Roof Replacement in Bedford, MA

Bedford has 5,970 homes, and half of them were standing by 1976. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.

New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.

Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners

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.

A Massachusetts Cape Cod house with a new shingle roof after light snow

The rules for a reroof in Bedford

Permit

Roofing is not exempt

The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Bedford’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

Source: 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 1 amendments (R105)

Layers

Two layers means a tear-off

On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 54% of Bedford’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.

Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes); 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 9 amendments

Ice barrier

Required in Bedford, as in every Massachusetts town

Massachusetts 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: 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 3 amendments (Tables R301.2(1) and R301.2(2)); IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)

Wind and snow

118 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow

Bedford’s code design values are a 118 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 50 psf ground snow load (30 psf minimum flat-roof snow load). At that wind speed the code calls for asphalt shingles labeled ASTM D7158 Class G or H (Table R905.2.4.1).

Source: 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 3 amendments (Tables R301.2(1) and R301.2(2)); IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes) (780 CMR 51.00, Table R301.2(2))

Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Massachusetts.

Homes and roofs in Bedford

Owners live in 4,039 of Bedford’s occupied homes, or 69%. By year built, 9% before 1940, 32% before 1960, 54% before 1980; 26% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)

By building type: 64% detached houses, 11% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 8% buildings of two to four units.

Of the 54 Middlesex County municipalities on this site, Bedford has the 40th largest share of homes built before 1980: 54%, against a county range of 29% to 87%.

ZIP codes: 01730 · 01731

Bedford and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Bedford	1976	54%	69%	11%	8
Burlington	1972	62%	74%	3%	9
Billerica	1973	62%	79%	6%	10
Lexington	1965	65%	81%	9%	8
Carlisle	1976	58%	94%	1%	7
Concord	1969	65%	76%	5%	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.

Storm record around Bedford

Within 10 miles of Bedford, hail of an inch or more was reported on 8 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2 in on August 4, 2015. The most recent was June 6, 2025.

That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 10 days).

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4379, July 2018) is the latest of 8 federal storm declarations covering Middlesex County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)

A report says hail fell near Bedford, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.

What goes on the roof next

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; 64% of homes here are detached	Class G or H at 118 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1)
Metal (standing seam, panels)	50 years	Roofs that will carry solar later	Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1)
Slate	75 years	Older houses; 9% here predate 1940	Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO	15 years	Porches, additions, low-slope rears	Seams at walls and drainage

Checking a contractor in Massachusetts

In Bedford the contractor’s HIC registration (M.G.L. c. 142A) and the CSL of the supervisor licensed for roof covering are the two numbers to look up before signing.

The price side is in what a new roof costs in Massachusetts; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.

Questions about a new roof in Bedford

Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Bedford?

Roofing is not exempt. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Bedford’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

Do the old shingles have to come off in Bedford?

How old are the houses in Bedford?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Bedford was built in 1976, 54% of homes were built before 1980, 69% are owner-occupied.

Does Bedford get hail that damages roofs?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Bedford 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 Bedford?