In Eliot, the 2021 IRC is in force and the median home was built in 1979. We replace and repair roofs here and inspect after storms, starting with a free, photographed inspection.
Eliot runs to about 19.8 square miles and roughly 7,146 people. It sits about 44 miles southwest of downtown Portland. The community dates back to 1810. We cover ZIP code 03903.
No completed roof in Eliot is logged in our job records yet.
We work across Eliot rather than one corner of it — South Eliot, Green Acre, East Eliot, Crams Corner, Gould Corner, Kennard Corner, Tobeys Corner, Rosemary and Frankfort Island included. Age and construction change between them, which is why we look before we quote.
Eliot was settled in 1623 as part of Kittery and became its own town in 1810. It lies along the Piscataqua River and Sturgeon Creek across from Portsmouth and Newington, New Hampshire, rather than on the open ocean, and includes the village of South Eliot and the Green Acre community.
Housing from this stretch in Eliot 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.
The Census Bureau counts 3,201 homes in Eliot, with a median year built of 1979. 783 of them (24%) went up before 1940 — 10th of 64 places on this site for pre-1940 share — and 785 (25%) in 2000 or later. More of today's homes date from before 1940 than from any decade since. (York County as a whole: 20% before 1940.)
The rule of thumb in the Maine Bureau of Insurance's claims guide is a useful life of usually about 25 years for a roof. By that measure, 75% of Eliot's homes — the 2,416 built before 2000 — are past their first roof, and 37% (1,194 homes) go back before 1970, two roof lives and more. Homes from the 2000s (236 in Eliot) are reaching their first replacement, while the 549 built since 2010 are mostly still on the roof they were built with. At that age it pays to know whether the last roof was torn off or laid over the one before it, because a second layer hides the deck.
81% of homes in Eliot are single-family detached houses (2,604) and 4% attached ones such as townhouses (118). 309 homes (10%) sit in two- to nine-unit buildings and 67 (2%) 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 103 mobile homes, which are a different kind of roof job. 80% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, 20% rented. On a housing mix like this, the likely work is deck and flashing checks on pre-war board sheathing.
| Built | Homes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 783 | 24% | |
| 1940s | 166 | 5% | |
| 1950s | 77 | 2% | |
| 1960s | 168 | 5% | |
| 1970s | 467 | 15% | |
| 1980s | 483 | 15% | |
| 1990s | 272 | 8% | |
| 2000s | 236 | 7% | |
| 2010s | 481 | 15% | |
| 2020 or later | 68 | 2% |
Census ACS 2020–2024, tables B25034, B25035, B25024 and B25003: 3,201 homes, 3,040 occupied. Survey estimates.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged no reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 5 miles of Eliot’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.
Eliot's Code Enforcement FAQ says: "Is a permit needed to shingle my roof? No. Roof shingling is considered maintenance and repair and does not require a permit." It also says no building permit is needed for routine maintenance such as replacing an existing roof. A building permit is required to replace roof structure, and any project that counts as materially altering a structure (for example, $2,000 or more spent) needs a building and use permit.
Eliot enforces the 2021 IRC. Eliot's online building permit application says all proposed structures need plans showing compliance with the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC). The town page does not name an edition; the state says MUBEC moved to the 2021 International Residential Code and other 2021 I-codes on April 7, 2025.
The published number is 207-439-1813. The building official on record is Shelly Bishop, Code Enforcement Officer / Health 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 Eliot 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.
Eliot borders Kittery, York, South Berwick, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Newington, New Hampshire and Dover, New Hampshire. Our pages for them:
Also in York County:
| Town | Re-roof permit | Code | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eliot | No | 2021 IRC | 1979 |
| Kittery | Yes | 2021 IRC | 1965 |
| York | Yes | 2021 IRC | 1977 |
| South Berwick | No | 2021 IRC | 1982 |
| Acton | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1974 |
| Alfred | Conditional | 2021 IRC | 1983 |
| Arundel | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1992 |
All 29 York County towns side by side →
Eliot's Code Enforcement FAQ says: "Is a permit needed to shingle my roof? No. Roof shingling is considered maintenance and repair and does not require a permit." It also says no building permit is needed for routine maintenance such as replacing an existing roof. A building permit is required to replace roof structure, and any project that counts as materially altering a structure (for example, $2,000 or more spent) needs a building and use permit.
Eliot enforces the 2021 IRC. Eliot's online building permit application says all proposed structures need plans showing compliance with the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC). The town page does not name an edition; the state says MUBEC moved to the 2021 International Residential Code and other 2021 I-codes on April 7, 2025.
Older than most people guess: the Census puts 75% of Eliot's homes before 2000 and 37% before 1970, with a median year built of 1979 (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 Shelly Bishop, Code Enforcement Officer / Health Officer. The department's own number is on this page, beside its name.
Not yet: no completed roof in Eliot 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.eliotme.gov · eliotmaine.portal.iworq.net · eliotmaine.portal.iworq.net · s3.amazonaws.com · www.maine.gov · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · www2.census.gov · 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.
