Permit
Roofing is not exempt
The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. Harwich’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.
Roof Replacement in Harwich, MA
The median home in Harwich was built in 1976; there are 10,272 of them. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Harwich
Layers
No third layer
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 55% of Harwich’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 in Harwich, as in every Massachusetts town
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
131 mph design wind, 25 psf ground snow
Harwich’s code design values are a 131 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 25 psf ground snow load (25 psf minimum flat-roof snow load); the town is in the windborne debris region. 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))
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Harwich
85% of the occupied homes in Harwich are lived in by their owners: 5,421 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 13% before 1940, 26% before 1960, 55% before 1980; 16% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 90% detached houses, 3% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
34% of the homes in Harwich are seasonal or occasional-use homes (ACS 2020–2024). If yours is one of them and you live elsewhere, the call still has to come from you as the owner.
Of the 15 Barnstable County municipalities on this site, Harwich has the 9th largest share of homes built before 1980: 55%, against a county range of 25% to 73%.
ZIP codes: 02645 · 02646 · 02671
Harwich and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harwich | 1976 | 55% | 85% | 3% | 1 |
| Brewster | 1983 | 42% | 85% | 7% | 1 |
| Dennis | 1970 | 73% | 79% | 5% | 3 |
| Chatham | 1974 | 58% | 85% | 3% | 1 |
| Orleans | 1979 | 53% | 81% | 4% | 2 |
| Yarmouth | 1974 | 68% | 82% | 6% | 3 |
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 Harwich
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 1 separate day within 10 miles of Harwich; the largest was 1 in on August 7, 2014.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 10 days).
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Barnstable County since 2006: 6, most recently DR-4372, Severe Winter Storm and Flooding, declared June 2018. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Harwich, not that it damaged a 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 Harwich’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; 90% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 131 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 13% 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
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Harwich, 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.
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 Harwich
Is a permit required for a new roof in Harwich, MA?
Roofing is not exempt. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. Harwich’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Harwich?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 55% of Harwich’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Harwich?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Harwich was built in 1976, 55% of homes were built before 1980, 85% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Harwich had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 1 day within 10 miles of Harwich 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 Harwich?
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Harwich, 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 Harwich
- The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Harwich
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.