Roof Replacement in Union Township, Luzerne County, PA

Union Township has 913 homes, and half of them were standing by 1975. 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 Union Township

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)). So the township code office in Union Township is the one to ask before work starts.

Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)

Layers

No third layer

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). 63% of Union Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.

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

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. Ask the township code office or the contractor what Union Township’s says.

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

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 Union Township

Owners live in 770 of Union Township’s occupied homes, or 95%. Counting by decade, 17% before 1940, 30% before 1960, 63% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 15% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)

The housing is 92% detached houses, 7% manufactured homes.

Of the 63 Luzerne County municipalities on this site, Union Township has the 38th largest share of homes built before 1980: 63%, against a county range of 19% to 97%.

ZIP codes: 18655

Union Township and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Union Township, Luzerne County	1975	63%	95%	1%	1
Hunlock	1976	60%	92%	0%	0
Conyngham Township	1959	72%	75%	6%	4
Huntington Township, Luzerne County	1975	60%	88%	2%	3
Newport Township	1938	85%	70%	22%	5
Salem Township, Luzerne County	1966	75%	91%	2%	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.

Hail and storms near Union Township

Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 1 separate day within 10 miles of Union Township; the largest was 1 in on May 26, 2021.

That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).

At the county level, Union Township shares Luzerne County’s record of 4 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4618 (Remnants of Hurricane Ida, September 2021). (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

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	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; 17% here predate 1940	Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO	15 years	Additions and porch roofs	Seams at walls and drainage

Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania

Before signing for a roof in Union 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.

Questions about a new roof in Union Township

Is a permit required for a new roof in Union Township, PA?

Local ordinance, not the state. 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 Union Township is the one to ask before work starts.

Do the old shingles have to come off in Union Township?

When were most homes in Union Township built?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Union Township was built in 1975, 63% of homes were built before 1980, 95% are owner-occupied.

How often does hail hit Union Township?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 1 day within 10 miles of Union Township 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 Union Township have?

What they will ask on the phone

Where the house is: the Union Township address or ZIP
One story or two (or more), detached or attached
The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
That you own the home and decide on the roof

The full list: before you call.