Permit
A permit from Great Barrington
The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. Great Barrington’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.
Roof Replacement in Great Barrington, MA
Great Barrington has 3,626 homes, and half of them were standing by 1958. 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 Great Barrington
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 63% of Great Barrington’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 Great Barrington
Massachusetts answers “yes” to the ice barrier for every town. 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
113 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow
Great Barrington’s code design values are a 113 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 50 psf ground snow load (40 psf minimum flat-roof snow load). At that wind speed the code calls for asphalt shingles labeled ASTM D7158 Class D, 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))
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Great Barrington
69% of the occupied homes in Great Barrington are lived in by their owners: 2,034 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 36% before 1940, 51% before 1960, 63% before 1980; 12% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 74% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 9% buildings of two to four units.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 21 Berkshire County municipalities on this site, Great Barrington has the 15th largest share of homes built before 1980: 63%, against a county range of 56% to 91%.
ZIP codes: 01230 · 01236
Great Barrington and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Barrington | 1958 | 63% | 69% | 6% | 14 |
| Stockbridge | 1958 | 82% | 83% | 2% | 12 |
| Egremont | 1969 | 65% | 82% | 1% | 12 |
| West Stockbridge | 1974 | 57% | 90% | 1% | 14 |
| Lee | 1959 | 76% | 71% | 5% | 15 |
| Sheffield | 1975 | 56% | 82% | 2% | 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.
Storm record around Great Barrington
Within 10 miles of Great Barrington, hail of an inch or more was reported on 14 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on June 8, 2011. The most recent was September 6, 2025.
That is more hail days than 80% of the places in the state on this site.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Berkshire County since 2006: 6, most recently DR-4110, Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding, declared April 2013. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Great Barrington, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
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; 74% of homes here are detached | Class D, G or H at 113 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Low pitches and long runs | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 36% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Seams at walls and drainage |
Checking a contractor in Massachusetts
In Great Barrington the contractor’s HIC registration (M.G.L. c. 142A) and the CSL of the supervisor licensed for roof covering are the two numbers to look up before signing.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Massachusetts; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Questions about a new roof in Great Barrington
Is a permit required for a new roof in Great Barrington, MA?
A permit from Great Barrington. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. Great Barrington’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Great Barrington?
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 63% of Great Barrington’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Great Barrington?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Great Barrington was built in 1958, 63% of homes were built before 1980, 69% are owner-occupied.
Does Great Barrington get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of Great Barrington from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
How do I check a roofing contractor in Great Barrington?
In Great Barrington the contractor’s HIC registration (M.G.L. c. 142A) and the CSL of the supervisor licensed for roof covering are the two numbers to look up before signing.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Great Barrington, or at least the ZIP code
- One story or two (or more), detached or attached
- What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Great Barrington
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.