Alpha has 1,080 homes, and half of them were standing by 1956. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. The call must come from the homeowner who decides on the roof. Calls may be recorded.
Permit
Under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 a reroof of a detached one- or two-family house goes ahead without a permit or a notice to the construction office. Attached houses (13% of Alpha’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7
Layers
The state strikes the IRC reroof definitions from its code (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21) and leaves existing houses to the Rehabilitation Subcode, not yet checked here. 86% of Alpha’s homes were built before 1980, so get the layer count and a tear-off price in writing.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21
Ice barrier
The state code’s ice barrier applies where the average January day is 25 °F or colder: Sussex County, per DCA Bulletin 07-3. Alpha is outside it, so whether to add one is up to you and the installer.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21; NJ DCA Bulletin 07-3
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in New Jersey.
Of 1,060 occupied homes in Alpha, 804 (76%) are owner-occupied. Counting by decade, 34% before 1940, 58% before 1960, 86% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 6% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 67% detached houses, 13% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 11% buildings of two to four units.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off.
Of the 22 Warren County municipalities on this site, Alpha has the 3rd largest share of homes built before 1980: 86%, against a county range of 24% to 89%.
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 1956 | 86% | 76% | 13% | 15 |
| Pohatcong | 1956 | 80% | 88% | 7% | 15 |
| Greenwich Township, Warren County | 1994 | 24% | 97% | 4% | 12 |
| Phillipsburg | 1938 | 86% | 58% | 18% | 15 |
| Lopatcong | 1980 | 50% | 76% | 11% | 13 |
| Holland | 1974 | 59% | 97% | 2% | 13 |
Median built: median year the homes were built. Before 1980: share of homes built then. Owners: share of homes that are owner-occupied. Row, twin: share of homes that are rowhouses, twins or townhouses. Census ACS 2020–2024. Hail days: days with hail of 1 inch or larger within 10 miles, 2006–2025, NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 15 separate days within 10 miles of Alpha; the largest was 1.75 in on May 27, 2010. The most recent was July 3, 2025.
At the county level, Alpha shares Warren County’s record of 10 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4725 (Severe Storm and Flooding, August 2023). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Alpha’s houses: More in the guides to shingles, metal, slate and flat roofs.
| Material | HUD useful life | Fits a house like | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | 20 years | Most pitched roofs; 67% of homes here are detached | Wind class set by the design wind speed (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Roofs that will carry solar later | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 34% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Ask a roofer working in Alpha for the New Jersey home improvement registration number, which the law requires on contracts and advertising (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144), and look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in New Jersey.
None for a detached one- or two-family house. Under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 a reroof of a detached one- or two-family house goes ahead without a permit or a notice to the construction office. Attached houses (13% of Alpha’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Alpha was built in 1956, 86% of homes were built before 1980, 76% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 15 days within 10 miles of Alpha from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Ask a roofer working in Alpha for the New Jersey home improvement registration number, which the law requires on contracts and advertising (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144), and look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
The full list: before you call.
Checked October 24, 2026. Laws and code editions change; the date says when these were last read at the source.