Roof Replacement in Union Township, Snyder County, PA

The median home in Union Township was built in 1969; there are 467 of them. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.

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

Ask Union Township first

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

One old layer can stay; two cannot

IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 62% of Union Township’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.

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 351 of Union Township’s occupied homes, or 82%. Counting by decade, 27% before 1940, 42% before 1960, 62% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 13% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)

The housing is 90% detached houses, 7% manufactured homes.

Of the 15 Snyder County municipalities on this site, Union Township has the 5th largest share of homes built before 1980: 62%, against a county range of 30% to 91%.

ZIP codes: 17864

Union Township and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Union Township, Snyder County	1969	62%	82%	1%	6
Chapman	1968	64%	83%	1%	7
Washington Township, Snyder County	1982	46%	89%	2%	5
Lower Mahanoy	1971	65%	76%	1%	4
Selinsgrove	1950	91%	55%	14%	2
Penn Township, Snyder County	1996	30%	81%	11%	3

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

Within 10 miles of Union Township, hail of an inch or more was reported on 6 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 4 in on May 28, 2019. The most recent was June 3, 2023.

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

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; 90% 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; 27% 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	Where the roof meets a wall or parapet

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 Union Township 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 Union Township

Does a roof replacement in Union Township need a permit?

Ask Union Township first. 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.

Is a roof-over allowed in Union Township, or is it a tear-off?

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 1969, 62% of homes were built before 1980, 82% 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.

What license or registration should a roofer in Union Township have?

What they will ask on the phone

The street address in Union Township, or at least the ZIP code
The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
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 the house is yours and the decision is yours

The full list: before you call.