Permit
A permit from Pelham
The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. In Pelham the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Roof Replacement in Pelham, MA
Half of the 588 homes in Pelham were built before 1958. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Pelham
Layers
No third layer
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 Pelham’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
There is no local exception: the state table says “yes.” 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
114 mph design wind, 40 psf ground snow
Pelham’s code design values are a 114 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 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 Pelham
79% of the occupied homes in Pelham are lived in by their owners: 424 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 33% before 1940, 52% before 1960, 73% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 5% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 79% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 13% 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 16 Hampshire County municipalities on this site, Pelham has the 2nd largest share of homes built before 1980: 73%, against a county range of 42% to 73%.
ZIP codes: 01002
Pelham and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham | 1958 | 73% | 79% | 5% | 15 |
| Amherst | 1975 | 61% | 44% | 7% | 16 |
| Shutesbury | 1979 | 52% | 91% | 2% | 9 |
| Belchertown | 1984 | 42% | 87% | 2% | 13 |
| New Salem | 1973 | 59% | 89% | 1% | 13 |
| Leverett | 1973 | 60% | 87% | 3% | 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 Pelham
Within 10 miles of Pelham, hail of an inch or more was reported on 15 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2.25 in on May 22, 2013. The most recent was August 26, 2024.
That is more hail days than 84% of the places in the state on this site.
Hampshire County has had 6 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4110, Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding (April 2013). (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
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; 79% of homes here are detached | Class D, G or H at 114 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 33% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| 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 Pelham, 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 Pelham
Is a permit required for a new roof in Pelham, MA?
A permit from Pelham. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. In Pelham the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Pelham?
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 Pelham’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
When were most homes in Pelham built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Pelham was built in 1958, 73% of homes were built before 1980, 79% are owner-occupied.
Does Pelham get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 15 days within 10 miles of Pelham 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 Pelham have?
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Pelham, 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 Pelham 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
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.