The median home in Chatham Borough was built in 1951; there are 3,010 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
New Jersey treats a new covering on a detached one- or two-family house as ordinary maintenance: no permit, no notice (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). In Chatham Borough, 83% of homes are detached. An attached house, or work on rafters and beams, is not covered.
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 77% of Chatham Borough’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 Chatham Borough, 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.
Owners live in 2,453 of Chatham Borough’s occupied homes, or 83%. By year built, 32% before 1940, 65% before 1960, 77% before 1980; 12% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 83% detached houses, 8% buildings of two to four units.
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 39 Morris County municipalities on this site, Chatham Borough has the 4th largest share of homes built before 1980: 77%, against a county range of 42% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 07928
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham Borough | 1951 | 77% | 83% | 2% | 11 |
| Summit | 1953 | 86% | 68% | 7% | 13 |
| Madison | 1961 | 70% | 64% | 6% | 13 |
| Florham Park | 1984 | 42% | 70% | 15% | 13 |
| Chatham Township | 1974 | 59% | 84% | 9% | 9 |
| New Providence | 1962 | 76% | 76% | 4% | 10 |
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 11 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Chatham Borough, topping out at 1.75 in on December 9, 2009. The most recent was August 6, 2024.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 11 federal storm declarations covering Morris County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Chatham Borough, 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 Chatham Borough’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; 83% 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 | Roofs that will carry solar later | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 32% 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 | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Ask a roofer working in Chatham Borough for the New Jersey home improvement registration number, which the law requires on contracts and advertising (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144), and look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in New Jersey; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
None for a detached one- or two-family house. New Jersey treats a new covering on a detached one- or two-family house as ordinary maintenance: no permit, no notice (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). In Chatham Borough, 83% of homes are detached. An attached house, or work on rafters and beams, is not covered.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Chatham Borough was built in 1951, 77% 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 Chatham Borough from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Ask a roofer working in Chatham Borough for the New Jersey home improvement registration number, which the law requires on contracts and advertising (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144), and look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
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.