In Gorham, the 2021 IRC is in force and the median home was built in 1988. We replace and repair roofs here and inspect after storms, starting with a free, photographed inspection.
Gorham runs to about 50.6 square miles and roughly 18,300 people. It sits about 11 miles west of downtown Portland. The community dates back to 1764. We cover ZIP code 04038.
No completed roof in Gorham is logged in our job records yet.
We work across Gorham rather than one corner of it — Little Falls, North Gorham, South Gorham, West Gorham, White Rock, Babb Corner, Dog Corner, Gag Corner and Mosher Corner included. Age and construction change between them, which is why we look before we quote.
A historically rural farm and mill town that has grown into a bedroom community of Portland. It is home to the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine, where the Federal-style Academy Building dates to 1806, and its old Presumpscot River mill sites now lie under the Dundee Dam pond.
Housing from this stretch in Gorham 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 6,834 homes in Gorham, with a median year built of 1988. 939 of them (14%) went up before 1940 — 42nd of 64 places on this site for pre-1940 share — and 2,266 (33%) in 2000 or later. The 2010s were the busiest decade, adding 1,159 of today's homes (17%). Across Cumberland County the pre-1940 share is 23%, so Gorham sits below it.
About 25 years is the usual useful life of a roof, by the figure in the Maine Bureau of Insurance's claims guide. By that measure, 67% of Gorham's homes — the 4,568 built before 2000 — are past their first roof; 1,735 of them (25%) predate 1970, old enough for two replacements already. First replacements are arriving on the 1,020 homes built in the 2000s, while the 1,246 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.
By building type: 5,444 detached houses (80%), 249 attached (4%). 549 homes (8%) sit in two- to nine-unit buildings and 236 (3%) 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 356 mobile homes, which are a different kind of roof job. 5,406 of 6,636 occupied homes (81%) are lived in by their owners. On a housing mix like this, the likely work is first replacements on 2000s builder-grade shingles and storm checks on newer roofs that look fine from the driveway.
| Built | Homes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 939 | 14% | |
| 1940s | 209 | 3% | |
| 1950s | 294 | 4% | |
| 1960s | 293 | 4% | |
| 1970s | 849 | 12% | |
| 1980s | 1,097 | 16% | |
| 1990s | 887 | 13% | |
| 2000s | 1,020 | 15% | |
| 2010s | 1,159 | 17% | |
| 2020 or later | 87 | 1% |
Census ACS 2020–2024, tables B25034, B25035, B25024 and B25003: 6,834 homes, 6,636 occupied. Survey estimates.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged no reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 5 miles of Gorham’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.
Gorham's Land Use and Development Code says no building or other structure may be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered without a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer. The Code Division says any new structure, including decks, sheds and pools, and any alteration to an existing structure will require a building permit. Its fee schedule charges $12 per thousand dollars of labor and materials, with a $50 minimum, for new construction and alterations. None of these pages names roof replacement. Roof work that changes rafters, trusses or other structural parts is a structural alteration and needs a permit.
Gorham enforces the 2021 IRC. Gorham's Code Division says its Code Enforcement Officer enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC), and its code handout says all new buildings must be built to it. Those town pages still name the 2015 editions of the International Residential, Building and Existing Building Codes. Statewide, MUBEC moved to the 2021 International Residential Code and the other 2021 codes on April 7, 2025.
The published number is 207-222-1605. Gorham's code names the Code Enforcement Officer as the official who issues building permits and certificates of occupancy. The Code Division staff includes code enforcement officers and a building inspector. The department page is here.
The design wind speed a roof in Gorham is built to depends on where the house stands: across greater Portland and southern Maine the published ultimate design wind speeds run 115–120 mph. Ground snow load is set for each address, not one figure for the whole area: the published figures here run 50–70 psf. The building department can confirm the figure, and the code guide explains what it governs.
Gorham borders Windham, Standish, Buxton, Scarborough, Westbrook and Presumpscot River. Our pages for them:
Also in Cumberland County:
| Town | Re-roof permit | Code | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorham | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1988 |
| Windham | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1985 |
| Standish | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1980 |
| Buxton | Conditional | 2021 IRC | 1981 |
| Scarborough | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1988 |
| Westbrook | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1975 |
| Baldwin | Not published | Enforcement optional | 1979 |
All 25 Cumberland County towns side by side →
Gorham's Land Use and Development Code says no building or other structure may be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered without a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer. The Code Division says any new structure, including decks, sheds and pools, and any alteration to an existing structure will require a building permit. Its fee schedule charges $12 per thousand dollars of labor and materials, with a $50 minimum, for new construction and alterations. None of these pages names roof replacement. Roof work that changes rafters, trusses or other structural parts is a structural alteration and needs a permit.
Gorham enforces the 2021 IRC. Gorham's Code Division says its Code Enforcement Officer enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC), and its code handout says all new buildings must be built to it. Those town pages still name the 2015 editions of the International Residential, Building and Existing Building Codes. Statewide, MUBEC moved to the 2021 International Residential Code and the other 2021 codes on April 7, 2025.
Median year built 1988, by the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 estimates. Of 6,834 homes, 4,568 were built before 2000 and 939 before 1940, so most roofs in Gorham are not the first one the house has had.
It can. Gorham has Gorham Historic District, Gorham Campus Historic District and South Street 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 Gorham 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: ecode360.com · ecode360.com · ecode360.com · ecode360.com · ecode360.com · web.archive.org · web.archive.org · web.archive.org · web.archive.org · www.gorhammaine.gov · www.gorhammaine.gov · www.gorhammaine.gov · www.gorhammaine.gov · www.gorhammaine.gov · www.gorhammaine.gov · www.gorhammaine.gov · web.archive.org · web.archive.org · web.archive.org · www.maine.gov · legislature.maine.gov · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · www.zip-codes.com · tigerweb.geo.census.gov · data.census.gov · www.spc.noaa.gov. Rules and staff change; check with the jurisdiction.
