Half of the 310,625 homes in Boston were built before 1947. 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.
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
Boston handles roof work that makes no structural change with a short-form permit. The fee, as the City states it:
$20, plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost
City of Boston, roof work and short-form permit pages
A homeowner may file it only for a one- or two-unit house they live in; for one floor of a triple-decker, only a contractor can.
Source: City of Boston, roof work permit page; City of Boston, short-form permits
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). 72% of Boston’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
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
Boston’s code design values are a 120 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 40 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.
In 2025 the City approved 963 roofing permits for one- and two-family homes. The median value declared on them was $14,000, and the middle half fell between $9,600 and $20,000. A declared value is the applicant’s own estimate on the permit, not a quote.
West Roxbury’s 02132 had the most, 120 permits with a median declared value of $12,560; then 02136 with 114, 02124 with 107 and 02131 with 101 (Analyze Boston, approved building permits, work type ROOF).
Of 283,374 occupied homes in Boston, 101,166 (36%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 47% before 1940, 58% before 1960, 72% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 18% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 12% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 35% buildings of two to four units.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off.
Of the 4 Suffolk County municipalities on this site, Boston has the 2nd largest share of homes built before 1980: 72%, against a county range of 65% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 02108 · 02109 · 02110 · 02111 · 02113 · 02114 · 02115 · 02116 · 02118 · 02119 · 02120 · 02121 · 02122 · 02124 · 02125 · 02126 · 02127 · 02128 · 02129 · 02130 · 02131 · 02132 · 02133 · 02134 · 02135 · 02136 · 02163 · 02199 · 02203 · 02205 · 02210 · 02215
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1947 | 72% | 36% | 6% | 12 |
| Winthrop | 1938 | 87% | 57% | 4% | 11 |
| Chelsea | 1941 | 69% | 26% | 4% | 13 |
| Everett | 1938 | 77% | 37% | 6% | 12 |
| Quincy | 1958 | 69% | 45% | 5% | 11 |
| Somerville | 1938 | 80% | 34% | 4% | 12 |
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 12 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Boston, topping out at 2 in on August 4, 2015. The most recent was July 7, 2021.
Suffolk County has had 8 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4651, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (April 2022). (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; 12% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 120 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; 47% 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 | Coating is not a replacement |
Two numbers to ask for in Boston: 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.
A short-form permit, priced by the job. A homeowner may file it only for a one- or two-unit house they live in; for one floor of a triple-decker, only a contractor can.
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). 72% of Boston’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 Boston was built in 1947, 72% of homes were built before 1980, 36% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 12 days within 10 miles of Boston from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Two numbers to ask for in Boston: 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.
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.