Half of the 1,261 homes in Sterling were built before 1988. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
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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
Replacing the whole roof crosses that line; Sterling’s building department issues the permit.
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). 38% of Sterling’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
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
Sterling’s code design values are a 125 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 35 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.
Owners live in 994 of Sterling’s occupied homes, or 81%. Counting by decade, 21% before 1940, 25% before 1960, 38% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 28% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 80% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 7% buildings of two to four units, 4% manufactured homes.
Of the 15 Windham County municipalities on this site, Sterling has the smallest share of homes built before 1980: 38%, against a county range of 38% to 81%.
ZIP codes: 06354 · 06373 · 06377
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | 1988 | 38% | 81% | 8% | 7 |
| Plainfield | 1971 | 68% | 74% | 5% | 5 |
| Voluntown | 1983 | 43% | 84% | 2% | 6 |
| Killingly | 1968 | 68% | 72% | 4% | 4 |
| Brooklyn | 1978 | 52% | 82% | 3% | 4 |
| Griswold | 1977 | 55% | 73% | 8% | 6 |
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 Sterling, topping out at 1.75 in on July 3, 2025.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 9 days).
Windham County has had 8 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4580, Tropical Storm Isaias (January 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; 80% 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; 21% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Coating is not a replacement |
Whoever quotes a roof in Sterling 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.
Needed beyond a quarter of the roof. Replacing the whole roof crosses that line; Sterling’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). 38% of Sterling’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Sterling was built in 1988, 38% of homes were built before 1980, 81% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 7 days within 10 miles of Sterling 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 Sterling 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.