Permit
Expect a building permit
SBC-2’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. A reroof in Jamestown goes through the building official.
Source: RI SBC-2, One and Two Family Dwellings (510-RICR-00-00-2)
Roof Replacement in Jamestown, RI
Jamestown has 3,103 homes, and half of them were standing by 1975. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Jamestown
Layers
No third layer
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 57% of Jamestown’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Source: RI SBC-2, One and Two Family Dwellings (510-RICR-00-00-2); IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)
Ice barrier
Required in Jamestown, as in every Rhode Island town
Rhode Island answers “yes” to the ice barrier for every town. 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)
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Rhode Island.
Homes and roofs in Jamestown
86% of the occupied homes in Jamestown are lived in by their owners: 2,146 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 28% before 1940, 37% before 1960, 57% before 1980; 17% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 89% detached houses, 6% buildings of two to four units.
15% of the homes in Jamestown are seasonal or occasional-use homes (ACS 2020–2024). If yours is one of them and you live elsewhere, the call still has to come from you as the owner.
Of the 6 Newport County municipalities on this site, Jamestown has the 5th largest share of homes built before 1980: 57%, against a county range of 57% to 85%.
ZIP codes: 02835
Jamestown and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamestown | 1975 | 57% | 86% | 1% | 5 |
| Newport | 1938 | 85% | 50% | 5% | 5 |
| Middletown | 1969 | 64% | 58% | 8% | 4 |
| North Kingstown | 1973 | 59% | 75% | 7% | 7 |
| Portsmouth | 1973 | 62% | 81% | 8% | 4 |
| Narragansett | 1975 | 59% | 72% | 3% | 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 Jamestown
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 5 separate days within 10 miles of Jamestown; the largest was 1.75 in on June 24, 2008. The most recent was May 8, 2024.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 8 days).
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Newport County since 2006: 8, most recently DR-4766, Severe Storms and Flooding, declared March 2024. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Jamestown, 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 Jamestown’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; 89% 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 | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 28% 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 Rhode Island
Rhode Island contractors register with the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 5-65); there is no separate residential roofing license. Ask for the number of anyone pricing a roof in Jamestown and check it on the board’s search.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Rhode Island; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Questions about a new roof in Jamestown
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Jamestown?
Expect a building permit. SBC-2’s permit-exempt list (R105.2) has no roofing line. A reroof in Jamestown goes through the building official.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Jamestown?
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 57% of Jamestown’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Jamestown?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Jamestown was built in 1975, 57% of homes were built before 1980, 86% are owner-occupied.
Does Jamestown get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 5 days within 10 miles of Jamestown 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 Jamestown?
Rhode Island contractors register with the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 5-65); there is no separate residential roofing license. Ask for the number of anyone pricing a roof in Jamestown and check it on the board’s search.
What they will ask on the phone
- Your address or ZIP code in Jamestown
- 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 Jamestown
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.