Half of the 19,059 homes in Norwich were built before 1957. 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 Norwich’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). 73% of Norwich’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
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.
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 38% of homes predate 1940.
Wind and snow
Norwich’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).
Source: 2022 Connecticut State Building Code; IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes) (2022 CSBC, Appendix AY)
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Connecticut.
54% of the occupied homes in Norwich are lived in by their owners: 9,196 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 38% before 1940, 54% before 1960, 73% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 13% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 43% detached houses, 7% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 24% buildings of two to four units.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off, and a board deck changes Connecticut’s joint-tape line.
Of the 21 New London County municipalities on this site, Norwich has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 73%, against a county range of 31% to 83%.
ZIP codes: 06360 · 06380 · 06389
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich | 1957 | 73% | 54% | 7% | 7 |
| Bozrah | 1969 | 66% | 87% | 4% | 7 |
| Preston | 1970 | 66% | 92% | 1% | 7 |
| Lisbon | 1976 | 59% | 98% | 1% | 6 |
| Franklin | 1973 | 62% | 84% | 1% | 9 |
| Sprague | 1959 | 76% | 67% | 10% | 8 |
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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 7 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Norwich, topping out at 1.75 in on May 25, 2014. The most recent was May 23, 2024.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 9 days).
At the county level, Norwich shares New London County’s record of 10 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4629 (Remnants of Hurricane Ida, October 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
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; 43% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 38% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Coating is not a replacement |
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Norwich; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Connecticut.
The 25 percent line. A whole new roof is more than that, so it goes to Norwich’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). 73% of Norwich’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 Norwich was built in 1957, 73% of homes were built before 1980, 54% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 7 days within 10 miles of Norwich 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 Norwich; 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.