Half of the 5,147 homes in Cedar Grove were built before 1959. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Cedar Grove
Permit
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 (12% of Cedar Grove’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
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. 72% of Cedar Grove’s homes were built before 1980: ask how many layers yours has and whether the price is for a tear-off to the deck.
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 Cedar Grove it is the installer’s and the manufacturer’s call; ask whether the quote includes it.
Of 4,963 occupied homes in Cedar Grove, 4,177 (84%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 9% before 1940, 54% before 1960, 72% before 1980; 15% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 66% detached houses, 12% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 8% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 22 Essex County municipalities on this site, Cedar Grove has the 17th largest share of homes built before 1980: 72%, against a county range of 54% to 92%.
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.
Storm record around Cedar Grove
Within 10 miles of Cedar Grove, hail of an inch or more was reported on 13 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on July 6, 2020. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 10 federal storm declarations covering Essex County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
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; 66% 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; 9% here predate 1940
Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Porches, additions, low-slope rears
Seams at walls and drainage
Checking a contractor in New Jersey
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Cedar Grove should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
Does a roof replacement in Cedar Grove need a permit?
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 (12% of Cedar Grove’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
How old are the houses in Cedar Grove?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Cedar Grove was built in 1959, 72% of homes were built before 1980, 84% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Cedar Grove?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Cedar Grove from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
How do I check a roofing contractor in Cedar Grove?
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Cedar Grove should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
What they will ask on the phone
The street address in Cedar Grove, or at least the ZIP code
The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
What covers the roof now and about when it went on
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Cedar Grove