Permit
Expect a building permit
Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). The application to Georgetown’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).
Roof Replacement in Georgetown, MA
The median home in Georgetown was built in 1974; there are 3,275 of them. 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 Georgetown
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 59% of Georgetown’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 Georgetown, as in every Massachusetts town
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
117 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow
Georgetown’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 Georgetown
Owners live in 2,710 of Georgetown’s occupied homes, or 84%. Counting by decade, 15% before 1940, 33% before 1960, 59% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 19% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 82% detached houses, 4% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 6% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 34 Essex County municipalities on this site, Georgetown has the 25th largest share of homes built before 1980: 59%, against a county range of 41% to 89%.
ZIP codes: 01833
Georgetown and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | 1974 | 59% | 84% | 4% | 10 |
| Groveland | 1983 | 47% | 90% | 8% | 11 |
| Boxford | 1979 | 51% | 95% | 4% | 9 |
| Rowley | 1975 | 56% | 82% | 12% | 6 |
| West Newbury | 1983 | 46% | 96% | 6% | 15 |
| Topsfield | 1969 | 69% | 90% | 6% | 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 Georgetown
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 10 separate days within 10 miles of Georgetown; the largest was 1.75 in on August 16, 2008. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
Essex County has had 9 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; 82% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 15% 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
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Georgetown, 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 Georgetown
Does a roof replacement in Georgetown need a permit?
Expect a building permit. Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). The application to Georgetown’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).
Do the old shingles have to come off in Georgetown?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 59% of Georgetown’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
When were most homes in Georgetown built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Georgetown was built in 1974, 59% of homes were built before 1980, 84% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Georgetown had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 10 days within 10 miles of Georgetown 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 Georgetown have?
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Georgetown, 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
- Your address or ZIP code in Georgetown
- One story or two (or more), detached or attached
- The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
- Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- 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.