Roof Replacement in Hull, MA

Half of the 5,838 homes in Hull were built before 1946. 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.

A Massachusetts Cape Cod house with a new shingle roof after light snow

The rules for a reroof in Hull

Permit

Expect a building permit

Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. In Hull the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.

Source: 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 1 amendments (R105)

Layers

Two layers means a tear-off

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). 73% of Hull’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 statewide

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

122 mph design wind, 35 psf ground snow

Hull’s code design values are a 122 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 35 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 Hull

80% of the occupied homes in Hull are lived in by their owners: 3,749 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 44% before 1940, 65% before 1960, 73% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 11% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)

The housing is 73% detached houses, 8% 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 27 Plymouth County municipalities on this site, Hull has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 73%, against a county range of 42% to 81%.

ZIP codes: 02045

Hull and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Hull	1946	73%	80%	2%	6
Winthrop	1938	87%	57%	4%	11
Nahant	1938	89%	79%	3%	10
Cohasset	1968	63%	83%	3%	4
Boston	1947	72%	36%	6%	12
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 Hull

NOAA’s storm reports show 6 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Hull, topping out at 1.5 in on July 18, 2012. The most recent was July 7, 2021.

That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 10 days).

At the county level, Hull shares Plymouth County’s record of 8 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4651 (Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, April 2022). (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 Hull’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; 73% of homes here are detached	Class G or H at 122 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; 44% 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	Seams at walls and drainage

Checking a contractor in Massachusetts

In Hull 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.

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 Hull

Does a roof replacement in Hull need a permit?

Expect a building permit. Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. In Hull the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.

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

When were most homes in Hull built?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Hull was built in 1946, 73% of homes were built before 1980, 80% are owner-occupied.

How many hail days has Hull had?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 6 days within 10 miles of Hull 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 Hull have?