Permit
Ask Union Township 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 Union Township requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Union Township, Schuylkill County, PA
Union Township has 578 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.
The rules for a reroof in Union Township
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). 57% of Union Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Union Township’s climate table decides
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Union Township’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Union Township
Of 464 occupied homes in Union Township, 422 (91%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 31% before 1940, 38% before 1960, 57% before 1980; 23% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 91% detached houses, 7% manufactured homes.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 41 Schuylkill County municipalities on this site, Union Township has the 34th largest share of homes built before 1980: 57%, against a county range of 42% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 17967
Union Township and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township, Schuylkill County | 1975 | 57% | 91% | 0% | 6 |
| West Mahanoy | 1949 | 95% | 92% | 45% | 4 |
| Shenandoah | 1938 | 91% | 67% | 65% | 3 |
| North Union | 1978 | 53% | 93% | 2% | 4 |
| Girardville | 1938 | 97% | 80% | 48% | 6 |
| Frackville | 1938 | 84% | 74% | 40% | 5 |
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 Union Township
NOAA’s storm reports show 6 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Union Township, topping out at 1.75 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was July 3, 2014.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 5 federal storm declarations covering Schuylkill County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Union Township, not that it damaged a 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; 91% 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 houses; 31% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| 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 Union Township, 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 Union Township
Is a permit required for a new roof in Union Township, PA?
Ask Union Township 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 Union Township requires.
Is a roof-over allowed in Union Township, or is it 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). 57% of Union Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Union Township?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Union Township was built in 1975, 57% of homes were built before 1980, 91% are owner-occupied.
Does Union Township get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 6 days 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.
How do I check a roofing contractor in Union Township?
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 Union Township, and search it.
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
- What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Union Township
- That the house is yours and the decision is yours
The full list: before you call.