Permit
Expect a building permit
The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. In Billerica the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Roof Replacement in Billerica, MA
Half of the 15,632 homes in Billerica were built before 1973. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Billerica
Layers
One old layer can stay; two cannot
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). 62% of Billerica’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 statewide
Massachusetts answers “yes” to the ice barrier for every town. 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).
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
117 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow
Billerica’s code design values are a 117 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))
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Billerica
Of 15,502 occupied homes in Billerica, 12,302 (79%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 10% before 1940, 22% before 1960, 62% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 20% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 73% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 54 Middlesex County municipalities on this site, Billerica has the 29th largest share of homes built before 1980: 62%, against a county range of 29% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 01821 · 01862
Billerica and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billerica | 1973 | 62% | 79% | 6% | 10 |
| Tewksbury | 1981 | 48% | 85% | 13% | 12 |
| Bedford | 1976 | 54% | 69% | 11% | 8 |
| Wilmington | 1979 | 51% | 88% | 3% | 11 |
| Burlington | 1972 | 62% | 74% | 3% | 9 |
| Carlisle | 1976 | 58% | 94% | 1% | 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.
Hail and storms near Billerica
Within 10 miles of Billerica, hail of an inch or more was reported on 10 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1 in on September 8, 2023.
Middlesex County has had 8 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4379, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (July 2018). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
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; 73% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 117 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 10% 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 | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Checking a contractor in Massachusetts
Two numbers to ask for in Billerica: the HIC registration (M.G.L. c. 142A, for owner-occupied homes of one to four units) and the construction supervisor license (CSL) with the roof covering specialty.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Massachusetts.
Questions about a new roof in Billerica
Is a permit required for a new roof in Billerica, MA?
Expect a building permit. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. In Billerica the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Billerica?
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). 62% of Billerica’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
When were most homes in Billerica built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Billerica was built in 1973, 62% of homes were built before 1980, 79% are owner-occupied.
Does Billerica get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 10 days within 10 miles of Billerica from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in Billerica have?
Two numbers to ask for in Billerica: the HIC registration (M.G.L. c. 142A, for owner-occupied homes of one to four units) and the construction supervisor license (CSL) with the roof covering specialty.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Billerica, or at least the ZIP code
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.