Our work in Somers
We have not completed a job in Somers itself. We would rather say that plainly than imply otherwise. The town is 65 miles from our base in Bethel and well inside our normal working radius.
Somers covers 28.5 square miles in Tolland County.
Within Somers we work in North Somers and Somersville. 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 Somers roof
Appendix AY of the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code puts Somers at an ultimate design wind speed of 120 mph, a nominal design wind speed of 93 mph. That places Somers mid-range for the state, with 147 municipalities at or above it. As in every Connecticut town, a tear-off here triggers the sealed roof deck rule.
Snow loading here is 35 psf at grade. Above the state baseline, which matters most where snow collects — valleys, dormer sides, and anywhere a roof steps down.
Connecticut amendments that apply here
Connecticut amends the international code on two points that touch nearly every roof we do. Ice barrier is required statewide under R905.1.2, running from the lowest roof edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line — measured along the slope, so a low-pitch roof needs more membrane than people expect. The sealed roof deck amendment, R905.1.1, carries an exception: it does not apply over lumber sheathing under 3 feet nominal width, which is what sits under the shingles on a great many pre-1950 Connecticut houses.
Somers is newer than most of Connecticut: only 53.1% of its homes predate 1980 and the median was built around 1978, so plywood or OSB decking is what we usually find, and the plank exception rarely comes up.
On nailing, be careful who you believe. Connecticut's code minimum is four nails per shingle. Six is what the shingle manufacturers require to keep a wind warranty in force, and six is what we install — but that is a manufacturer requirement, not a code requirement. A contractor telling you the code demands six is either mistaken or selling.
Somers weather, measured
Here is what a roof in Somers is up against, measured rather than guessed: NOAA's 1991-2020 normals from the closest thirty-year weather record, about 12 miles from the center of town at Hartford-Bradley Intl Ap.
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 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 126 nights a year below freezing, and 28 days never climb above it. Water that gets into a split seam or a tired flashing joint expands when it freezes and widens the gap a little each time. Repeat that a hundred-odd times a winter and a small defect becomes a leak.
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. That is a lot of water to move off a roof, and it finds the same three places every time: valleys, gutters that cannot keep up, and wall junctions with no kick-out flashing.
Source: NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, station Hartford-Bradley Intl Ap (12 miles from Somers).
The storms Somers has had since 2015
What has Somers actually been hit by? NOAA's Storm Events Database, 2015-2026, within ten miles of the center of town, says this.
57 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.
8 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: 1 confirmed tornado 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.
After a storm like those, the sensible move is a look at the roof before anything leaks - we do that for free in Somers, and you get the photographs either way. If there is damage, our storm damage report puts the photos, measurements and a written estimate in one place for your insurer.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, reports within 10 miles of the center of Somers, 2015-2026.
Permits and inspections in Somers
Roofing work in Somers is permitted through the town's building department. The building official on record is Michael Anthony. Full-time staffing means inspections here rarely become the bottleneck. The published number is 860-763-8215. Written questions go to buildingofficial@somersct.gov. Permitting is on us, not on you. A contractor asking a homeowner to pull the roofing permit is shifting liability, and you should treat it that way.
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.
When Somers was built, and what that means for its roofs
Two building periods stand out in Somers. Census Bureau estimates for 2019–2023 put 33.5 percent of the town's 3,558 housing units in the years 1960 to 1979, against 26.7 percent statewide, and 25.4 percent in 2000 or later, against 11.8 percent statewide and 10.8 percent in the Capitol Planning Region. Between them sits a smaller 21.6 percent from 1980 to 1999, and only 7.7 percent predate 1940. The median lands at 1978, making the typical Somers house about 48 years old in 2026, where the region's median is 1966.
Those two groups sit at very different points in a roof's life. A house from 1960 to 1979 is well past the 20 years InterNACHI's life expectancy chart gives 3-tab asphalt and the 30 it gives architectural shingles, so its next roof is most likely a replacement, which IRC R908.3 defines as removing the existing coverings down to the deck. A house from the 2000s is probably still on its first roof and moving into the years when the chart expects asphalt to wear out. Partial work has its own threshold: under Connecticut's amended R105.2, repairs that stay within 25 percent of the roof covering in a calendar year need no permit.
Most of the older group also falls inside the federal lead-paint window. EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule covers paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in target housing, meaning housing built before 1978, subject to exceptions, and the 53.1 percent of Somers units built before 1980 includes it. On a roof job, the painted surfaces in question are typically fascia and trim. An exterior job disturbing 20 square feet or less of paint counts as a minor repair and is excluded, though window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are not.
Somers is overwhelmingly owner-occupied and detached: 89.5 percent and 92.5 percent, against 65.4 and 56.5 percent across the region. Buildings of five or more units account for only 2.3 percent of the housing and attached units 1.9 percent, so the typical Somers roof covers one detached, owner-occupied house. The table below gives every bracket for the town and the state.
| Housing (ACS 2019–2023) | Somers | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 3,558 | 1,536,049 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 3,047 | 939,912 |
| Share owner-occupied | 89.5% | 66.2% |
| Single-family detached | 92.5% | 58.7% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1967 |
| Built before 1940 | 7.7% | 20.4% |
| Built 1940–1979 | 45.4% | 47.4% |
| Built 1980–1999 | 21.6% | 20.5% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25.4% | 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 Somers compares with the towns around it
Somers 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. Somers | Ground snow | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellington | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Tolland |
| Enfield | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Hartford |
| Stafford | 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 Somers
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Somers?
Yes. A roof replacement in Somers requires a building permit, and we pull it as part of the job. The building department's published number is 860-763-8215 if you want to confirm anything independently.
How many nails per shingle should be used in Somers?
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.
Who is the building official in Somers?
Michael Anthony is the building official on record for Somers, 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 Somers 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 Somers, that detail is doing real work.
What wind speed does a roof in Somers have to be designed for?
The 2022 Connecticut State Building Code assigns Somers an ultimate design wind speed of 120 mph. That figure sets the fastener schedule and the manufacturer wind rating we specify.
Does Somers get hail?
Yes, though it is not the main risk here. NOAA has 8 confirmed hail reports within ten miles of Somers 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 Somers?
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.