Permit
Local ordinance, not the state
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The borough code office can say what Taylor requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Taylor, PA
Half of the 2,502 homes in Taylor were built before 1960. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Taylor
Layers
No third layer
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). 78% of Taylor’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. Taylor’s answer is with the borough code office.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Taylor
Owners live in 1,479 of Taylor’s occupied homes, or 63%. Counting by decade, 31% before 1940, 50% before 1960, 78% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 13% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 60% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 17% buildings of two to four units, 9% manufactured homes.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off.
Of the 34 Lackawanna County municipalities on this site, Taylor has the 9th largest share of homes built before 1980: 78%, against a county range of 42% to 88%.
ZIP codes: 18517
Taylor and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor | 1960 | 78% | 63% | 8% | 20 |
| Old Forge | 1960 | 82% | 70% | 6% | 21 |
| Scranton | 1938 | 88% | 50% | 11% | 19 |
| Moosic | 1969 | 58% | 67% | 18% | 21 |
| Ransom | 1972 | 65% | 79% | 2% | 20 |
| Avoca | 1938 | 84% | 72% | 4% | 19 |
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.
Hail and storms near Taylor
Within 10 miles of Taylor, hail of an inch or more was reported on 20 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on February 25, 2017. The most recent was April 30, 2024.
That is more hail days than 93% of the places in the state on this site.
Lackawanna County has had 3 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4408, Severe Storms and Flooding (November 2018). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
Lifespans come from HUD’s capital-needs table, not from a brochure. 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; 60% 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 | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 31% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Seams at walls and drainage |
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
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 Taylor and look it up.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
Questions about a new roof in Taylor
Does a roof replacement in Taylor need a permit?
Local ordinance, not the state. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The borough code office can say what Taylor requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Taylor?
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). 78% of Taylor’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
When were most homes in Taylor built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Taylor was built in 1960, 78% of homes were built before 1980, 63% are owner-occupied.
Does Taylor get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 20 days within 10 miles of Taylor from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in Taylor have?
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 Taylor and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Taylor, or at least the ZIP code
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.