractor in Polk?

What they will ask on the phone

Your address or ZIP code in Polk
How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Polk
That you own the home and decide on the roof

The full list: before you call.