Roof Replacement in Somerset, MA

Half of the 7,686 homes in Somerset were built before 1962. 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 Somerset

Permit

A permit from Somerset

The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Somerset’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

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). 81% of Somerset’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 in Somerset

There is no local exception: the state table says “yes.” 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, 30 psf ground snow

Somerset’s code design values are a 127 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 30 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. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Massachusetts.

Homes and roofs in Somerset

Owners live in 6,475 of Somerset’s occupied homes, or 87%. By year built, 18% before 1940, 47% before 1960, 81% before 1980; 10% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)

By building type: 83% detached houses, 10% buildings of two to four units.

Of the 20 Bristol County municipalities on this site, Somerset has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 81%, against a county range of 37% to 84%.

ZIP codes: 02725 · 02726

Somerset and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
Somerset	1962	81%	87%	2%	5
Swansea	1966	73%	85%	1%	6
Fall River	1945	78%	35%	2%	6
Dighton	1975	54%	90%	3%	5
Freetown	1976	61%	86%	2%	7
Berkley	1986	37%	97%	2%	4

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 Somerset

NOAA’s storm reports show 5 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Somerset, topping out at 2 in on July 18, 2012. The most recent was August 26, 2024.

That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 10 days).

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4651, April 2022) is the latest of 7 federal storm declarations covering Bristol County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)

A report says hail fell near Somerset, 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 Somerset’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; 83% 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; 18% 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	Coating is not a replacement

Checking a contractor in Massachusetts

In Somerset 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 Somerset

Does a roof replacement in Somerset need a permit?

A permit from Somerset. The residential code’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. The application to Somerset’s building department carries the contractor’s HIC number (R105.3).

Can a new roof go over the old one in Somerset?

How old are the houses in Somerset?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Somerset was built in 1962, 81% of homes were built before 1980, 87% are owner-occupied.

How many hail days has Somerset had?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 5 days within 10 miles of Somerset 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 Somerset?