West Buffalo has 1,293 homes, and half of them were standing by 1989. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
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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
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. Whether West Buffalo wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
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). With 35% of West Buffalo’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. The contractor or the township code office in West Buffalo will know.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 955 of West Buffalo’s occupied homes, or 78%. Counting by decade, 9% before 1940, 17% before 1960, 35% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 22% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 74% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 14% manufactured homes.
Of the 12 Union County municipalities on this site, West Buffalo has the smallest share of homes built before 1980: 35%, against a county range of 35% to 90%.
ZIP codes: 17844
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Buffalo | 1989 | 35% | 78% | 6% | 4 |
| Lewis Township, Union County | 1976 | 55% | 76% | 1% | 3 |
| Buffalo Township, Union County | 1980 | 50% | 57% | 15% | 6 |
| Mifflinburg | 1960 | 71% | 66% | 8% | 3 |
| White Deer | 1979 | 52% | 92% | 3% | 7 |
| Kelly | 1984 | 42% | 61% | 13% | 6 |
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.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 4 separate days within 10 miles of West Buffalo; the largest was 1.5 in on May 28, 2019.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Union County has had 1 federal major-disaster declaration for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4815, Tropical Storm Debby (September 2024). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For West Buffalo’s houses: 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; 74% 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 | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 9% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Coating is not a replacement |
Before signing for a roof in West Buffalo, 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.
Ask West Buffalo first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. Whether West Buffalo wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes 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). With 35% of West Buffalo’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in West Buffalo was built in 1989, 35% of homes were built before 1980, 78% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 4 days within 10 miles of West Buffalo 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 West Buffalo, 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.