Clark has 6,055 homes, and half of them were standing by 1961. 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 Clark
Permit
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 (3% of Clark’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
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. 84% of Clark’s homes were built before 1980, so get the layer count and a tear-off price in writing.
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 Clark it is the installer’s and the manufacturer’s call; ask whether the quote includes it.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in New Jersey.
Homes and roofs in Clark
Of 5,929 occupied homes in Clark, 4,543 (77%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 47% before 1960, 84% before 1980; 11% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 75% detached houses, 3% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 7% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 21 Union County municipalities on this site, Clark has the 9th largest share of homes built before 1980: 84%, against a county range of 65% to 98%.
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 Clark
NOAA’s storm reports show 13 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Clark, topping out at 1.75 in on May 28, 2019. The most recent was July 3, 2025.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 8 federal storm declarations covering Union 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; 75% 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
Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight
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 Clark 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.
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 (3% of Clark’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
How old are the houses in Clark?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Clark was built in 1961, 84% of homes were built before 1980, 77% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Clark had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Clark 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 Clark?
Ask a roofer working in Clark 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
The street address in Clark, 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
Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Clark