Half of the 3,819 homes in Cape May were built before 1973. 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 (33% of Cape May’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. 69% of Cape May’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). For Cape May, ask whether the quote includes one anyway.
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 1,438 occupied homes in Cape May, 928 (65%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 27% before 1940, 38% before 1960, 69% before 1980; 9% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 48% detached houses, 33% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 10% buildings of two to four units.
With about one in three of homes attached, many roofs here meet a neighbor’s roof at a party wall. Say so on the call, and ask the contractor how the new roof will be tied in where it meets the house next door. New Jersey’s no-permit rule for reroofing covers detached houses only, so an attached house is outside it.
48% of the homes in Cape May 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.
Of the 13 Cape May County municipalities on this site, Cape May has the largest share of homes built before 1980: 69%, against a county range of 23% to 69%.
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May | 1973 | 69% | 65% | 33% | 3 |
| West Cape May | 1976 | 55% | 85% | 15% | 3 |
| Lower | 1975 | 59% | 84% | 9% | 3 |
| Wildwood Crest | 1970 | 60% | 81% | 35% | 3 |
| Wildwood | 1976 | 53% | 44% | 33% | 4 |
| North Wildwood | 1973 | 60% | 84% | 48% | 4 |
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 3 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Cape May, topping out at 1.75 in on August 10, 2008. The most recent was June 7, 2012.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 11 days).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 11 federal storm declarations covering Cape May County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Cape May, 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 Cape May’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; 48% 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 | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 27% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (33% of homes here are attached) | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Any business offering home improvements in Cape May 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 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. 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 (33% of Cape May’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 Cape May was built in 1973, 69% of homes were built before 1980, 65% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 3 days within 10 miles of Cape May 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 Cape May 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.