Our work in Sherman
4 completed roofs in Sherman to date, counted from our own records. Sherman sits 15 miles from our Bethel base.
Sherman covers 21.9 square miles in Fairfield County.
Within Sherman we work in Atchison Cove and Lakeside Woods. Housing stock varies enough inside one Connecticut town that the right roof in one neighborhood is not automatically right three miles away.
Design criteria for a Sherman roof
Appendix AY of the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code puts Sherman at an ultimate design wind speed of 115 mph, a nominal design wind speed of 89 mph. With 168 towns rated equal or higher, this is the calmer end of Connecticut. That changes the nail count required, not whether nails matter. Connecticut's amended R905.1.1 applies statewide, so this town picks up the sealed roof deck requirement on a full tear-off too.
Ground snow load in Sherman 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.
It matters here because 67.9% of Sherman homes predate 1980 - the median was built around 1973 - so plank decking and older fastening turn up regularly on tear-offs in this town.
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.
The climate a roof in Sherman has to take
Here is what a roof in Sherman is up against, measured rather than guessed: NOAA's 1991-2020 normals from the closest thirty-year weather record, about 13 miles from the center of town at Stormville, just over the line in New York.
Snow: that station averages 58 inches a year, which is heavy by Connecticut standards for this part of the state. It falls across roughly 14 days that leave an inch or more, and 6 that leave three inches or more. The snow load is designed for. What is not designed for is a warm attic melting the underside of the snow, sending water to a freezing eave and building a ridge of ice across the bottom of the roof.
Freeze-thaw: the station records about 132 nights a year below freezing, and 29 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: 49 inches a year there, including about 13 days when an inch or more falls in a single day and 3 that top two inches. Steady volume plus humid summers is also why north-facing slopes in this part of Connecticut streak black with algae - cosmetic, unlike the valley and gutter problems the same rain exposes.
Source: NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, station Stormville (13 miles from Sherman).
What the storm record says about Sherman
NOAA keeps a confirmed record of severe weather by location. Within ten miles of Sherman, 2015-2026 looks like this.
70 damaging-wind reports, the strongest put at 100 mph. Wind, not hail, is what takes roofs apart here. It works on the edges - rake, ridge, eave - and the damage is usually invisible from the ground.
5 hail reports, the largest 1 inch across - about the size of a quarter. Stones that size rarely break anything outright. They bruise the mat under the granules, and a bruised shingle sheds granules for the rest of its life.
Also on the record: 3 confirmed tornadoes touched down inside the same circle and the National Weather Service logged 31 winter-storm, heavy-snow or ice-storm events for Fairfield 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 Sherman 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 Sherman, 2015-2026.
Permits and inspections in Sherman
Permits for roof work in Sherman go through the town building department. Bill Murphy is listed as the building official. The office is staffed part-time, which is worth planning around — inspection windows are narrower than in a full-time department, and a tear-off scheduled without checking availability can sit open longer than anyone wants. The published number is 860-516-7143. Written questions go to bmurphy@townofshermanct.org. 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.
Sherman's owner-occupied houses and the roofs they need next
Sherman's housing is almost all owner-occupied detached houses. Census estimates put detached single-family homes at 96.3 percent of the housing stock and owner-occupancy at 95.8 percent of occupied homes. Compare the Western Connecticut Planning Region, where the detached share is 57.7 percent and owners hold 66.2 percent, and the difference is plain. There are no buildings of five or more units in the estimates at all. Of 1,954 housing units, 1,592 were counted as occupied.
By age, Sherman's stock is weighted toward the years 1940 to 1979. The single largest bracket, 35.9 percent, was built between 1960 and 1979, and another 19.1 percent between 1940 and 1959. All told, 67.9 percent of units predate 1980. The median year built is 1973, which makes the typical house about 53 years old in 2026. Only 11.5 percent of units were built in 2000 or later, a smaller share than the region's 17.6 percent.
When the people paying for a roof are also the ones living under it, the choice of material deserves more thought than the cheapest bid. InterNACHI's life-expectancy chart gives a useful frame: 20 years for 3-tab asphalt, 30 for architectural shingles, 25 for wood and 40 to 80 for metal, with the caveat that local weather, building design, material quality and maintenance all change the result. On a house that has likely outlived one or two roofs already, that spread is worth weighing. For damage that stops short of replacement, Connecticut's amended R105.2 lets a repair limited to 25 percent of the roof covering in one calendar year go ahead without a permit.
The age profile also puts most of the town inside the pre-1980 brackets, which contain the pre-1978 target housing covered by EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. When a paid job disturbs painted surfaces such as fascia or trim, the rule applies, though exterior work disturbing 20 square feet of paint or less is excluded as a minor repair, other than window replacement or demolition of painted surfaces. Sherman's housing count is small, so the estimates in the table below carry a margin of error and are best read for their broad shape.
| Housing (ACS 2019–2023) | Sherman | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 1,954 | 1,536,049 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 1,525 | 939,912 |
| Share owner-occupied | 95.8% | 66.2% |
| Single-family detached | 96.3% | 58.7% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1967 |
| Built before 1940 | 12.9% | 20.4% |
| Built 1940–1979 | 55.0% | 47.4% |
| Built 1980–1999 | 20.6% | 20.5% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11.5% | 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 Sherman compares with the towns around it
Sherman shares its design wind figure with all 3 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. Sherman | Ground snow | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 115 mph | same | 40 psf | Litchfield |
| New Fairfield | 115 mph | same | 30 psf | Fairfield |
| New Milford | 115 mph | same | 35 psf | Litchfield |
Get a straight answer on your roof
Free inspection, a written scope, and a 25-year workmanship warranty.
Common questions about roofing in Sherman
Who is the building official in Sherman?
Bill Murphy is the building official on record for Sherman, 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 a Sherman 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 Sherman, that detail is doing real work.
Have you worked in Sherman before?
Yes. Our records show 4 completed roofs in Sherman. That count comes from our own job history.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Sherman?
Yes. A roof replacement in Sherman requires a building permit, and we pull it as part of the job. The building department's published number is 860-516-7143 if you want to confirm anything independently.
How many nails per shingle should be used in Sherman?
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.
What wind speed does a roof in Sherman have to be designed for?
The 2022 Connecticut State Building Code assigns Sherman an ultimate design wind speed of 115 mph. That figure sets the fastener schedule and the manufacturer wind rating we specify.
Does Sherman get hail?
Yes, though it is not the main risk here. NOAA has 5 confirmed hail reports within ten miles of Sherman since 2015, the largest 1 inch across. Hail that size bruises shingles and knocks granules loose rather than punching holes, so the damage is easy to miss from the ground and worth a proper look after a summer storm.
Are ice dams a problem in Sherman?
They are the winter problem worth planning for. The nearest long-record station averages 58 inches of snow a year across about 14 days that leave an inch or more, and roughly 132 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.