The median home in Bristol was built in 1967; there are 26,369 of them. 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.
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
Without a permit, Connecticut allows only:
Repairs that are limited to 25 percent of roof covering and building siding within one calendar year.
2022 CSBC, (Amd) R105.2, item 11
A whole new roof is more than that, so it goes to Bristol’s building official.
Layers
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 69% of Bristol’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes); 2022 Connecticut State Building Code
Ice barrier
Connecticut answers “yes” to the ice barrier for every town. Membrane or doubled underlayment, eave to 24 inches inside the wall line (IRC R905.1.2), is a line on every quote here.
Source: 2022 Connecticut State Building Code; IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)
Deck joints
Connecticut adds a 4-inch self-adhering strip over all joints of a plywood or OSB deck ((Amd) R905.1.1). It is not needed under a fully adhered membrane, or on board decks under 3 feet wide.
Wind and snow
Bristol’s code design values are a 120 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 35 psf ground snow load; it is in Connecticut’s hurricane-prone region. At that wind speed the code calls for asphalt shingles labeled ASTM D7158 Class G or H (Table R905.2.4.1).
Source: 2022 Connecticut State Building Code; IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes) (2022 CSBC, Appendix AY)
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Connecticut.
65% of the occupied homes in Bristol are lived in by their owners: 15,879 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 16% before 1940, 39% before 1960, 69% before 1980; 8% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 55% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 19% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 29 Hartford County municipalities on this site, Bristol has the 10th largest share of homes built before 1980: 69%, against a county range of 48% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 06010
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 1967 | 69% | 65% | 5% | 13 |
| Plainville | 1971 | 66% | 68% | 7% | 12 |
| Plymouth | 1965 | 64% | 77% | 3% | 12 |
| Burlington | 1981 | 48% | 95% | 4% | 13 |
| Southington | 1974 | 59% | 81% | 6% | 13 |
| Farmington | 1980 | 49% | 74% | 10% | 12 |
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 13 separate days within 10 miles of Bristol; the largest was 2 in on June 26, 2009. The most recent was August 26, 2024.
That is more hail days than 87% of the places in the state on this site.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Hartford County since 2006: 6, most recently DR-4580, Tropical Storm Isaias, declared January 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Bristol, not that it damaged a 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 Bristol’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; 55% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 120 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 16% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
Connecticut registers home improvement contractors and their salespeople with the Department of Consumer Protection (C.G.S. § 20-420); 24,065 contractor registrations were active in October 2026. Ask for the number of anyone pricing a roof in Bristol.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Connecticut; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Needed beyond a quarter of the roof. A whole new roof is more than that, so it goes to Bristol’s building official.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 69% of Bristol’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Bristol was built in 1967, 69% of homes were built before 1980, 65% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Bristol from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Connecticut registers home improvement contractors and their salespeople with the Department of Consumer Protection (C.G.S. § 20-420); 24,065 contractor registrations were active in October 2026. Ask for the number of anyone pricing a roof in Bristol.
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.