The median home in Exeter was built in 1987; there are 2,528 of them. 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.
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.
Permit
Rhode Island’s list of permit-exempt work names replacement window sashes but not roofing (SBC-2, R105.2). So Exeter’s building official issues a permit for the replacement.
Source: RI SBC-2, One and Two Family Dwellings (510-RICR-00-00-2)
Layers
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 30% of Exeter’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Source: RI SBC-2, One and Two Family Dwellings (510-RICR-00-00-2); IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)
Ice barrier
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: RI SBC-2, One and Two Family Dwellings (510-RICR-00-00-2); IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Rhode Island.
80% of the occupied homes in Exeter are lived in by their owners: 1,941 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 6% before 1940, 9% before 1960, 30% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 26% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 79% detached houses, 5% manufactured homes.
Of the 8 Washington County municipalities on this site, Exeter has the smallest share of homes built before 1980: 30%, against a county range of 30% to 59%.
ZIP codes: 02822
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | 1987 | 30% | 80% | 2% | 8 |
| West Greenwich | 1991 | 27% | 87% | 4% | 8 |
| Richmond | 1985 | 41% | 97% | 4% | 5 |
| East Greenwich | 1976 | 55% | 84% | 6% | 9 |
| Coventry | 1973 | 61% | 82% | 2% | 11 |
| Hopkinton | 1977 | 55% | 80% | 2% | 6 |
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.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 8 separate days within 10 miles of Exeter; the largest was 1.75 in on June 24, 2008. The most recent was August 26, 2024.
At the county level, Exeter shares Washington County’s record of 8 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4766 (Severe Storms and Flooding, March 2024). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Exeter’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; 79% of homes here are detached | Wind class set by the design wind speed (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 6% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Coating is not a replacement |
For a reroof in Exeter, ask for the contractor’s Rhode Island registration with the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board (ch. 5-65) and look it up; the state has no separate license for residential roofing.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Rhode Island.
A permit from Exeter. Rhode Island’s list of permit-exempt work names replacement window sashes but not roofing (SBC-2, R105.2). So Exeter’s building official issues a permit for the replacement.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 30% of Exeter’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Exeter was built in 1987, 30% of homes were built before 1980, 80% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Exeter from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
For a reroof in Exeter, ask for the contractor’s Rhode Island registration with the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board (ch. 5-65) and look it up; the state has no separate license for residential roofing.
The full list: before you call.
Checked October 24, 2026. Laws and code editions change; the date says when these were last read at the source.