Half of the 10,646 homes in Bernards were built before 1987. 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
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 (22% of Bernards’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7
Layers
New Jersey deletes the IRC’s reroofing definitions (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21(c)2.xxii); its layer rule for existing houses is in the Rehabilitation Subcode, which this site has not read yet. 30% of Bernards’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
New Jersey requires the eave membrane only where January averages 25 °F or colder, which the state says is Sussex County (DCA Bulletin 07-3). In Bernards 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. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in New Jersey.
Of 10,443 occupied homes in Bernards, 8,680 (83%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 13% before 1960, 30% before 1980; 16% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 55% detached houses, 22% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 8% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 18 Somerset County municipalities on this site, Bernards has the 16th largest share of homes built before 1980: 30%, against a county range of 19% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 07920 · 07939
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernards | 1987 | 30% | 83% | 22% | 11 |
| Bernardsville | 1960 | 71% | 95% | 2% | 10 |
| Warren | 1985 | 40% | 88% | 3% | 12 |
| Long Hill | 1969 | 63% | 90% | 8% | 13 |
| Peapack and Gladstone | 1970 | 65% | 80% | 2% | 6 |
| Harding | 1967 | 66% | 90% | 11% | 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 11 separate days within 10 miles of Bernards; the largest was 1.25 in on July 23, 2012. The most recent was August 6, 2024.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 9 federal storm declarations covering Somerset County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Bernards, not that it damaged a 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 Bernards’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; 55% 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 and historic houses | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (22% of homes here are attached) | Seams at walls and drainage |
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Bernards 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.
Detached houses: no permit, no notice. 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 (22% of Bernards’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 Bernards was built in 1987, 30% of homes were built before 1980, 83% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 11 days within 10 miles of Bernards 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 Bernards 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.