Roof replacement

Generally, yes. Connecticut towns treat a re-roof as building work that needs a permit from the local building department, and the contractor pulling it must hold a state home improvement registration. Your contract should say who pulls the permit. Some towns also inspect the ice and water shield before the shingles cover it.

Only over a single layer, and only when that layer and the deck under it are sound. Connecticut's building code is based on the 2021 International Residential Code, which does not allow a new roof over two or more existing layers. Older New Haven County houses often have two layers already, so the tear-off goes to the deck.

Yes, where ice dams are a risk, which in Connecticut means essentially every house. The code calls for an ice barrier from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, and further up the slope on steep roofs. It goes on under the shingles and keeps water that backs up behind an ice dam out of the house.

Architectural asphalt shingles commonly last 20 to 30 years here. Poor attic ventilation, repeated ice dams, heavy shade from trees and salt air near the Sound all shorten that. Curling, cracked or bald shingles and granules collecting in the gutters are the usual signs a roof is near the end.

Yes, with care. Shingle makers set minimum temperatures for the sealant strips to bond, so cold-weather work is planned around dry, milder days, and the tear-off is limited to what can be closed up the same day. We schedule winter replacements around the forecast and repair leaks year round.