Half of the 17,178 homes in Enfield were built before 1963. 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 Enfield
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; Enfield’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). 73% of Enfield’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
There is no local exception: the state table says “yes.” Membrane or doubled underlayment, eave to 24 inches inside the wall line (IRC R905.1.2), is a line on every quote here.
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.
Enfield’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).
Owners live in 12,581 of Enfield’s occupied homes, or 76%. By year built, 13% before 1940, 43% before 1960, 73% before 1980; 4% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 68% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 13% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 29 Hartford County municipalities on this site, Enfield has the 7th largest share of homes built before 1980: 73%, 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 Enfield
NOAA’s storm reports show 16 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Enfield, topping out at 3 in on July 26, 2011. The most recent was August 15, 2024.
That is more hail days than 97% 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.)
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; 68% 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
Low pitches and long runs
Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1)
Slate
75 years
Older houses; 13% here predate 1940
Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Porches, additions, low-slope rears
Coating is not a replacement
Checking a contractor in Connecticut
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Enfield; 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; Enfield’s building department issues the permit.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Enfield?
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). 73% of Enfield’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Enfield?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Enfield was built in 1963, 73% of homes were built before 1980, 76% are owner-occupied.
Does Enfield get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of Enfield 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 Enfield?
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Enfield; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
What they will ask on the phone
The street address in Enfield, or at least the ZIP code
The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
What covers the roof now and about when it went on
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Enfield