Bay Head has 1,060 homes, and half of them were standing by 1963. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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
Replacing the covering on a detached one- or two-family house needs no permit and no notice to the town (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). Attached houses (1% of Bay Head’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. 66% of Bay Head’s homes were built before 1980: ask how many layers yours has and whether the price is for a tear-off to the deck.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21
Ice barrier
Only Sussex County meets New Jersey’s 25 °F January test for a required ice barrier (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21; DCA Bulletin 07-3). In Bay Head it is the installer’s and the manufacturer’s call; ask whether the quote includes it.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21; NJ DCA Bulletin 07-3
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in New Jersey.
Owners live in 511 of Bay Head’s occupied homes, or 86%. By year built, 34% before 1940, 48% before 1960, 66% before 1980; 25% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 90% detached houses.
39% of the homes in Bay Head are seasonal or occasional-use homes (ACS 2020–2024). If yours is one of them and you live elsewhere, the call still has to come from you as the owner.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 29 Ocean County municipalities on this site, Bay Head has the 9th largest share of homes built before 1980: 66%, against a county range of 30% to 84%.
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Head | 1963 | 66% | 86% | 1% | 8 |
| Point Pleasant | 1970 | 64% | 82% | 5% | 9 |
| Point Pleasant Beach | 1963 | 66% | 76% | 11% | 8 |
| Brielle | 1964 | 74% | 91% | 9% | 8 |
| Manasquan | 1958 | 71% | 84% | 6% | 7 |
| Brick | 1976 | 59% | 82% | 11% | 11 |
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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 8 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Bay Head, topping out at 1.75 in on June 1, 2011. The most recent was July 12, 2021.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 11 days).
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Ocean County since 2006: 9, most recently DR-4614, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Bay Head, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
Useful life is HUD’s planning figure, not a warranty. 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; 90% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (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 | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Bay Head should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
The price side is in what a new roof costs in New Jersey; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
No permit for a detached house. Replacing the covering on a detached one- or two-family house needs no permit and no notice to the town (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). Attached houses (1% of Bay Head’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 Bay Head was built in 1963, 66% of homes were built before 1980, 86% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 8 days within 10 miles of Bay Head from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Bay Head should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
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.