Roof Replacement in Lincoln, MA

Lincoln has 2,880 homes, and half of them were standing by 1972. 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.

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

The rules for a reroof in Lincoln

Permit

Expect a building permit

Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). Lincoln’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.

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

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). 64% of Lincoln’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 Lincoln

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

118 mph design wind, 40 psf ground snow

Lincoln’s code design values are a 118 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 40 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 Lincoln

Of 2,693 occupied homes in Lincoln, 1,544 (57%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 14% before 1940, 34% before 1960, 64% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 22% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)

The housing is 57% detached houses, 18% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 14% buildings of two to four units.

Of the 54 Middlesex County municipalities on this site, Lincoln has the 26th largest share of homes built before 1980: 64%, against a county range of 29% to 87%.

ZIP codes: 01731 · 01773

Lincoln and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Lincoln	1972	64%	57%	18%	8
Concord	1969	65%	76%	5%	7
Waltham	1961	69%	50%	9%	7
Lexington	1965	65%	81%	9%	8
Weston	1964	65%	88%	2%	8
Wayland	1962	69%	88%	10%	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 Lincoln

Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 8 separate days within 10 miles of Lincoln; the largest was 2 in on August 4, 2015. The most recent was June 28, 2020.

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

At the county level, Lincoln 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

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; 57% of homes here are detached	Class G or H at 118 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; 14% here predate 1940	Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO	15 years	Low-slope roofs and rear sections (18% of homes here are attached)	Where the roof meets a wall or parapet

Checking a contractor in Massachusetts

Two numbers to ask for in Lincoln: 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 Lincoln

Does a roof replacement in Lincoln need a permit?

Expect a building permit. Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). Lincoln’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.

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

When were most homes in Lincoln built?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Lincoln was built in 1972, 64% of homes were built before 1980, 57% are owner-occupied.

How many hail days has Lincoln had?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Lincoln 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 Lincoln have?