Half of the 4,587 homes in Canton were built before 1976. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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.
The rules for a reroof in Canton
Permit
The 25 percent line
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
Replacing the whole roof crosses that line; Canton’s building department issues the permit.
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). 56% of Canton’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
The state’s climate table marks the ice barrier “yes” statewide. That is a self-adhering membrane, or two cemented layers of underlayment, from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the wall line (IRC R905.1.2).
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.
Canton’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).
Of 4,367 occupied homes in Canton, 3,657 (84%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 17% before 1940, 31% before 1960, 56% before 1980; 21% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 70% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 9% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 29 Hartford County municipalities on this site, Canton has the 20th largest share of homes built before 1980: 56%, against a county range of 48% to 87%.
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 Canton
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 12 separate days within 10 miles of Canton; the largest was 2.5 in on May 15, 2018. The most recent was August 2, 2024.
That is more hail days than 77% of the places in the state on this site.
Tropical Storm Isaias (DR-4580, January 2021) is the latest of 6 federal storm declarations covering Hartford County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
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; 70% 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; 17% here predate 1940
Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Porches, additions, low-slope rears
Seams at walls and drainage
Checking a contractor in Connecticut
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Canton; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
The 25 percent line. Replacing the whole roof crosses that line; Canton’s building department issues the permit.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Canton?
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). 56% of Canton’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Canton?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Canton was built in 1976, 56% of homes were built before 1980, 84% are owner-occupied.
Does Canton get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 12 days within 10 miles of Canton 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 Canton?
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Canton; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
What they will ask on the phone
Where the house is: the Canton 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
Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Canton