Our work in Ellington
3 completed roofs in Ellington to date, counted from our own records. Ellington sits 62 miles from our Bethel base.
The town runs to 34.0 square miles, in Tolland County.
Neighborhoods and villages here include Crystal Lake and Windermere. What is on the roofs differs across them, and so does what should go back on.
Design criteria for an Ellington roof
The state assigns Ellington an ultimate design wind speed of 120 mph — 93 mph nominal — in Appendix AY of the 2022 Connecticut building code. That places Ellington mid-range for the state, with 147 municipalities at or above it. Connecticut's amended R905.1.1 applies statewide, so the sealed roof deck requirement is triggered on a full tear-off here.
Ground snow load in Ellington is 35 psf. Above the state baseline, which matters most where snow collects — valleys, dormer sides, and anywhere a roof steps down.
Connecticut amendments that apply here
The state changes the model code in two places worth knowing about. R905.1.2 requires ice barrier everywhere in Connecticut, extending at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line as measured up the slope. And R905.1.1, the sealed roof deck amendment, does not apply over narrow lumber sheathing — under 3 feet nominal — which is exactly what many pre-1950 houses in this state have.
Ellington is newer than most of Connecticut: only 47.8% of its homes predate 1980 and the median was built around 1982, so plywood or OSB decking is what we usually find, and the plank exception rarely comes up.
The six-nail question comes up constantly. Code minimum in Connecticut is four nails per shingle. Manufacturers require six to honor their wind warranty. We install six. Both facts are true at the same time, and anyone presenting six as a code requirement has it wrong.
Ellington weather, measured
What does a roof here actually take? The closest thirty-year weather record is kept about 12 miles from the center of town at Hartford-Bradley Intl Ap, and NOAA's 1991-2020 normals are the honest answer.
Snow: that station averages 52 inches a year, which is about average for this part of the state. It falls across roughly 12 days that leave an inch or more, and 6 that leave three inches or more. The weight is not usually the problem. The problem is melt that refreezes at the cold edge of the roof and forces water back up under the courses, which is exactly what the ice barrier at the eaves is for.
Freeze-thaw: the station records about 126 nights a year below freezing, and 28 days never climb above it. It is the quiet killer of Connecticut flashing. Water sits in a joint, freezes overnight, pushes the gap a fraction wider, melts, and goes in deeper the next night.
Rain: 47 inches a year there, including about 12 days when an inch or more falls in a single day and 2 that top two inches. Volume like that finds a tired valley, an undersized gutter or a kick-out flashing that was never installed. Those are the three places we look first on an older roof here.
Source: NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, station Hartford-Bradley Intl Ap (12 miles from Ellington).
The storms Ellington has had since 2015
What has Ellington actually been hit by? NOAA's Storm Events Database, 2015-2026, within ten miles of the center of town, says this.
75 damaging-wind reports, the strongest put at 69 mph. In this part of the state wind is what takes roofs apart, and it does it quietly: lifted tabs reseal crookedly, seal strips fail, and the roof looks untouched from the street.
9 hail reports, the largest 1.25 inches across - about the size of a half dollar. At that size stones start to split the mat rather than just bruise it. Cracked tabs, exposed asphalt and bare spots where the granules have been knocked clean off are what to look for.
Also on the record: 2 confirmed tornadoes touched down inside the same circle and the National Weather Service logged 31 winter-storm, heavy-snow or ice-storm events for Tolland County over the same years.
If any of that went over your house, the roof deserves a look before the next one arrives. Inspections in Ellington are free, you get the photographs either way, and our storm damage report collects what an insurer will ask for.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, reports within 10 miles of the center of Ellington, 2015-2026.
Permits and inspections in Ellington
Ellington issues roofing permits through its building department. The building official on record is Raymond Martin III. The office is staffed full-time, so inspections here are generally easy to schedule. The published number is 860-870-3124. Written questions go to buildingofficial@ellington-ct.gov. We pull the permit ourselves. If a roofer asks you to pull it in your own name, that is a reason to stop and ask why.
A roof replacement permit in Connecticut is generally issued over the counter or online once the scope is submitted, with an inspection at completion. Where a house sits in a local historic district, or where zoning or health review applies, that approval comes first and can add real time. If your property is affected, we will tell you before the contract is signed rather than after the dumpster arrives.
Ellington homes by age
Most of Ellington's housing was built in 1980 or later. Census Bureau estimates for 2019–2023 put 47.8 percent of the town's 6,753 units before that year, where Connecticut's figure is 67.7 percent and the Capitol Planning Region's 68.8, and 27.1 percent in 2000 or later, against 11.8 percent statewide and 10.8 percent regionally. The median year built is 1982, so the typical Ellington house is about 44 years old in 2026, against a state median of 1967. The Capitol region's median is 1966, so Ellington is young by local standards too.
