Permit
Expect a building permit
Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. In Everett the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Roof Replacement in Everett, MA
Half of the 18,827 homes in Everett were built before 1938. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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 Everett
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). 77% of Everett’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes); 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 9 amendments
Ice barrier
Required in Everett, as in every Massachusetts town
The state’s climate table marks the ice barrier “yes” statewide. 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
119 mph design wind, 40 psf ground snow
Everett’s code design values are a 119 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. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Everett
37% of the occupied homes in Everett are lived in by their owners: 6,499 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 53% before 1940, 67% before 1960, 77% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 10% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 20% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 53% 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 54 Middlesex County municipalities on this site, Everett has the 8th largest share of homes built before 1980: 77%, against a county range of 29% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 02149
Everett and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everett | 1938 | 77% | 37% | 6% | 12 |
| Chelsea | 1941 | 69% | 26% | 4% | 13 |
| Malden | 1950 | 71% | 41% | 7% | 11 |
| Somerville | 1938 | 80% | 34% | 4% | 12 |
| Medford | 1942 | 76% | 54% | 7% | 10 |
| Revere | 1965 | 65% | 46% | 8% | 11 |
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 Everett
NOAA’s storm reports show 12 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Everett, topping out at 2 in on August 4, 2015. The most recent was August 23, 2020.
At the county level, Everett shares Middlesex County’s record of 8 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest 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
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Everett’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; 20% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 119 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Roofs that will carry solar later | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 53% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Checking a contractor in Massachusetts
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Everett, the contractor must be registered under the home improvement law (M.G.L. c. 142A), and a construction supervisor licensed (CSL) for roof covering supervises a permitted reroof. Ask for both numbers.
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 Everett
Is a permit required for a new roof in Everett, MA?
Expect a building permit. Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. In Everett the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Everett?
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). 77% of Everett’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
When were most homes in Everett built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Everett was built in 1938, 77% of homes were built before 1980, 37% are owner-occupied.
Does Everett get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 12 days within 10 miles of Everett 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 Everett have?
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Everett, the contractor must be registered under the home improvement law (M.G.L. c. 142A), and a construction supervisor licensed (CSL) for roof covering supervises a permitted reroof. Ask for both numbers.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Everett address or ZIP
- One story or two (or more), detached or attached
- The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That the house is yours and the decision is yours
The full list: before you call.