Permit
Roofing is not exempt
Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. The application to Provincetown’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).
Roof Replacement in Provincetown, MA
The median home in Provincetown was built in 1961; there are 4,691 of them. 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 Provincetown
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. 65% of Provincetown’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 Provincetown
Massachusetts answers “yes” to the ice barrier for every town. Membrane or doubled underlayment, eave to 24 inches inside the wall line (IRC R905.1.2), is a line on every quote here.
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
127 mph design wind, 25 psf ground snow
Provincetown’s code design values are a 127 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 25 psf ground snow load (25 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))
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Provincetown
76% of the occupied homes in Provincetown are lived in by their owners: 1,577 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 41% before 1940, 49% before 1960, 65% before 1980; 19% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 31% detached houses, 10% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 41% buildings of two to four units.
50% of the homes in Provincetown are seasonal or occasional-use homes (ACS 2020–2024). If yours is one of them and you live elsewhere, the call still has to come from you as the owner.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 15 Barnstable County municipalities on this site, Provincetown has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 65%, against a county range of 25% to 73%.
ZIP codes: 02657
Provincetown and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provincetown | 1961 | 65% | 76% | 10% | 0 |
| Truro | 1980 | 50% | 84% | 5% | 3 |
| Wellfleet | 1975 | 60% | 86% | 2% | 3 |
| Eastham | 1975 | 59% | 88% | 2% | 3 |
| Brewster | 1983 | 42% | 85% | 7% | 1 |
| Orleans | 1979 | 53% | 81% | 4% | 2 |
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 Provincetown
From 2006 through 2025 no hail of 1 inch or larger was reported within 10 miles of Provincetown (NOAA Storm Prediction Center).
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Barnstable County since 2006: 6, most recently DR-4372, Severe Winter Storm and Flooding, declared June 2018. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Provincetown, 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; 31% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 127 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 41% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
Checking a contractor in Massachusetts
Two numbers to ask for in Provincetown: 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.
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 Provincetown
Does a roof replacement in Provincetown need a permit?
Roofing is not exempt. Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. The application to Provincetown’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).
Is a roof-over allowed in Provincetown, or is it a tear-off?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 65% of Provincetown’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Provincetown?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Provincetown was built in 1961, 65% of homes were built before 1980, 76% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Provincetown?
From 2006 through 2025 no hail of 1 inch or larger was reported within 10 miles of Provincetown (NOAA Storm Prediction Center).
How do I check a roofing contractor in Provincetown?
Two numbers to ask for in Provincetown: 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.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Provincetown address or ZIP
- 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 Provincetown
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.