In Ogunquit, the 2021 IRC is in force and 20% of the 2,093 homes went up before 1940. We replace and repair roofs here and inspect after storms, starting with a free, photographed inspection.
Ogunquit runs to about 4.1 square miles and roughly 1,379 people. It sits about 34 miles southwest of downtown Portland. The community dates back to 1980. We cover ZIP code 03907.
On a property designated by the town as a historic site or landmark, any physical change to the exterior needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission, whether or not a building permit is needed. Roofing of a different kind, color or texture is reviewed as a minor project, and altering a roofline as a major one.
No completed roof in Ogunquit is logged in our job records yet.
We work across Ogunquit rather than one corner of it — Perkins Cove, Ogunquit Beach, Footbridge Beach, Israels Head, Oarweed Cove, Walnut Hill and Little Beach included. Age and construction change between them, which is why we look before we quote.
Ogunquit, a village of Wells until it became its own town in 1980, is a small coastal resort with a mile-and-a-half barrier beach, the Marginal Way cliff walk and Perkins Cove, a fishing cove that became an art colony after 1898. Seaside hotels and inns went up as summer crowds grew, and the town sits right on the open Atlantic.
Housing from this stretch in Ogunquit 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 2,093 homes in Ogunquit, with a median year built of 1978. 415 of them (20%) went up before 1940 — 23rd of 64 places on this site for pre-1940 share — and 410 (20%) in 2000 or later. More of today's homes date from before 1940 than from any decade since. Across York County the pre-1940 share is 20%, so Ogunquit sits level with it.
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. On that yardstick the 1,683 homes in Ogunquit built before 2000 (80%) have outlived at least one roof; 873 of them (42%) predate 1970, old enough for two replacements already. The 194 homes from the 2000s are where first replacements come up now, while the 216 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.
75% of homes in Ogunquit are single-family detached houses (1,566) and 3% attached ones such as townhouses (68). 239 homes (11%) sit in two- to nine-unit buildings and 165 (8%) in buildings of ten units or more, where a resident rarely gets to choose the roofer. The count also takes in 55 mobile homes, which are a different kind of roof job. 628 of 666 occupied homes (94%) are lived in by their owners. Read together, those figures point toward full tear-offs on houses past two roof lives and deck and flashing checks on pre-war board sheathing.
| Built | Homes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 415 | 20% | |
| 1940s | 102 | 5% | |
| 1950s | 233 | 11% | |
| 1960s | 123 | 6% | |
| 1970s | 214 | 10% | |
| 1980s | 395 | 19% | |
| 1990s | 201 | 10% | |
| 2000s | 194 | 9% | |
| 2010s | 192 | 9% | |
| 2020 or later | 24 | 1% |
Census ACS 2020–2024, tables B25034, B25035, B25024 and B25003: 2,093 homes, 666 occupied. Survey estimates.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged no reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 5 miles of Ogunquit’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.
Ogunquit's Building Construction ordinance (Section 36-13) requires a building permit for all construction, alteration, renovation, demolition and similar work, but exempts repairs that do not involve structural alteration of the building and do not include electrical, plumbing or mechanical work. The town's 'When is a building permit required?' page lists any construction or alteration of a structure and one-for-one replacement of decks, porches, stairs and guard rails, but does not mention roofing. Residential building permits cost $14 per $1,000 of value, with a $70 minimum, and fees double (up to $2,500) when work starts without a permit.
Ogunquit enforces the 2021 IRC. Ogunquit's Building Construction ordinance (Section 36-12) adopts the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code by reference, and since April 7, 2025 that code is based on the 2021 International Residential Code. With 1,577 residents in the 2020 Census, Ogunquit is not required to enforce the code under state law, and has chosen to.
The published number is 207-646-9326. The building official on record is Tyler McOsker, Director of Codes and Health Officer. The department page is here.
The design wind speed a roof in Ogunquit 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.
Ogunquit borders Wells, York and Atlantic Ocean. Our pages for them:
Also in York County:
| Town | Re-roof permit | Code | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ogunquit | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1978 |
| Wells | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1989 |
| York | Yes | 2021 IRC | 1977 |
| Acton | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1974 |
| Alfred | Conditional | 2021 IRC | 1983 |
| Arundel | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1992 |
| Berwick | Not published | 2021 IRC | 1989 |
All 29 York County towns side by side →
Ogunquit's Building Construction ordinance (Section 36-13) requires a building permit for all construction, alteration, renovation, demolition and similar work, but exempts repairs that do not involve structural alteration of the building and do not include electrical, plumbing or mechanical work. The town's 'When is a building permit required?' page lists any construction or alteration of a structure and one-for-one replacement of decks, porches, stairs and guard rails, but does not mention roofing. Residential building permits cost $14 per $1,000 of value, with a $70 minimum, and fees double (up to $2,500) when work starts without a permit.
Ogunquit enforces the 2021 IRC. Ogunquit's Building Construction ordinance (Section 36-12) adopts the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code by reference, and since April 7, 2025 that code is based on the 2021 International Residential Code. With 1,577 residents in the 2020 Census, Ogunquit is not required to enforce the code under state law, and has chosen to.
The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 estimates put the median year built at 1978: 20% of Ogunquit's 2,093 homes predate 1940 and 20% were built in 2000 or later. At the usual 25-year roof life, 80% have needed at least one new roof already.
The building official on record is Tyler McOsker, Director of Codes and Health Officer. The department's own number is on this page, beside its name.
Not yet: no completed roof in Ogunquit 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.ogunquit.gov · www.ogunquit.gov · www.ogunquit.gov · ecode360.com · ecode360.com · ecode360.com · ecode360.com · www.ogunquit.gov · legislature.maine.gov · www2.census.gov · en.wikipedia.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.
