Roofing services in Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre is the Luzerne County seat and the center of the Wyoming Valley. It's also one of the closest cities to our Plymouth office. We handle every part of the roof, and everything that moves water off it:
- Roof replacement: complete tear-off and a new architectural shingle roof with ice barrier and proper ventilation.
- Roof repair: leaks at chimneys, valleys, skylights and plumbing vents, plus missing or damaged shingles.
- Storm damage repair: post-storm inspections with photos. We can meet your adjuster on site.
- Roof inspection and maintenance: an honest read on how much life is left in your roof.
- Flat roofing (EPDM): rubber membrane for rear additions, porches and other low-slope sections.
- Roof ventilation: ridge and intake vents that fight ice dams and attic moisture.
- Gutters, gutter cleaning, siding and skylights.
Curious what a new roof might run before you schedule a visit? Our Instant Roof Quote gives you a starting estimate online. We confirm it with an in-person inspection.
Why Wilkes-Barre roofs wear out
River city weather
Wilkes-Barre sits on the Susquehanna River in the floor of the Wyoming Valley. The valley holds moisture, and the river brings fog and damp mornings. Winter brings about 45 inches of snow a year on average, based on 1991–2020 records at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport. That snow comes with a lot of freeze-thaw cycling. Water gets under a lifted shingle or a gap in the flashing, freezes, expands and opens the gap a little wider each time. Shaded slopes grow algae and moss, which leave the black streaks you see on roofs all over the city.
Coal-era houses
The city boomed with the anthracite coal industry, and its population peaked around 1930. Much of the housing dates from that era:
- Double-block homes with one shared roof over two households.
- Narrow two-and-a-half-story frame houses on tight lots, with steep main roofs and small dormers.
- Back additions and enclosed porches with low-slope roofs that have been patched many times.
- Brick chimneys that have outlived several roofs and their flashing.
Older roofs in the city often have more than one layer of shingles, sagging decking or old board sheathing under the shingles. We find out during the tear-off and deal with it before the new roof goes on.
The flood history
Wilkes-Barre knows water. In June 1972, Tropical Storm Agnes pushed the Susquehanna over the city's levee and flooded downtown. In September 2011, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee drove the river to a record 42.66-foot crest in Wilkes-Barre. That was higher than Agnes, but the raised Wyoming Valley levee system held. Plenty of homes in the city still carry evidence of past flooding, such as replaced framing, patched roof sections or additions built afterward. Knowing that history helps us understand what we might find once the old roof comes off.
Low-slope roofs on back additions
Walk down almost any block in the North End or South Wilkes-Barre and you'll see it: a steep main roof on the front of the house, and a nearly flat roof over the kitchen or enclosed porch out back. Those low-slope sections cause a big share of the leaks homeowners call about. They were often covered with roll roofing or tar and then patched every few years. Shingles aren't designed for that little pitch, so we replace those sections with EPDM rubber roofing. It's a single membrane with sealed seams, and we flash it properly where it meets the main wall. It's usually the most economical way to stop a chronic back-of-house leak for good.
Wilkes-Barre neighborhoods we cover
We work in every part of the city. That includes the North End, Parsons and Miners Mills up toward Plains Township, and the Heights and the East End on the hill. It includes South Wilkes-Barre, Rolling Mill Hill and the Iron Triangle, plus the streets around downtown, Public Square and the riverfront River Common. Homes near Wilkes University, King's College and Kirby Park are covered too. Each area has its own mix of old double-blocks, bigger single homes and tight alleys, and we plan dumpster placement and ladder access around the street, not the other way around.
Across the Market Street Bridge, we also serve Kingston. Our home base is in Plymouth, with Nanticoke and Pittston close by. See the Luzerne County roofing page for every town we cover.
Permits and code in Wilkes-Barre
Pennsylvania runs its building code through the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), which each municipality administers. In the city, that job belongs to the City of Wilkes-Barre's Building Code Enforcement department. The UCC exempts some residential repair work statewide, but local rules decide what a re-roof needs, so we confirm the requirement for your address before we start. When a permit is needed, we pull it and schedule the inspection.
The roof itself is built to the residential code the UCC adopts. That means an ice barrier at the eaves in an area where ice dams are routine, underlayment over the rest of the deck, drip edge at the edges, and new flashing wherever the roof meets a wall or chimney.
How a roof replacement works with us
- Free inspection. We look at the roof surface, flashing, ventilation and, when we can get to it, the attic. You get photos of everything.
- Clear estimate. A written scope covering tear-off, deck repair, the shingle system, ventilation and flashing. Financing is available.
- Permit and scheduling. We handle the paperwork with the city.
- Tear-off. We strip to the deck, replace damaged boards and protect your siding, windows and plantings.
- New roof. Ice barrier, underlayment, drip edge, flashing, architectural shingles and ridge vent.
- Cleanup. A dumpster on site, tarps down for nails when we're done.
- Walkthrough. We review the finished roof with you and hand over your warranty information.
For storm jobs, we document the damage with photos and can meet your adjuster on site.
What we look for on older city homes
Before we write an estimate on a Wilkes-Barre home, we check how many layers of shingles are already on the roof, whether the deck is plywood or old board sheathing, how the chimney is flashed, and whether the attic has any real ventilation. On a double-block, we also look at where your roof meets your neighbor's. Those answers change both the plan and the price, so we'd rather find them before the job than halfway through it.
Why Wilkes-Barre homeowners choose Allabaugh
- PA Home Improvement Contractor #PA162561.
- GAF-certified.
- Lifetime manufacturer's warranty and a 10-year workmanship warranty.
- Financing available.
- 5.0 stars across 233 Google reviews.
- 20+ years in the trade under owner Jared Allabaugh.
- Our Pennsylvania office is in Plymouth, a few minutes from downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Call (814) 330-4897 to set up a free estimate, or get a starting number with the Instant Roof Quote.
