Half of the 1,010 homes in Shamokin Township were built before 1979. 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
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). So the township code office in Shamokin Township is the one to ask before work starts.
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). 51% of Shamokin Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
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. Ask the township code office or the contractor what Shamokin Township’s says.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 920 of Shamokin Township’s occupied homes, or 95%. Counting by decade, 24% before 1940, 34% before 1960, 51% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 31% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 92% detached houses, 6% manufactured homes.
31% of homes here were built in 2000 or later. HUD’s useful-life table gives an asphalt-shingle roof 20 years, so roofs on houses from the early 2000s are reaching that age.
Of the 23 Northumberland County municipalities on this site, Shamokin Township has the smallest share of homes built before 1980: 51%, against a county range of 51% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 17860
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamokin Township | 1979 | 51% | 95% | 2% | 4 |
| Zerbe | 1941 | 90% | 82% | 13% | 2 |
| Rockefeller | 1979 | 51% | 91% | 0% | 2 |
| Ralpho | 1976 | 60% | 92% | 3% | 7 |
| Rush Township, Northumberland County | 1974 | 62% | 90% | 1% | 5 |
| Shamokin | 1938 | 97% | 60% | 55% | 6 |
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 4 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Shamokin Township, topping out at 2.75 in on May 28, 2019.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
At the county level, Shamokin Township shares Northumberland 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; 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 | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 24% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Coating is not a replacement |
Before signing for a roof in Shamokin 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).
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
Shamokin Township’s ordinance decides. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). So the township code office in Shamokin Township is the one to ask before work starts.
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). 51% of Shamokin Township’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 Shamokin Township was built in 1979, 51% of homes were built before 1980, 95% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 4 days within 10 miles of Shamokin 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 Shamokin 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.