The median home in Bridgewater was built in 1981; there are 16,975 of them. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
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 Bridgewater’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7
Layers
Which layers may stay is a Rehabilitation Subcode question in New Jersey (the IRC definitions are deleted by N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21), and this site has not read that subcode yet. With 48% of Bridgewater’s homes were built before 1980, ask the contractor to count the layers before quoting.
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). For Bridgewater, ask whether the quote includes one anyway.
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.
85% of the occupied homes in Bridgewater are lived in by their owners: 14,005 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 5% before 1940, 20% before 1960, 48% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 8% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 70% detached houses, 13% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 18 Somerset County municipalities on this site, Bridgewater has the 11th largest share of homes built before 1980: 48%, against a county range of 19% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 08805 · 08807 · 08836
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater | 1981 | 48% | 85% | 13% | 12 |
| Somerville | 1960 | 76% | 43% | 3% | 11 |
| Raritan Borough | 1969 | 58% | 50% | 6% | 9 |
| Manville | 1956 | 87% | 77% | 5% | 11 |
| Bound Brook | 1957 | 72% | 45% | 10% | 13 |
| South Bound Brook | 1966 | 77% | 58% | 7% | 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.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 12 separate days within 10 miles of Bridgewater; the largest was 1.75 in on August 17, 2007. The most recent was August 6, 2024.
At the county level, Bridgewater shares Somerset County’s record of 9 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4614 (Remnants of Hurricane Ida, September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
Lifespans come from HUD’s capital-needs table, not from a brochure. 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; 70% 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 | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 5% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Seams at walls and drainage |
Any business offering home improvements in Bridgewater must be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, with the number on its contracts and ads (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144); 47,473 registrations were active in October 2026.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in New Jersey.
No permit for a detached 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 Bridgewater’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 Bridgewater was built in 1981, 48% of homes were built before 1980, 85% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 12 days within 10 miles of Bridgewater from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Any business offering home improvements in Bridgewater must be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, with the number on its contracts and ads (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144); 47,473 registrations were active in October 2026.
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.