Permit
A permit from Wales
Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). In Wales the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Roof Replacement in Wales, MA
Half of the 913 homes in Wales were built before 1983. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Wales
Layers
No third layer
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 45% of Wales’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 Wales
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
117 mph design wind, 40 psf ground snow
Wales’s code design values are a 117 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 40 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. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Massachusetts.
Homes and roofs in Wales
Owners live in 691 of Wales’s occupied homes, or 89%. By year built, 17% before 1940, 31% before 1960, 45% before 1980; 23% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 85% detached houses, 6% buildings of two to four units, 7% manufactured homes.
Of the 21 Hampden County municipalities on this site, Wales has the 20th largest share of homes built before 1980: 45%, against a county range of 37% to 86%.
ZIP codes: 01081
Wales and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 1983 | 45% | 89% | 1% | 9 |
| Holland | 1972 | 59% | 95% | 0% | 9 |
| Brimfield | 1988 | 37% | 88% | 0% | 10 |
| Monson | 1970 | 61% | 83% | 2% | 10 |
| Sturbridge | 1982 | 47% | 86% | 3% | 10 |
| Hampden | 1966 | 72% | 95% | 3% | 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 Wales
NOAA’s storm reports show 9 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Wales, topping out at 2 in on June 1, 2011. The most recent was August 26, 2024.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Hampden County since 2006: 7, most recently DR-4110, Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding, declared April 2013. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Wales, 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; 85% of homes here are detached | Class G or H at 117 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; 17% 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 Wales, 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 Wales
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Wales?
A permit from Wales. Roofing is not on the Massachusetts list of work exempt from a permit (780 CMR 51.00, R105.2). In Wales the building department takes the application, with the contractor’s home improvement registration on it.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Wales?
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 45% of Wales’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
How old are the houses in Wales?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Wales was built in 1983, 45% of homes were built before 1980, 89% are owner-occupied.
Does Wales get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 9 days within 10 miles of Wales 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 Wales?
For an owner-occupied home of one to four units in Wales, 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
- Your address or ZIP code in Wales
- The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Wales
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.