The newest homes set the timing for much of the town. A house completed after 2000 is likely on its original roof, and InterNACHI's life expectancy chart gives architectural asphalt shingles about 30 years and 3-tab about 20, while noting that weather, design, material quality and maintenance all shift the number. Many of those first roofs are at or nearing that age. Where the trouble is a handful of lifted or missing shingles rather than a worn-out roof, Connecticut's amended R105.2 exempts repairs limited to 25 percent of the roof covering in a calendar year from permits.
The 25.1 percent built between 1980 and 1999 is a separate conversation. Those houses have had time for at least one re-roof, and some of those earlier jobs may have been layovers. IRC R908.3.1.1 bars a new covering over a roof that already has two or more applications, so a house overlaid once will not be overlaid again; its next roof starts with a tear-off. The 13.5 percent built before 1940 are a smaller, older group where earlier layers deserve the first look, and where R908.5 requires flashings, edgings or vents found rusted or deteriorated to be replaced rather than reused.
Not every Ellington home is a detached house. Single-family detached units are 69.6 percent of the total, attached units 5 percent, and buildings of five or more units hold 18.2 percent, close to the state's 18.4. Across the Capitol Planning Region the same two figures are 56.5 percent detached and 20.6 percent in buildings of five or more. Owners occupy 70.8 percent of occupied Ellington homes, a little above Connecticut's 66.2. The table below breaks out each age bracket beside the statewide figure.
| Housing (ACS 2019–2023) | Ellington | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 6,753 | 1,536,049 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 4,481 | 939,912 |
| Share owner-occupied | 70.8% | 66.2% |
| Single-family detached | 69.6% | 58.7% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1967 |
| Built before 1940 | 13.5% | 20.4% |
| Built 1940–1979 | 34.3% | 47.4% |
| Built 1980–1999 | 25.1% | 20.5% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27.1% | 11.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, tables B25001, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035. Estimates carry a margin of error, which is wider in smaller towns.
How Ellington compares with the towns around it
Ellington shares its design wind figure with all 8 of its neighbors, so specifications carry across these town lines cleanly. The permit process does not — each town runs its own.
| Bordering town | Design wind | vs. Ellington | Ground snow | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Windsor | 120 mph | same | 30 psf | Hartford |
| Enfield | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Hartford |
| Somers | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Tolland |
| South Windsor | 120 mph | same | 30 psf | Hartford |
| Stafford | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Tolland |
| Tolland | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Tolland |
| Vernon | 120 mph | same | 30 psf | Tolland |
| Willington | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Tolland |
Get a straight answer on your roof
Free inspection, a written scope, and a 25-year workmanship warranty.
Common questions about roofing in Ellington
What wind speed does a roof in Ellington have to be designed for?
The 2022 Connecticut State Building Code assigns Ellington an ultimate design wind speed of 120 mph. That figure sets the fastener schedule and the manufacturer wind rating we specify.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Ellington?
Yes. A roof replacement in Ellington requires a building permit, and we pull it as part of the job. The building department's published number is 860-870-3124 if you want to confirm anything independently.
Who is the building official in Ellington?
Raymond Martin III is the building official on record for Ellington, per the State of Connecticut list of municipal building officials. Staffing changes — confirm with the town before relying on it.
Is ice barrier required on an Ellington roof?
Yes — Connecticut requires it statewide under code section R905.1.2, running from the lowest roof edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. With a 35 psf ground snow load in Ellington, that detail is doing real work.
How many nails per shingle should be used in Ellington?
Connecticut's code minimum is four. Shingle manufacturers require six to keep their wind warranty in force, and six is what we install. Six nails is a manufacturer requirement, not a code requirement.
Have you worked in Ellington before?
Yes. Our records show 3 completed roofs in Ellington. That count comes from our own job history.
Does Ellington get hail?
Yes, though it is not the main risk here. NOAA has 9 confirmed hail reports within ten miles of Ellington since 2015, the largest 1.25 inches across. Stones that size crack the mat under the granules rather than just bruising it, so the damage is real even when the roof looks sound from the driveway.
Are ice dams a problem in Ellington?
They are the winter problem worth planning for. The nearest long-record station averages 52 inches of snow a year across about 12 days that leave an inch or more, and roughly 126 nights below freezing. That is the exact recipe for melt at the warm middle of a roof refreezing at the cold eave. Connecticut's code answer is an ice barrier at the eaves; the practical answer is that plus attic insulation and ventilation that keep the roof deck cold.
Design criteria are taken from Appendix AY of the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code. Building department details come from the State of Connecticut list of municipal building officials, updated 04-06-2026. Municipal staffing and personnel change — confirm current details with the town. Stallion Ridge Exteriors is a service-area business based in Bethel, Connecticut.