Roof Replacement in Shrewsbury, MA

Half of the 15,393 homes in Shrewsbury were built before 1979. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.

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 Shrewsbury

Permit

A permit from Shrewsbury

Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. The application to Shrewsbury’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

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

Layers

Two layers means a tear-off

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). With 51% of Shrewsbury’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.

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

Ice barrier

Required in Shrewsbury, 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

118 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow

Shrewsbury’s code design values are a 118 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 50 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))

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 Shrewsbury

Owners live in 10,623 of Shrewsbury’s occupied homes, or 72%. By year built, 11% before 1940, 31% before 1960, 51% before 1980; 15% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)

By building type: 65% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 6% buildings of two to four units.

Of the 59 Worcester County municipalities on this site, Shrewsbury has the 41st largest share of homes built before 1980: 51%, against a county range of 35% to 79%.

ZIP codes: 01545

Shrewsbury and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Shrewsbury	1979	51%	72%	8%	18
Northborough	1980	49%	83%	8%	18
Boylston	1977	56%	79%	8%	17
Worcester	1951	75%	43%	6%	19
Westborough	1976	57%	62%	7%	18
Grafton	1977	54%	73%	15%	19

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 Shrewsbury

Within 10 miles of Shrewsbury, hail of an inch or more was reported on 18 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2 in on June 1, 2011. The most recent was July 17, 2021.

That is more hail days than 95% of the places in the state on this site.

Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Worcester County since 2006: 7, most recently DR-4379, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared July 2018. (OpenFEMA.)

A report says hail fell near Shrewsbury, 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; 65% 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	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; 11% 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 Shrewsbury 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 Shrewsbury

Is a permit required for a new roof in Shrewsbury, MA?

A permit from Shrewsbury. Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. The application to Shrewsbury’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

Do the old shingles have to come off in Shrewsbury?

How old are the houses in Shrewsbury?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Shrewsbury was built in 1979, 51% of homes were built before 1980, 72% are owner-occupied.

How many hail days has Shrewsbury had?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 18 days within 10 miles of Shrewsbury 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 Shrewsbury?