Roof Replacement in Hudson, MA

Hudson has 8,858 homes, and half of them were standing by 1970. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.

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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 Hudson

Permit

Roofing is not exempt

The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Hudson’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

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). 60% of Hudson’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

Massachusetts answers “yes” to the ice barrier for every town. It runs from the eave to 24 inches inside the exterior wall, more on steep roofs (IRC R905.1.2); check that the quote lists it.

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

Hudson’s code design values are a 117 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 50 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. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Massachusetts.

Homes and roofs in Hudson

73% of the occupied homes in Hudson are lived in by their owners: 6,117 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 23% before 1940, 31% before 1960, 60% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 21% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)

The housing is 54% detached houses, 7% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 14% buildings of two to four units, 4% manufactured homes.

Of the 54 Middlesex County municipalities on this site, Hudson has the 34th largest share of homes built before 1980: 60%, against a county range of 29% to 87%.

ZIP codes: 01749

Hudson and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Hudson	1970	60%	73%	7%	11
Marlborough	1974	57%	56%	7%	15
Stow	1974	60%	85%	5%	10
Berlin	1992	43%	77%	20%	14
Bolton	1988	40%	95%	3%	12
Maynard	1963	69%	75%	9%	10

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 Hudson

Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 11 separate days within 10 miles of Hudson; the largest was 2 in on August 7, 2008. The most recent was July 17, 2021.

At the county level, Hudson 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 Hudson’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; 54% 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; 23% here predate 1940	Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot
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 Hudson: 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 Hudson

Does a roof replacement in Hudson need a permit?

Roofing is not exempt. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Hudson’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

Is a roof-over allowed in Hudson, or is it a tear-off?

When were most homes in Hudson built?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Hudson was built in 1970, 60% of homes were built before 1980, 73% are owner-occupied.

How many hail days has Hudson had?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 11 days within 10 miles of Hudson 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 Hudson have?