Roofs in New Hampshire take a beating that is hard to picture from Massachusetts. Snow sits for months on the north slopes of houses in Gorham and Jackson. Ice dams form along the eaves of 1950s capes in Hooksett and Goffstown every January. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into Seacoast houses in Hampton and Rye. And the state's emblem for weather is the summit of Mount Washington, where observers recorded a 231 mph gust in April 1934. A roofer here is working against freeze, load and wind at once.
No roofing license: what stands in for one
New Hampshire does not license roofers, and it has no general contractor license or home-improvement registration either. Anyone can print a business card. That shifts the checking to you:
- Insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance sent from the agent, not a photocopy, showing liability coverage and workers' compensation for the crew. A roofer who falls on your property without coverage is a problem nobody wants.
- References from roofs at least five years old. Leaks show up after a few winters, not a few weeks.
- A local address. A company with a shop in your region is easier to call back when the valley over the kitchen starts dripping in February.
- Manufacturer standing. Some shingle makers certify installers and back longer warranties only when their certified crews do the work. Ask which warranty you would get and in whose name it is registered.
The Attorney General's office says home-improvement scams are among the most common complaints it receives, and its 2022 consumer alert lists the Consumer Protection hotline, 1-888-468-4454, for reporting one.
Ice dams on capes from Hooksett to Peterborough
Heat from the rooms below works up through the ceiling and softens the snowpack on the upper slope. That meltwater trickles toward the overhang, which stays as cold as the outdoors, and freezes there into a ridge. Each thaw adds to the ridge, and the pond building up behind it has nowhere to go. That water finds its way under shingles and into ceilings. The capes and older colonials common across the southern tier, with low attic space and little insulation in the knee walls, are the classic victims.
A new roof alone does not cure ice dams. Ask a roofer what they propose for each part of the problem:
- the membrane along the eaves, valleys and around penetrations, and how many feet up from the edge it will run;
- attic ventilation, ridge and soffit, and whether the soffits are actually open;
- whether they recommend air sealing and insulation in the attic, which is often the real fix (the NHSaves weatherization program can help pay for it).
Raking snow off the lower few feet of the roof after a storm is the common stopgap. Hiring a crew to shovel a roof is a separate service; ask about their insurance for it too.
Snow load at elevation: why Bartlett and Jackson ask before you build
How much weight a roof must be designed to carry is not uniform across the state. In the North Country and at elevation, design snow loads are set town by town. That matters little for a straight reroof with the same materials, and a great deal for anything that changes the structure: a dormer, a new metal roof over a porch, a roof on an addition, or a heavier roofing material on an old frame.
Before that kind of work in Conway, Bartlett, Jackson or Gorham, ask the town building office what snow load the design must meet, and ask the roofer or the builder who will confirm the rafters can take it. Where a town has no building inspector, the State Fire Marshal may handle the permit under RSA 155-A:2, so the answer may come from Concord rather than town hall.
Permits: Portsmouth lists roofing; Manchester charges one percent
Whether a reroof needs a permit depends on the town. Portsmouth's Inspection Department lists roofing among the building permits it issues, alongside additions, decks and kitchen and bath work. Inside Portsmouth's Historic District, a change to roofing material visible from the street may also need the Historic District Commission's approval.
Manchester's fee schedule charges alterations and repairs at 1% of the job's cost, plus a $25 application fee on every building permit. On a $12,000 roof that is about $145. If a roofer's quote in Manchester or Portsmouth does not mention a permit, ask whether one is needed and who pulls it.
Storm-chaser crews after a nor'easter
After a big wind or a heavy snow winter, out-of-state crews follow the damage. The pattern is familiar: a knock on the door, an offer to "work with your insurance," pressure to sign that day and a request for cash up front.
New Hampshire's Consumer Protection Act is the tool if a deal goes bad. A homeowner harmed by an unfair or deceptive practice can sue for actual damages or $1,000, whichever is more, and a court that finds the violation willful or knowing awards two to three times that amount plus attorney's fees (RSA 358-A:10). That is real leverage, but it is easier never to need it. Take your time after a storm. Have your own insurer inspect the roof, get two local quotes, and do not sign anything that assigns your insurance claim to the roofer.
When a big storm is coming, the National Weather Service office in Gray, Maine, which forecasts for all of New Hampshire, posts the snow and wind outlooks; a roof with a known weak spot is worth tarping before the storm, not after.
Metal or asphalt in snow country
Standing-seam metal is common on houses and camps from Laconia north, and there is a reason: snow slides off it rather than piling up. That same slide is the thing to plan for. A full metal roof can dump a winter's load onto a deck, a walkway or a car in one go. Ask whether the roofer recommends snow guards, where they would place them, and what sits under each eave.
Metal also changes the noise in rain, the cost of a repair and the details at the chimney and vents. Asphalt is cheaper to install and easier to patch, and on a south-facing Nashua or Milford cape it usually sheds snow well enough. Ask for both prices if you are undecided, and ask each roofer which they install most often. A crew that does metal twice a year is not the same as one that does it every week.
Reading a $7,900 to $16,400 roof quote
A typical New Hampshire asphalt roof replacement runs about $7,900 to $16,400 in the New Hampshire roofing cost estimate. A small, simple gable sits near the bottom. A steep or cut-up roof, a second layer to strip, or several skylights sits near the top or past it. Metal roofs, common in snow country from Laconia to Littleton, cost more up front.
Line up quotes on the same items: tear-off and disposal, number of layers, sheathing replacement priced per sheet, the membrane and underlayment, drip edge, ventilation, flashing at walls and chimneys, the shingle line and color, the warranty, and cleanup of nails from the yard. Ask what happens if the crew finds rot once the old roof is off, and get the per-sheet price in writing before they start.
