Roof Replacement in Shirley, MA

Half of the 2,413 homes in Shirley were built before 1984. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.

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 Shirley

Permit

Roofing is not exempt

Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. In Shirley the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.

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

Layers

One old layer can stay; two cannot

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). 44% of Shirley’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.

Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes); 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 9 amendments

Ice barrier

Required statewide

The state’s climate table marks the ice barrier “yes” statewide. 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

116 mph design wind, 60 psf ground snow

Shirley’s code design values are a 116 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 60 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))

Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Massachusetts.

Homes and roofs in Shirley

Owners live in 1,762 of Shirley’s occupied homes, or 77%. By year built, 20% before 1940, 27% before 1960, 44% before 1980; 26% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)

By building type: 68% detached houses, 11% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).

Of the 54 Middlesex County municipalities on this site, Shirley has the 49th largest share of homes built before 1980: 44%, against a county range of 29% to 87%.

ZIP codes: 01464

Shirley and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Shirley	1984	44%	77%	11%	9
Ayer	1977	54%	69%	10%	8
Lunenburg	1972	60%	81%	3%	10
Groton	1988	36%	89%	6%	13
Harvard	1975	59%	89%	4%	15
Lancaster	1971	55%	85%	8%	15

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 Shirley

Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 9 separate days within 10 miles of Shirley; the largest was 2 in on August 4, 2015. The most recent was June 6, 2025.

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4379, July 2018) is the latest of 8 federal storm declarations covering Middlesex County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)

A report says hail fell near Shirley, 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 Shirley’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; 68% of homes here are detached	Class D, G or H at 116 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1)
Metal (standing seam, panels)	50 years	Low pitches and long runs	Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1)
Slate	75 years	Older houses; 20% 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	Seams at walls and drainage

Checking a contractor in Massachusetts

In Shirley 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 Shirley

Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Shirley?

Roofing is not exempt. Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. In Shirley the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.

Do the old shingles have to come off in Shirley?

How old are the houses in Shirley?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Shirley was built in 1984, 44% of homes were built before 1980, 77% are owner-occupied.

Does Shirley get hail that damages roofs?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 9 days within 10 miles of Shirley 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 Shirley?