Roof Replacement in Dedham, MA

Half of the 10,828 homes in Dedham were built before 1956. 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 Dedham

Permit

Roofing is not exempt

Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). The application to Dedham’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

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). 76% of Dedham’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

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: 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

120 mph design wind, 40 psf ground snow

Dedham’s code design values are a 120 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 40 psf ground snow load (35 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 Dedham

Owners live in 7,729 of Dedham’s occupied homes, or 73%. Counting by decade, 30% before 1940, 58% before 1960, 76% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 17% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)

The housing is 65% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 10% buildings of two to four units.

Of the 28 Norfolk County municipalities on this site, Dedham has the 5th largest share of homes built before 1980: 76%, against a county range of 41% to 86%.

ZIP codes: 02026

Dedham and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Dedham	1956	76%	73%	5%	13
Westwood	1968	64%	87%	2%	10
Needham	1965	64%	83%	5%	10
Norwood	1960	72%	54%	7%	11
Milton	1945	82%	85%	5%	13
Canton	1980	50%	74%	7%	14

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 Dedham

Within 10 miles of Dedham, hail of an inch or more was reported on 13 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2 in on August 4, 2015. The most recent was August 15, 2024.

Norfolk 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.

What goes on the roof next

HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Dedham’s houses: 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; 65% 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; 30% 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

Checking a contractor in Massachusetts

Two numbers to ask for in Dedham: 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 Dedham

Is a permit required for a new roof in Dedham, MA?

Roofing is not exempt. Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). The application to Dedham’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

Can a new roof go over the old one in Dedham?

When were most homes in Dedham built?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Dedham was built in 1956, 76% of homes were built before 1980, 73% are owner-occupied.

How often does hail hit Dedham?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Dedham 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 Dedham have?