Our work in Washington
No completed jobs in Washington yet — said plainly, because the alternative is implying something that is not true. It is 20 miles from Bethel, comfortably within where we work.
Washington covers 38.1 square miles in Litchfield County.
Neighborhoods and villages here include Horse Heaven, Marble Dale, New Preston, Romford and Woodville. What is on the roofs differs across them, and so does what should go back on.
Design criteria for a Washington roof
Roofs in Washington are designed to an ultimate wind speed of 115 mph, which the code expresses as 89 mph nominal. The source is Appendix AY of the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code. 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.
Snow loading here is 35 psf at grade. 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
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 64% of Washington homes predate 1980 - the median was built around 1972 - so plank decking and older fastening turn up regularly on tear-offs in this town.
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.
The climate a roof in Washington has to take
What does a roof here actually take? The closest thirty-year weather record is kept about 19 miles from the center of town at Danbury, and NOAA's 1991-2020 normals are the honest answer.
Snow: that station averages 49 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 5 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 26 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: 53 inches a year there, including about 14 days when an inch or more falls in a single day and 4 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 Danbury (19 miles from Washington).
What the storm record says about Washington
Rather than talk about storms in general, here is the count of confirmed severe-weather reports within ten miles of Washington across 2015-2026, straight from NOAA's Storm Events Database.
90 damaging-wind reports, the strongest put at 90 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.
6 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 22 winter-storm, heavy-snow or ice-storm events for Litchfield County over the same years.
None of that means a roof is damaged. It means it is worth looking. An inspection in Washington 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 Washington, 2015-2026.
Permits and inspections in Washington
Washington issues roofing permits through its building department. The building official on record is Peter K. Bowman. The office is staffed full-time, so inspections here are generally easy to schedule. The published number is 860-868-0844. Written questions go to pbowman@washingtonct.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.
Washington's houses: a prewar core among newer detached homes
Washington's median year built is 1972, but that middle figure sits between two quite different groups of houses. The Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates show 30.2 percent of the town's homes built before 1940, above the Northwest Hills Planning Region's 27.8 percent and Connecticut's 20.4, while 20.1 percent went up from 1980 to 1999 and 16 percent since 2000. Nearly all of it is detached: single-family detached houses are 92.9 percent of the 1,878 housing units, against 58.7 percent statewide. At the median, a Washington house is about 54 years old in 2026. With a housing count this size the estimates are rough, but the shape is clear enough.
The prewar houses bring older roofing materials into the picture. InterNACHI's chart gives wood shingles about 25 years and slate 60 to 150, against 20 to 30 for asphalt. Where one of these houses still carries slate, IRC R908.3.1.1 does not allow a new roof to be laid over it, which leaves repair or removal. Where wood or asphalt has already been layered twice, that same section blocks a third application, so the old coverings come off before anything new goes on.
Not all of that work is replacement. Plenty of the upkeep on an old roof is sectional, a run of cracked slates here, a worn valley there, and 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. When a larger job does happen, R908.5 requires any flashing, edging or vent that is rusted, damaged or deteriorated to be replaced rather than reused, which on a prewar house may mean metal that has been in place for generations.
Occupancy is worth a note as well. The estimates count 1,395 of Washington's 1,878 units as occupied, and owners live in 75.3 percent of those, close to the Northwest Hills figure of 75.9 percent. The remaining units are counted as vacant, and in a town like this some may be second homes; an owner who is not around through the winter may not learn of a small leak until it has done its damage. The table below lays out the full comparison with Connecticut.
| Housing (ACS 2019–2023) | Washington | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 1,878 | 1,536,049 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 1,050 | 939,912 |
| Share owner-occupied | 75.3% | 66.2% |
| Single-family detached | 92.9% | 58.7% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1967 |
| Built before 1940 | 30.2% | 20.4% |
| Built 1940–1979 | 33.7% | 47.4% |
| Built 1980–1999 | 20.1% | 20.5% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16.0% | 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 Washington compares with the towns around it
Every town Washington borders is rated for equal or stronger wind. Crossing the town line here means a heavier fastening schedule, not a lighter one.
| Bordering town | Design wind | vs. Washington | Ground snow | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 120 mph | +5 | 35 psf | Litchfield |
| Kent | 115 mph | same | 40 psf | Litchfield |
| Litchfield | 115 mph | same | 35 psf | Litchfield |
| Morris | 115 mph | same | 35 psf | Litchfield |
| New Milford | 115 mph | same | 35 psf | Litchfield |
| Roxbury | 120 mph | +5 | 35 psf | Litchfield |
| Warren | 115 mph | same | 40 psf | Litchfield |
| Woodbury | 120 mph | +5 | 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 Washington
Is ice barrier required on a Washington 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 Washington, that detail is doing real work.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Washington?
Yes. A roof replacement in Washington requires a building permit, and we pull it as part of the job. The building department's published number is 860-868-0844 if you want to confirm anything independently.
Who is the building official in Washington?
Peter K. Bowman is the building official on record for Washington, per the State of Connecticut list of municipal building officials. Staffing changes — confirm with the town before relying on it.
How many nails per shingle should be used in Washington?
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 Washington have to be designed for?
The 2022 Connecticut State Building Code assigns Washington an ultimate design wind speed of 115 mph. That figure sets the fastener schedule and the manufacturer wind rating we specify.
Does Washington get hail?
Yes, though it is not the main risk here. NOAA has 6 confirmed hail reports within ten miles of Washington 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 Washington?
They are the winter problem worth planning for. The nearest long-record station averages 49 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.