Chester Township has 2,597 homes, and half of them were standing by 1981. 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.
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 (5% of Chester Township’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7
Layers
The state strikes the IRC reroof definitions from its code (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21) and leaves existing houses to the Rehabilitation Subcode, not yet checked here. 48% of Chester Township’s homes were built before 1980, so get the layer count and a tear-off price in writing.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21
Ice barrier
The state code’s ice barrier applies where the average January day is 25 °F or colder: Sussex County, per DCA Bulletin 07-3. Chester Township is outside it, so whether to add one is up to you and the installer.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21; NJ DCA Bulletin 07-3
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in New Jersey.
96% of the occupied homes in Chester Township are lived in by their owners: 2,416 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 19% before 1960, 48% before 1980; 14% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 94% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
Of the 39 Morris County municipalities on this site, Chester Township has the 36th largest share of homes built before 1980: 48%, against a county range of 42% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 07930
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Township | 1981 | 48% | 96% | 5% | 10 |
| Chester Borough | 1971 | 63% | 79% | 5% | 10 |
| Peapack and Gladstone | 1970 | 65% | 80% | 2% | 6 |
| Mendham Borough | 1972 | 73% | 86% | 14% | 13 |
| Washington Township, Morris County | 1979 | 52% | 91% | 5% | 5 |
| Bernardsville | 1960 | 71% | 95% | 2% | 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 10 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Chester Township, topping out at 1.75 in on July 7, 2013. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
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 Chester Township, 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 Chester Township’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; 94% 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 and historic houses | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Coating is not a replacement |
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Chester Township should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
The price side is in what a new roof costs in New Jersey; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
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 (5% of Chester Township’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 Chester Township was built in 1981, 48% of homes were built before 1980, 96% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 10 days within 10 miles of Chester Township from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Chester Township should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
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.