Roofing for Buxton homes: replacement, leaks and storm damage. In Buxton, the 2021 IRC is in force and the median home was built in 1981. Any permit the job needs is ours to pull.
Buxton runs to about 40.5 square miles and roughly 8,512 people. It sits about 14 miles west of downtown Portland. The community dates back to 1772. We cover ZIP codes 04093 and 04004.
No completed roof in Buxton is logged in our job records yet.
We work across Buxton rather than one corner of it — Bar Mills, West Buxton, Buxton Center, Groveville, Salmon Falls, Tory Hill, Chicopee, Kimbles Corner, Emory Corner and Roberts Corner included. Age and construction change between them, which is why we look before we quote.
Buxton, incorporated in 1772, grew as a string of mill villages at the falls of the Saco River, including Salmon Falls, Bar Mills and West Buxton at Moderation Falls, and that mill-era prosperity left behind fine older architecture. Bonny Eagle Pond, 211 acres, lies in the northern part of town.
Housing from this stretch in Buxton sits on plywood or OSB decking and was largely first roofed with three-tab shingles. Most are on their second covering by now. The things worth checking are the penetrations rather than the field: pipe boots from this era are the single most common leak we trace, because the rubber collar splits long before the shingles wear out. Ridge venting was inconsistent through these years, and OSB that has been damp for a season goes soft in a way plywood does not — you find it with your feet, not from the ground.
By the Census Bureau's estimate there are 3,943 homes in Buxton, with a median year built of 1981. 750 of them (19%) went up before 1940 — 29th of 64 places on this site for pre-1940 share — and 956 (24%) in 2000 or later. More of today's homes date from before 1940 than from any decade since. That is below York County's 20%.
About 25 years is the usual useful life of a roof, by the figure in the Maine Bureau of Insurance's claims guide. On that yardstick the 2,987 homes in Buxton built before 2000 (76%) have outlived at least one roof, and the 1,344 built before 1970 (34%) are usually on a third covering or later. Homes from the 2000s (598 in Buxton) are reaching their first replacement, while the 358 built since 2010 are mostly still on the roof they were built with. On houses that old, the question worth asking is how many layers are up there: a roof laid over an old one hides the deck.
By building type: 3,064 detached houses (78%), 50 attached (1%). 444 homes (11%) sit in two- to nine-unit buildings and 53 (1%) in buildings of ten units or more, where the roof is usually a landlord's or an association's decision. The count also takes in 332 mobile homes, which are a different kind of roof job. Owners live in 80% of the 3,431 occupied homes. With houses like these, the jobs we expect most are deck and flashing checks on pre-war board sheathing and first replacements on 2000s builder-grade shingles.
| Built | Homes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 750 | 19% | |
| 1940s | 52 | 1% | |
| 1950s | 293 | 7% | |
| 1960s | 249 | 6% | |
| 1970s | 584 | 15% | |
| 1980s | 614 | 16% | |
| 1990s | 445 | 11% | |
| 2000s | 598 | 15% | |
| 2010s | 314 | 8% | |
| 2020 or later | 44 | 1% |
Census ACS 2020–2024, tables B25034, B25035, B25024 and B25003: 3,943 homes, 3,431 occupied. Survey estimates.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged no reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 5 miles of Buxton’s center from 2016 through 2025. That is a gap in the reports rather than proof that no hail fell: reports come from spotters and the public.
Buxton's Zoning Ordinance (Section 5.5) says a building permit is not required for fences or the replacement of roofing, siding, windows and interior flooring if no structural changes to the building are required as part of the work, and that the Code Enforcement Officer should be consulted before starting. The same section exempts work of $2,500 or less in total estimated value. These exemptions do not apply in Special Flood Hazard Areas, where permits follow the town's floodplain rules (Article 14) instead.
Buxton enforces the 2021 IRC. Buxton's Building Code FAQ says the building code in the town is the 2021 MUBEC, 2021 IRC and IBC, and 2021 IECC. A town notice dated March 11, 2025 says Buxton began enforcing the amended Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) on April 7, 2025.
The published number is 207-929-3046. The building official on record is Patti McKenna, Code Enforcement Officer. The department page is here.
Design wind here is set by location, not one figure for the whole area: across greater Portland and southern Maine the published ultimate design wind speeds run 115–120 mph, depending on where a house stands. The building department for Buxton can tell you which figure applies. Ground snow load is set for each address, not one figure for the whole area: the published figures here run 50–70 psf. What it does to a roof is in the roofing code guide.
Buxton borders Gorham, Scarborough, Saco, Dayton, Hollis and Standish. Our pages for them:
Also in York County:
| Town | Re-roof permit | Code | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buxton | Conditional | 2021 IRC | 1981 |
| Gorham | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1988 |
| Scarborough | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1988 |
| Saco | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1982 |
| Dayton | Not published | Enforcement optional | 1990 |
| Hollis | Conditional | 2021 IRC | 1977 |
| Standish | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1980 |
All 29 York County towns side by side →
Buxton's Zoning Ordinance (Section 5.5) says a building permit is not required for fences or the replacement of roofing, siding, windows and interior flooring if no structural changes to the building are required as part of the work, and that the Code Enforcement Officer should be consulted before starting. The same section exempts work of $2,500 or less in total estimated value. These exemptions do not apply in Special Flood Hazard Areas, where permits follow the town's floodplain rules (Article 14) instead.
Buxton enforces the 2021 IRC. Buxton's Building Code FAQ says the building code in the town is the 2021 MUBEC, 2021 IRC and IBC, and 2021 IECC. A town notice dated March 11, 2025 says Buxton began enforcing the amended Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) on April 7, 2025.
Older than most people guess: the Census puts 76% of Buxton's homes before 2000 and 34% before 1970, with a median year built of 1981 (2020–2024 estimates). A roof usually lasts about 25 years, so the deck and the layers get checked before any quote.
The building official on record is Patti McKenna, Code Enforcement Officer. The department's own number is on this page, beside its name.
It can. Buxton has Salmon Falls (East) Historic District. Inside a designated district, changing a visible roof material or color can need preservation review before the permit is issued. Like-for-like replacement usually raises fewer questions, but we check before quoting.
Not yet: no completed roof in Buxton is in our job records, so this page shows no job count.
Researched 2026-10-24; housing, Census ACS 2020–2024; hail, NOAA SPC. Sources: www.buxton.me.us · www.buxton.me.us · www.buxton.me.us · www.buxton.me.us · www.buxton.me.us · www.buxton.me.us · www.buxton.me.us · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · www2.census.gov · www2.census.gov · prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com · data.census.gov · www.spc.noaa.gov. Rules and staff change; check with the jurisdiction.
