Roofing in New London County

New London County housing at both ends of the age range

Set beside Connecticut, New London County has more old housing and more new housing at once. The Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates, summed over the county's 21 towns, place 22.3 percent of its 122,712 units before 1940, against 20.4 percent statewide, and 14.1 percent in 2000 or later, against 11.8 percent. The 1980-to-1999 group holds 21.7 percent, close to the state's 20.5, and the years from 1940 through 1979 account for 41.9 percent. Owners occupy 68.1 percent of occupied homes and 64.6 percent of units are single-family detached, both above the state's 66.2 and 58.7 percent.

The old end is heaviest in a few places. New London has a median year built of 1947, so its typical home is about 79 years old, and 46.7 percent of its units predate 1940. Sprague follows with a 1956 median and 38.8 percent prewar, then Norwich, the county's largest town at 19,057 units, with a 1958 median and 37.6 percent. Renting is common in two of those three: owners occupy 40.1 percent of New London's occupied homes and 54 percent of Norwich's. Groton, with 18,285 units, sits at 51.9 percent.

The new end shows up in the latest medians. Salem has the newest, 1987, about 39 years, followed by Colchester at 1984 and Voluntown at 1983. Salem also has the largest share built since 2000, 21.3 percent, with East Lyme at 21.1. Houses from the 2000s that still wear their original shingles are moving through the span that InterNACHI's life expectancy chart sets for asphalt: about 20 years for 3-tab, about 30 for architectural. When the first replacement comes, Connecticut's amended R905.1.1 governs the deck: a self-adhering membrane strip at least 4 inches wide goes over every joint in the roof decking, with underlayment across the whole roof. Lumber sheathing less than 3 feet in nominal width is excepted.

Not every worn roof calls for a new one. The state's amended R105.2 exempts from permits repairs limited to 25 percent of the roof covering and building siding within one calendar year, while a full replacement, or anything else past that line, needs a permit. On a house with a sound roof and one troubled area, that is the difference between a repair and a permitted job. The tables below put the county's totals next to Connecticut's and list every town in order of median year built.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables B25001, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035) for each town, summed by county. Connecticut's counties are no longer Census reporting areas, so no county-wide median year is given. Town estimates carry a margin of error, which is wider in smaller towns.