Home Improvements Plus

Stow requires a building permit for roof replacement, filed with the town Building Department, and Massachusetts code requires an ice-and-water shield membrane at the eaves and in valleys to resist ice dams. Most asphalt jobs are a full tear-off to the deck, which lets the roofer inspect the sheathing and replace any rotted boards before re-roofing — common on the town's older farmhouses and additions. Owners of antique homes near the town center should ask whether any local historic considerations apply before changing roof material or profile. Reputable roofers pull the permit and book the required inspections.

Roofing costs in Stow track the western-Middlesex suburban average, modestly below the Boston ring. A full asphalt-shingle tear-off and replacement typically runs $9,000–$24,000 depending on size, pitch, and layers removed; a flat or low-slope EPDM rubber section runs about $7,000–$17,000. Standing-seam metal runs roughly $20,000–$45,000. Steep, dormered roofs on older farmhouses and homes with multiple additions land toward the higher end because of the extra flashing, valleys, and labor involved.

Massachusetts requires a written contract and a Home Improvement Contractor registration for most residential roofing work; ask for the registration number and check it before paying a deposit.

More on permits, costs, rebates and common questions, plus every other roofing contractor serving the town, on the Roofing in Stow page.