In Hollis, the 2021 IRC is in force and the median home was built in 1977. We replace and repair roofs here and inspect after storms, starting with a free, photographed inspection.
Hollis runs to about 32.0 square miles and roughly 4,872 people. It sits about 18 miles west of downtown Portland. The community dates back to 1798. We cover ZIP code 04042.
No completed roof in Hollis is logged in our job records yet.
We work across Hollis rather than one corner of it — Hollis Center, Bar Mills, North Hollis, West Hollis, South Hollis, Bonny Eagle, Clarks Mills, Salmon Falls and Tylers Corner included. Age and construction change between them, which is why we look before we quote.
Hollis is a rural bedroom community of Portland along the Saco River, where water-powered mills once ran at Hollis village, Bar Mills, Moderation Falls, North Hollis and Bonny Eagle Falls. It was incorporated in 1798 as Phillipsburg and later renamed Hollis.
Housing from this stretch in Hollis 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 1,944 homes in Hollis, with a median year built of 1977. 391 of them (20%) went up before 1940 — 24th of 64 places on this site for pre-1940 share — and 412 (21%) in 2000 or later. The 1970s were the busiest decade, adding 453 of today's homes (23%). That is level with York County's 20%.
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, 79% of Hollis' homes — the 1,532 built before 2000 — are past their first roof, and the 668 built before 1970 (34%) are usually on a third covering or later. The 255 homes from the 2000s are where first replacements come up now, while the 157 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.
83% of homes in Hollis are single-family detached houses (1,623) and 3% attached ones such as townhouses (56). 75 homes (4%) sit in two- to nine-unit buildings. The count also takes in 190 mobile homes, which are a different kind of roof job. Owners live in 88% of the 1,789 occupied homes. On a housing mix like this, the likely work is deck and flashing checks on pre-war board sheathing and first replacements on 2000s builder-grade shingles.
| Built | Homes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 391 | 20% | |
| 1940s | 16 | 1% | |
| 1950s | 49 | 3% | |
| 1960s | 212 | 11% | |
| 1970s | 453 | 23% | |
| 1980s | 170 | 9% | |
| 1990s | 241 | 12% | |
| 2000s | 255 | 13% | |
| 2010s | 115 | 6% | |
| 2020 or later | 42 | 2% |
Census ACS 2020–2024, tables B25034, B25035, B25024 and B25003: 1,944 homes, 1,789 occupied. Survey estimates.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged no reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 5 miles of Hollis’ 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.
The Hollis Code Enforcement page says permits are not required for re-roofing with the same material. The Hollis Building Code (Section 7.A.1, amended November 7, 2017) says normal maintenance, including re-roofing and residing, can be done without an application or permit, unless underlying material such as plywood, sheetrock or framing needs to be replaced, or underlying material is added or removed. In that case a permit is needed.
Hollis enforces the 2021 IRC. The Hollis Building Code is titled the 'Ordinance Enforcing the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) for the Town of Hollis' and says the town adopts and enforces MUBEC, with the Code Enforcement Officer serving as building official. The Code Enforcement page says the town uses the 2021 International Residential Code, 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Existing Building Code, 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and 2021 International Mechanical Code.
The published number is 207-929-2251. The building official on record is Duane Hanson, Code Enforcement Officer. The department page is here.
Wind design changes with location across greater Portland and southern Maine: the published ultimate design wind speeds run 115–120 mph, and the building department can say which figure applies to a given address. Ground snow load is set for each address, not one figure for the whole area: the published figures here run 50–70 psf. See the roofing code guide for what it governs.
Hollis borders Limington, Standish, Buxton, Dayton, Lyman and Waterboro. Our pages for them:
Also in York County:
| Town | Re-roof permit | Code | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollis | Conditional | 2021 IRC | 1977 |
| Limington | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1986 |
| Standish | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1980 |
| Buxton | Conditional | 2021 IRC | 1981 |
| Dayton | Not published | Enforcement optional | 1990 |
| Lyman | No | 2021 IRC | 1979 |
| Waterboro | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1983 |
All 29 York County towns side by side →
The Hollis Code Enforcement page says permits are not required for re-roofing with the same material. The Hollis Building Code (Section 7.A.1, amended November 7, 2017) says normal maintenance, including re-roofing and residing, can be done without an application or permit, unless underlying material such as plywood, sheetrock or framing needs to be replaced, or underlying material is added or removed. In that case a permit is needed.
Hollis enforces the 2021 IRC. The Hollis Building Code is titled the 'Ordinance Enforcing the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) for the Town of Hollis' and says the town adopts and enforces MUBEC, with the Code Enforcement Officer serving as building official. The Code Enforcement page says the town uses the 2021 International Residential Code, 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Existing Building Code, 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and 2021 International Mechanical Code.
Older than most people guess: the Census puts 79% of Hollis' homes before 2000 and 34% before 1970, with a median year built of 1977 (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 Duane Hanson, Code Enforcement Officer. The department's own number is on this page, beside its name.
It can. Hollis has Salmon Falls (West) 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 Hollis 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.hollismaine.org · www.hollismaine.org · www.hollismaine.org · www.hollismaine.org · 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.
