The median home in Salem was built in 1988; there are 1,764 of them. 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 Salem’s building official.
Layers
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 31% of Salem’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
The state’s climate table marks the ice barrier “yes” statewide. 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.
Wind and snow
Salem’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. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Connecticut.
Owners live in 1,527 of Salem’s occupied homes, or 87%. Counting by decade, 7% before 1940, 16% before 1960, 31% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 20% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 88% detached houses, 3% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 21 New London County municipalities on this site, Salem has the smallest share of homes built before 1980: 31%, against a county range of 31% to 83%.
ZIP codes: 06420
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 1988 | 31% | 87% | 3% | 8 |
| Montville | 1971 | 61% | 82% | 1% | 7 |
| Bozrah | 1969 | 66% | 87% | 4% | 7 |
| Colchester | 1984 | 39% | 77% | 3% | 6 |
| East Haddam | 1976 | 54% | 89% | 3% | 7 |
| Lyme | 1967 | 62% | 91% | 0% | 4 |
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 Salem, hail of an inch or more was reported on 8 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on June 29, 2020. The most recent was June 17, 2022.
New London County has had 10 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was 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.
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; 88% 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; 7% 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 | Seams at walls and drainage |
Whoever quotes a roof in Salem should give you a Connecticut home improvement registration number (C.G.S. § 20-420); the state’s data portal listed 24,065 active ones in October 2026. Registration is not 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 Salem’s building official.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 31% of Salem’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 Salem was built in 1988, 31% of homes were built before 1980, 87% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Salem from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Whoever quotes a roof in Salem should give you a Connecticut home improvement registration number (C.G.S. § 20-420); the state’s data portal listed 24,065 active ones in October 2026. Registration is not 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.