Lincoln has 9,006 homes, and half of them were standing by 1970. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
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 Lincoln’s building official issues a permit for the replacement.
Source: RI SBC-2, One and Two Family Dwellings (510-RICR-00-00-2)
Layers
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). 63% of Lincoln’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
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. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Rhode Island.
72% of the occupied homes in Lincoln are lived in by their owners: 6,340 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 21% before 1940, 39% before 1960, 63% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 17% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 60% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 16% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 16 Providence County municipalities on this site, Lincoln has the 10th largest share of homes built before 1980: 63%, against a county range of 56% to 84%.
ZIP codes: 02838 · 02865
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | 1970 | 63% | 72% | 6% | 8 |
| Central Falls | 1944 | 75% | 26% | 6% | 11 |
| North Providence | 1970 | 66% | 64% | 6% | 13 |
| Cumberland | 1972 | 59% | 76% | 5% | 9 |
| Smithfield | 1976 | 56% | 82% | 7% | 11 |
| Pawtucket | 1947 | 84% | 50% | 3% | 11 |
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 Lincoln; the largest was 2 in on July 18, 2012. The most recent was March 29, 2020.
At the county level, Lincoln shares Providence 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 Lincoln’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; 60% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 21% 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 | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
For a reroof in Lincoln, 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 Lincoln. Rhode Island’s list of permit-exempt work names replacement window sashes but not roofing (SBC-2, R105.2). So Lincoln’s building official issues a permit for the replacement.
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). 63% of Lincoln’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Lincoln was built in 1970, 63% of homes were built before 1980, 72% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Lincoln from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
For a reroof in Lincoln, 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.