Our work in Stafford
No completed jobs in Stafford yet — said plainly, because the alternative is implying something that is not true. It is 70 miles from Bethel, comfortably within where we work.
The town runs to 58.0 square miles, in Tolland County.
Neighborhoods and villages here include Ellithorpe, Hydeville, Lake View Terrace, Orcutts, Stafford Springs, Staffordville and West Stafford. What is on the roofs differs across them, and so does what should go back on.
Design criteria for a Stafford roof
The state assigns Stafford an ultimate design wind speed of 120 mph — 93 mph nominal — in Appendix AY of the 2022 Connecticut building code. 148 of Connecticut's 169 municipalities are rated at or above that figure. 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 Stafford is 35 psf. That is above the statewide floor. In practice it shows up as drift at valleys and behind dormers rather than as trouble across an open field of shingles.
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.
It matters here because 65% of Stafford homes predate 1980 - the median was built around 1966 - 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.
Stafford weather, measured
Weather is what wears a roof out, so the local numbers are worth knowing. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals, taken about 13 miles from the center of town at E Brimfield Lake, just over the line in Massachusetts, are the closest measured picture there is.
Snow: that station averages 64 inches a year, which is heavy by Connecticut standards for this part of the state. It falls across roughly 18 days that leave an inch or more, and 8 that leave three inches or more. Weight is seldom the issue on a roof that is sound. Meltwater is: it runs to the cold overhang, freezes there, and the next thaw has nowhere to go but sideways, under the shingles.
Freeze-thaw: the station records about 150 nights a year below freezing, and 35 days never climb above it. That is a hundred-odd chances a year for trapped water to freeze, expand and open a joint a little wider. It is why flashing and sealant age faster here than the shingles above them do.
Rain: 49 inches a year there, including about 11 days when an inch or more falls in a single day and 2 that top two inches. Water at that rate does not soak in, it runs, and where it runs is the test of the valleys, the gutters and the flashing where the roof meets a wall.
Source: NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, station E Brimfield Lake (13 miles from Stafford).
The storms Stafford has had since 2015
NOAA keeps a confirmed record of severe weather by location. Within ten miles of Stafford, 2015-2026 looks like this.
38 damaging-wind reports, the strongest put at 69 mph. Wind damage is cumulative. Each gust that lifts a tab breaks a little more of the seal underneath, and the roof that survives five storms can fail in the sixth.
8 hail reports, the largest 1.25 inches across - about the size of a half dollar. That is past the bruising range. Hail of that size splits the mat under the granules, and a split mat lets water into the shingle itself.
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.
None of that means a roof is damaged. It means it is worth looking. An inspection in Stafford costs nothing, you get the photographs whatever we find, and the storm damage report collects the evidence in one document if you need it.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, reports within 10 miles of the center of Stafford, 2015-2026.
Permits and inspections in Stafford
Permits for roof work in Stafford go through the town building department. Glenn T. Setzler is listed as the building official. The published number is 860-684-1775. Written questions go to buildingofficial@staffordct.org. We pull the permit as part of the job. No homeowner should be asked to pull their own roofing permit by a contractor working on their house.
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.
Stafford's housing, decade by decade
No single era dominates Stafford's housing. The Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates divide the town's 4,902 units into 25.1 percent built before 1940, 19.4 percent from 1940 to 1959, 20.6 percent from 1960 to 1979, 25.3 percent from 1980 to 1999 and 9.7 percent since 2000. The median year built, 1966, matches the Capitol Planning Region's exactly and puts the typical Stafford home at about 60 years old.
Two of those groups stand out against the region. The prewar share, 25.1 percent, compares with 18.2 percent regionally and 20.4 percent statewide. And the 1980-to-1999 share, 25.3 percent, is above both the region's 20.4 percent and the state's 20.5. Many houses in that second group are likely facing a roof decision now. InterNACHI expects about 20 years from 3-tab asphalt shingles and about 30 from architectural ones, so most houses from those two decades have likely outlived their original shingles, and many were probably re-roofed once already.
How that re-roof was done matters now. Where the earlier job went over the original shingles instead of replacing them, the house has two layers, and R908.3.1.1 does not permit a third. The same section blocks a recover over a water-soaked or badly deteriorated roof, and over slate or tile regardless of age. A quote on a Stafford house from the 1980-to-1999 group should say plainly whether it includes a tear-off, and if a layover is proposed, how many layers are there now.
The prewar group raises different points. On houses that old, R908.5 requires rusted, damaged or deteriorated flashings, edgings and vents to be replaced, not reused, which puts chimney and wall flashing on the list to check at the same time as the shingles. Stafford is mostly owner-occupied, at 78.2 percent against 65.4 percent for the region, and 72.9 percent of units are single-family detached, against 56.5 percent regionally. Buildings of two to four units hold 12 percent of Stafford's housing and buildings of five or more hold 10.6 percent, both below the region's 16 and 20.6 percent. The table below lists every bracket.
| Housing (ACS 2019–2023) | Stafford | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 4,902 | 1,536,049 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 3,572 | 939,912 |
| Share owner-occupied | 78.2% | 66.2% |
| Single-family detached | 72.9% | 58.7% |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1967 |
| Built before 1940 | 25.1% | 20.4% |
| Built 1940–1979 | 40.0% | 47.4% |
| Built 1980–1999 | 25.3% | 20.5% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9.7% | 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 Stafford compares with the towns around it
Stafford shares its design wind figure with all 4 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. Stafford | Ground snow | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellington | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Tolland |
| Somers | 120 mph | same | 35 psf | Tolland |
| Union | 120 mph | same | 40 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 Stafford
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Stafford?
Yes. A roof replacement in Stafford requires a building permit, and we pull it as part of the job. The building department's published number is 860-684-1775 if you want to confirm anything independently.
Who is the building official in Stafford?
Glenn T. Setzler is the building official on record for Stafford, per the State of Connecticut list of municipal building officials. Staffing changes — confirm with the town before relying on it.
What wind speed does a roof in Stafford have to be designed for?
The 2022 Connecticut State Building Code assigns Stafford an ultimate design wind speed of 120 mph. That figure sets the fastener schedule and the manufacturer wind rating we specify.
How many nails per shingle should be used in Stafford?
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.
Is ice barrier required on a Stafford 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 Stafford, that detail is doing real work.
Does Stafford get hail?
Yes, though it is not the main risk here. NOAA has 8 confirmed hail reports within ten miles of Stafford 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 Stafford?
They are the winter problem worth planning for. The nearest long-record station averages 64 inches of snow a year across about 18 days that leave an inch or more, and roughly 150 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.