The median home in Chatham Township was built in 1974; there are 4,102 of them. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
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 Chatham Township
Permit
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). That covers the 67% of Chatham Township’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
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. 59% of Chatham Township’s homes were built before 1980, so get the layer count and a tear-off price in writing.
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). In Chatham Township it is the installer’s and the manufacturer’s call; ask whether the quote includes it.
84% of the occupied homes in Chatham Township are lived in by their owners: 3,334 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 7% before 1940, 34% before 1960, 59% before 1980; 17% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 67% detached houses, 9% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 39 Morris County municipalities on this site, Chatham Township has the 26th largest share of homes built before 1980: 59%, against a county range of 42% to 87%.
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 Chatham Township
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 9 separate days within 10 miles of Chatham Township; the largest was 1.75 in on July 18, 2006. The most recent was August 6, 2024.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Morris County since 2006: 11, most recently DR-4614, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
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; 67% 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; 7% here predate 1940
Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Porches, additions, low-slope rears
Coating is not a replacement
Checking a contractor in New Jersey
Ask a roofer working in Chatham Township 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.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Chatham Township?
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). That covers the 67% of Chatham Township’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
How old are the houses in Chatham Township?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Chatham Township was built in 1974, 59% of homes were built before 1980, 84% are owner-occupied.
Does Chatham Township get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 9 days within 10 miles of Chatham Township 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 Chatham Township?
Ask a roofer working in Chatham Township 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.
What they will ask on the phone
Your address or ZIP code in Chatham Township
The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Chatham Township