Permit
Expect a building permit
The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. In Lawrence the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Roof Replacement in Lawrence, MA
Lawrence has 31,845 homes, and half of them were standing by 1950. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
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 Lawrence
Layers
One old layer can stay; two cannot
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). With 78% of Lawrence’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes); 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 9 amendments
Ice barrier
Required in Lawrence
Massachusetts answers “yes” to the ice barrier for every town. 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
116 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow
Lawrence’s code design values are a 116 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 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))
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Lawrence
Of 31,142 occupied homes in Lawrence, 8,738 (28%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 44% before 1940, 59% before 1960, 78% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 10% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 19% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 44% 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 34 Essex County municipalities on this site, Lawrence has the 6th largest share of homes built before 1980: 78%, against a county range of 41% to 89%.
ZIP codes: 01840 · 01841 · 01843
Lawrence and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | 1950 | 78% | 28% | 8% | 14 |
| Methuen | 1968 | 64% | 72% | 8% | 17 |
| Andover | 1973 | 60% | 80% | 5% | 15 |
| North Andover | 1979 | 51% | 70% | 11% | 12 |
| Haverhill | 1964 | 63% | 63% | 10% | 17 |
| Boxford | 1979 | 51% | 95% | 4% | 9 |
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 Lawrence
Within 10 miles of Lawrence, hail of an inch or more was reported on 14 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on May 10, 2007. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
That is more hail days than 80% of the places in the state on this site.
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; 19% of homes here are detached | Class D, G or H at 116 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 | Coating is not a replacement |
Checking a contractor in Massachusetts
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Lawrence, 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 Lawrence
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Lawrence?
Expect a building permit. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. In Lawrence the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Is a roof-over allowed in Lawrence, or is it 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). With 78% of Lawrence’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
When were most homes in Lawrence built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Lawrence was built in 1950, 78% of homes were built before 1980, 28% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Lawrence had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of Lawrence 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 Lawrence have?
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Lawrence, 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
- Where the house is: the Lawrence address or ZIP
- The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
- What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
- 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.