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 Putnam
Permit
A permit from Putnam
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 full replacement in Putnam is past that line; the town building official issues the permit.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 71% of Putnam’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
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, which matters in a town where 40% of homes predate 1940.
Putnam’s code design values are a 125 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 40 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).
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Connecticut.
Homes and roofs in Putnam
60% of the occupied homes in Putnam are lived in by their owners: 2,491 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 40% before 1940, 49% before 1960, 71% before 1980; 10% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 48% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 32% 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 15 Windham County municipalities on this site, Putnam has the 2nd largest share of homes built before 1980: 71%, against a county range of 38% to 81%.
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 Putnam
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 8 separate days within 10 miles of Putnam; the largest was 1.75 in on May 8, 2024. The most recent was July 3, 2025.
Tropical Storm Isaias (DR-4580, January 2021) is the latest of 8 federal storm declarations covering Windham County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Putnam’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; 48% 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
Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1)
Slate
75 years
Older houses; 40% 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
Checking a contractor in Connecticut
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Putnam; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
A permit from Putnam. A full replacement in Putnam is past that line; the town building official issues the permit.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Putnam?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 71% of Putnam’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
How old are the houses in Putnam?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Putnam was built in 1961, 71% of homes were built before 1980, 60% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Putnam had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Putnam 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 Putnam?
Look up the home improvement registration (C.G.S. § 20-420) of anyone pricing a roof in Putnam; the law forbids presenting it as an endorsement of workmanship (§ 20-427(b)(6)).
What they will ask on the phone
Your address or ZIP code in Putnam
How many stories the house has, and whether it is 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
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Putnam