The median home in Swoyersville was built in 1957; there are 2,451 of them. 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.
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 Swoyersville 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
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 81% of Swoyersville’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Whether an eave membrane is a code item depends on the climate table the municipality filled in when it adopted the code (IRC R905.1.2, Table R301.2). Swoyersville’s answer is with the borough code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
80% of the occupied homes in Swoyersville are lived in by their owners: 1,910 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 30% before 1940, 56% before 1960, 81% before 1980; 3% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 73% detached houses, 14% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 9% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 63 Luzerne County municipalities on this site, Swoyersville has the 21st largest share of homes built before 1980: 81%, against a county range of 19% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 18704
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swoyersville | 1957 | 81% | 80% | 14% | 16 |
| Luzerne | 1950 | 97% | 59% | 7% | 16 |
| Forty Fort | 1942 | 95% | 57% | 8% | 16 |
| Wyoming | 1950 | 85% | 62% | 14% | 16 |
| West Wyoming | 1957 | 87% | 80% | 8% | 16 |
| Kingston Borough | 1952 | 91% | 53% | 15% | 16 |
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 16 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Swoyersville, topping out at 1.75 in on February 25, 2017. The most recent was July 1, 2022.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Luzerne County since 2006: 4, most recently DR-4618, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Swoyersville, 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; 73% 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; 30% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
Before signing for a roof in Swoyersville, 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.
Ask Swoyersville first. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Swoyersville wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the borough code office before the old roof comes off.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 81% of Swoyersville’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Swoyersville was built in 1957, 81% of homes were built before 1980, 80% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of Swoyersville 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 Swoyersville, 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.