Roof replacement in Jersey City

Roofer Jersey City is an independent referral service, not a roofing company. When you call or send the form, an independent local roofer can contact you about your job; that roofer gives any quote and does any work.

Signs a roof is near the end

No one sign settles it, and a roof’s age alone does not. A roofer looks at the pattern. On a flat or low-slope roof, the signs that point toward replacement include:

• Leaks in several places, or leaks that move after each repair
• Blisters, cracks and splits spread across the surface
• Wide areas where water stays ponded long after rain
• Soft or spongy spots underfoot, which can mean wet insulation or decking
• Patches on patches, so that new repairs no longer bond
• Flashing at the parapets that has failed along most of its length

On a pitched roof, look for shingles that are curling, cracked or losing granules across every slope, bare spots, and granules collecting in the gutters. On slate, many missing, slipped or broken pieces across the roof, rather than a few, raise the question. Slate is a specialist material, so ask a roofer who works with slate before deciding.

If one area is the problem and the rest is sound, roof repair in Jersey City may be the right answer. Ask the roofer to explain both options and, if they are close, to price both in writing.

Flat-roof systems by name

Most flat and low-slope roofs in the city are replaced with one of a few covering types. Each has its own installation method, its own way of handling seams and its own approach at the parapet. Ask the roofer which they propose for your roof and why.

Covering	In plain words	Questions to ask
Modified bitumen	Asphalt-based sheets laid in overlapping rolls, bonded at the seams	How are the seams bonded? How is it flashed up the parapets?
EPDM	A synthetic rubber membrane, often in large sheets	How are seams and flashings joined? How is it held down?
TPO	A single-ply thermoplastic membrane with seams joined by heat	Who welds the seams, and how are they checked?
Built-up roofing	Layers of roofing felt and bitumen built up on site	How many layers? What is the top surface?
Roof coating	A liquid coating over an existing roof that is still sound underneath	Is the roof under it sound enough? Is this a repair or a replacement?

The page on flat roofs in Jersey City covers these coverings in more depth, along with drains, scuppers and ponding.

Pitched roofs: shingle and slate

On a house with a pitched roof, replacement usually means asphalt shingles over new underlayment, with new flashing at valleys, chimneys, dormers and vents, and attention to the gutters and leaders. A slate roof is a different job. Where slate is sound, a roofer who works with slate may suggest repairing it rather than replacing it. Where it is not, ask what the replacement material will look like from the street, especially in a historic district.

Tear-off or overlay

A tear-off strips the old roof down to the deck. It lets the roofer see the deck, replace soft or rotten boards, and start fresh at every parapet, drain and edge. An overlay puts new covering over the old. Ask which the roofer proposes and why, how many layers are already on the roof, and how the choice affects the flashing heights at the parapets and the drains. If the roofer finds damaged decking after tear-off, the contract should already say how that is handled.

Parapets, coping and the cornice

On a row, a new roof that stops at the foot of the parapet is not a finished job. The new covering has to turn up the parapet and be flashed properly, and the coping on top has to keep water out of the brick. A replacement is the natural moment to deal with loose coping, open mortar joints and old flashing. Ask the roofer to say in the contract what is done at each parapet.

The cornice at the front of a brownstone or brick row usually has its own top surface and flashing. Ask whether the replacement includes it. In Paulus Hook, Van Vorst Park and other historic districts, ask the city before changing the cornice or anything visible from the street. The brownstone roof repair page has more on cornices.

Permits for a roof replacement in Jersey City

New Jersey’s Uniform Construction Code lists ordinary maintenance that can be done without filing a permit application. One item on that list is the repair or replacement of existing roof covering on detached one- and two-family dwellings. Ordinary maintenance does not include any work affecting structural or fire safety, or the removal or cutting of any structural beam or bearing support.

The roof item does not cover attached rowhouses, townhouses, larger buildings, or work on the deck, rafters or other structure. For an attached rowhouse, a multi-family building, or any structural work, ask the Jersey City construction code office whether a permit is needed before work starts. Ask the roofer who will make that call and who will apply if a permit is needed. The Jersey City building permit guide covers the rule in detail.

Historic districts

Parts of Downtown, such as Paulus Hook and Van Vorst Park, are historic districts: ask the city before changing roofing material or anything visible from the street. For a flat roof hidden behind a parapet, the visible parts may be few. For a pitched roof, the whole slope may be visible. Ask early, before you choose a material. See roof work in a historic district.

What to get in writing

New Jersey requires a written contract for any home improvement job of $500 or more, and a replacement should be on paper whatever its size. The contract must include the contractor’s legal name, business address and registration number, a start date, a completion date, a description of the work and the total price. For a replacement, make sure the description covers:

• Whether the old roof is stripped or covered over, and how many layers are removed
• The new covering by name, and what goes under it
• Deck repair: how damaged boards are found, shown to you and priced
• Parapet flashing, coping and any masonry
• The cornice, if included
• Drains, scuppers, gutters and leaders
• Chimneys, skylights, the hatch and vents
• The edges shared with the neighbors
• Permits, if needed, and who applies
• Protection of the house, the stoop and the sidewalk, and debris removal

Once signed, the contract can still be canceled for any reason until midnight of the third business day after you get your copy. Ask for a copy of the contractor’s liability insurance policy and call the insurer to confirm it is valid. It is customary not to pay for the whole job in advance. More on these checks on the roofing contractors in Jersey City NJ page.

About cost

This site prints no prices. What moves the quote on a Jersey City replacement is mostly visible on the roof: the size and shape, the covering chosen, tear-off or overlay and how many layers, the state of the deck, the work at the parapets and the cornice, the drains, and how hard it is to get materials up and debris down on your street. A second written quote on a job this size is reasonable, and comparing the descriptions line by line tells you more than comparing totals.

What happens on the job

The page on choosing a roofing company in Jersey City walks through a job from the first visit to cleanup: access on tight rows, the neighbors, protecting an open roof, and the final walk-through.

Questions people ask