Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Chester, CT?

Roofing questions: Chester, CT

Is ice & water shield required in Chester, CT?

Yes. Required statewide. Connecticut replaces the model code's climatic table with its own Table R301.2, filled in once for the whole state, and its ice barrier underlayment entry is "YES." Under Section R905.1.2 an ice barrier "shall be installed for asphalt shingles, metal roof shingles, mineral-surfaced roll roofing, slate and slate-type shingles, wood shingles and wood shakes," consisting of "not fewer than two layers of underlayment cemented together, or a self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen sheet," extending "from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point not less than 24 inches (610 mm) inside the exterior wall line of the building," and on roofs of 8:12 slope or steeper "not less than 36 inches (914 mm) measured along the roof slope from the eave edge of the building." Detached accessory structures with no conditioned floor area are excepted. On a tear-off, an ice barrier membrane adhered to the deck may stay in place and be covered with an additional layer (R908.3, Exception). In Chester, the town's Building Department enforces the Connecticut building codes, reviews plans, issues permits and conducts inspections.

Is drip edge required in Chester, CT?

Yes. Required on shingle roofs throughout Connecticut. The State adopts the 2021 International Residential Code without changing its drip edge rule, Section R905.2.8.5: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs." Segments overlap by at least 2 inches, the drip edge extends at least 1/4 inch below the roof sheathing and at least 2 inches back onto the deck, it is fastened at no more than 12 inches on center, and "Underlayment shall be installed over the drip edge along eaves and under the drip edge along rake edges." A reroof is held to the same chapter: "Materials and methods of application used for recovering or replacing an existing roof covering shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 9" (R908.1). In Chester, the town's Building Department enforces the Connecticut building codes, reviews plans, issues permits and conducts inspections.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Chester, CT?

Two layers at most. Connecticut adopts the 2021 International Residential Code without changing its reroofing section, R908 (the State's amendments to the roof chapter change only R905.1.1 and Table R905.2.4.1). Section R908.3.1.1 says "A roof recover shall not be permitted where any of the following conditions occur," and the third condition is "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." So one existing layer may be covered once, and a roof that already has two layers is torn off to the deck: "Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck" (R908.3). The same section also bars a recover "Where the existing roof or roof covering is water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that the existing roof or roof covering is not adequate as a base for additional roofing" and "Where the existing roof covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile." The State Building Code is the building code for every town, city and borough (C.G.S. 29-253(a)), so this rule is the same in every municipality. In Chester, the town's Building Department enforces the Connecticut building codes, reviews plans, issues permits and conducts inspections.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Chester, CT?

Yes.

What building code does Chester, CT use?

The 2021 International Residential Code, as amended by the State in the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code, which "shall apply to all work for which a permit application was made on or after the date of adoption"; the Department of Administrative Services applies it to projects with permit applications filed from October 1, 2022. Connecticut has one building code for every municipality: "The State Building Code, including any amendment to said code adopted by the State Building Inspector and Codes and Standards Committee, shall be the building code for all towns, cities and boroughs" (C.G.S. 29-253(a)). A town does not adopt or amend the code itself. It "may propose amendments to the State Building Code," and an amendment may be restricted to one municipality only "where it is alleged and established that conditions exist within a municipality which are not generally found within other municipalities"; each amendment is adopted by the State (C.G.S. 29-254(a)). The residential portion makes no town-specific change to the roofing rules; its only town-by-town content is Appendix AY, the State's table of wind speeds and snow loads for each municipality. A building official's own policies "shall not have the effect of waiving requirements specifically provided for in this code, nor shall they have the effect of establishing requirements in excess of those set forth in this code" (CT IRC R104.1). The State's changes to the roof chapter add one rule: "A minimum 4-inch-wide (102 mm) strip of self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen membrane complying with ASTM D1970, installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for the deck material, shall be applied over all joints in the roof decking" (CT IRC R905.1.1). The section's exceptions allow self-adhering ASTM D1970 underlayment instead, and drop the strips "for roofs sheathed with lumber having a nominal width of less than 3 feet." Everything above is Connecticut state law, the same in every municipality. In Chester, the town's Building Department enforces the Connecticut building codes, reviews plans, issues permits and conducts inspections.