Permit
Roofing is not exempt
The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Lee’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).
Roof Replacement in Lee, MA
The median home in Lee was built in 1959; there are 3,296 of them. 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 Lee
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 76% of Lee’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 Lee
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
112 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow
Lee’s code design values are a 112 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 Lee
71% of the occupied homes in Lee are lived in by their owners: 1,997 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 30% before 1940, 52% before 1960, 76% before 1980; 4% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 61% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 18% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 21 Berkshire County municipalities on this site, Lee has the 7th largest share of homes built before 1980: 76%, against a county range of 56% to 91%.
ZIP codes: 01238 · 01260
Lee and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee | 1959 | 76% | 71% | 5% | 15 |
| Stockbridge | 1958 | 82% | 83% | 2% | 12 |
| Lenox | 1966 | 69% | 71% | 7% | 13 |
| Great Barrington | 1958 | 63% | 69% | 6% | 14 |
| Becket | 1977 | 57% | 98% | 0% | 11 |
| West Stockbridge | 1974 | 57% | 90% | 1% | 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 Lee
Within 10 miles of Lee, hail of an inch or more was reported on 15 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on June 8, 2011. The most recent was July 16, 2024.
That is more hail days than 84% of the places in the state on this site.
Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding (DR-4110, April 2013) is the latest of 6 federal storm declarations covering Berkshire County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Lee, 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; 61% of homes here are detached | Class D, G or H at 112 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Roofs that will carry solar later | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 30% 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 | Coating is not a replacement |
Checking a contractor in Massachusetts
In Lee 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 Lee
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Lee?
Roofing is not exempt. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Lee’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).
Do the old shingles have to come off in Lee?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 76% of Lee’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
How old are the houses in Lee?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Lee was built in 1959, 76% of homes were built before 1980, 71% are owner-occupied.
Does Lee get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 15 days within 10 miles of Lee 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 Lee?
In Lee 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
- Your address or ZIP code in Lee
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Lee
- That the house is yours and the decision is yours
The full list: before you call.