Permit
Roofing is not exempt
The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. Saugus’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.
Roof Replacement in Saugus, MA
The median home in Saugus was built in 1962; there are 11,402 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 Saugus
Layers
No third layer
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 72% of Saugus’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 Saugus, as in every Massachusetts town
There is no local exception: the state table says “yes.” 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
119 mph design wind, 40 psf ground snow
Saugus’s code design values are a 119 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 40 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 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. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Saugus
Owners live in 7,836 of Saugus’s occupied homes, or 72%. By year built, 29% before 1940, 47% before 1960, 72% before 1980; 9% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 66% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 12% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 34 Essex County municipalities on this site, Saugus has the 14th largest share of homes built before 1980: 72%, against a county range of 41% to 89%.
ZIP codes: 01906
Saugus and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus | 1962 | 72% | 72% | 5% | 10 |
| Melrose | 1938 | 84% | 67% | 4% | 11 |
| Lynn | 1946 | 78% | 48% | 4% | 8 |
| Revere | 1965 | 65% | 46% | 8% | 11 |
| Malden | 1950 | 71% | 41% | 7% | 11 |
| Wakefield | 1956 | 71% | 71% | 5% | 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.
Storm record around Saugus
Within 10 miles of Saugus, hail of an inch or more was reported on 10 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 3 in on July 11, 2006. The most recent was August 23, 2020.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Essex County since 2006: 9, most recently DR-4379, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared July 2018. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Saugus, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Saugus’s houses: 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; 66% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 119 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; 29% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Checking a contractor in Massachusetts
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Saugus, 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.
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 Saugus
Is a permit required for a new roof in Saugus, MA?
Roofing is not exempt. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. Saugus’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Saugus?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 72% of Saugus’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Saugus?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Saugus was built in 1962, 72% of homes were built before 1980, 72% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Saugus had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 10 days within 10 miles of Saugus 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 Saugus?
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Saugus, 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
- The street address in Saugus, or at least the ZIP code
- One story or two (or more), detached or attached
- 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 you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Saugus
- That the house is yours and the decision is yours
The full list: before you call.