The median home in Delaware was built in 1981; there are 1,839 of them. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
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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
Replacing the covering on a detached one- or two-family house needs no permit and no notice to the town (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). Attached houses (2% of Delaware’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
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. 48% of Delaware’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. For Delaware, 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. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in New Jersey.
97% of the occupied homes in Delaware are lived in by their owners: 1,690 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 22% before 1940, 31% before 1960, 48% before 1980; 17% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 95% detached houses.
Of the 23 Hunterdon County municipalities on this site, Delaware has the 18th largest share of homes built before 1980: 48%, against a county range of 27% to 93%.
ZIP codes: 08559
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 1981 | 48% | 97% | 2% | 13 |
| Lambertville | 1938 | 70% | 78% | 45% | 10 |
| Kingwood | 1976 | 56% | 89% | 2% | 10 |
| West Amwell | 1975 | 54% | 89% | 2% | 10 |
| Flemington | 1959 | 80% | 34% | 8% | 10 |
| East Amwell | 1971 | 74% | 83% | 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.
Within 10 miles of Delaware, hail of an inch or more was reported on 13 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on May 29, 2019. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Hunterdon County since 2006: 8, most recently DR-4614, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Delaware, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
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; 95% 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; 22% 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 | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Delaware 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.
None for a detached one- or two-family house. Replacing the covering on a detached one- or two-family house needs no permit and no notice to the town (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). Attached houses (2% of Delaware’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 Delaware was built in 1981, 48% of homes were built before 1980, 97% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Delaware 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 Delaware 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.