Half of the 12,737 homes in New London were built before 1945. 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.
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 New London’s building official.
Layers
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). 83% of New London’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
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. It runs from the eave to 24 inches inside the exterior wall, more on steep roofs (IRC R905.1.2); check that the quote lists it.
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, which matters in a town where 47% of homes predate 1940.
Wind and snow
New London’s code design values are a 127 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).
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.
Owners live in 4,260 of New London’s occupied homes, or 36%. By year built, 47% before 1940, 64% before 1960, 83% before 1980; 8% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 30% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 30% buildings of two to four units.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over, and Connecticut’s joint-tape rule does not apply to narrow board decks.
Of the 21 New London County municipalities on this site, New London has the largest share of homes built before 1980: 83%, against a county range of 31% to 83%.
ZIP codes: 06320
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New London | 1945 | 83% | 36% | 5% | 4 |
| Waterford | 1968 | 63% | 80% | 7% | 4 |
| Groton | 1974 | 61% | 53% | 11% | 6 |
| East Lyme | 1975 | 57% | 76% | 5% | 6 |
| Ledyard | 1972 | 72% | 83% | 5% | 7 |
| Montville | 1971 | 61% | 82% | 1% | 7 |
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.
Within 10 miles of New London, hail of an inch or more was reported on 4 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1 in on June 29, 2020.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 9 days).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4629, October 2021) is the latest of 10 federal storm declarations covering New London County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near New London, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
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; 30% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 127 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; 47% 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 | Seams at walls and drainage |
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in New London; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
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 New London’s building official.
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). 83% of New London’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in New London was built in 1945, 83% of homes were built before 1980, 36% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 4 days within 10 miles of New London from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in New London; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
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.