Half of the 2,253 homes in Marlborough were built before 1977. 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 Marlborough
Permit
Needed beyond a quarter of the roof
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; Marlborough’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). 59% of Marlborough’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.
Marlborough’s code design values are a 125 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 30 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).
93% of the occupied homes in Marlborough are lived in by their owners: 2,023 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 7% before 1940, 24% before 1960, 59% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 16% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 90% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 29 Hartford County municipalities on this site, Marlborough has the 17th largest share of homes built before 1980: 59%, 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.
Hail and storms near Marlborough
NOAA’s storm reports show 6 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Marlborough, topping out at 1.75 in on June 22, 2024.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 9 days).
At the county level, Marlborough shares Hartford County’s record of 6 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4580 (Tropical Storm Isaias, January 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Marlborough’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; 90% of homes here are detached
Class G or H at 125 mph design wind (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; 7% here predate 1940
Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Additions and porch roofs
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 Marlborough; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
Is a permit required for a new roof in Marlborough, CT?
Needed beyond a quarter of the roof. Replacing the whole roof crosses that line; Marlborough’s building department issues the permit.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Marlborough?
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). 59% of Marlborough’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
When were most homes in Marlborough built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Marlborough was built in 1977, 59% of homes were built before 1980, 93% are owner-occupied.
Does Marlborough get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 6 days within 10 miles of Marlborough from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in Marlborough have?
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Marlborough; 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 Marlborough address or ZIP
One story or two (or more), detached or attached
The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA