Demarest has 1,748 homes, and half of them were standing by 1967. 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 Demarest
Permit
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 (0% of Demarest’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. 58% of Demarest’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 Demarest it is the installer’s and the manufacturer’s call; ask whether the quote includes it.
Of 1,672 occupied homes in Demarest, 1,577 (94%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 15% before 1940, 42% before 1960, 58% before 1980; 31% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 98% detached houses.
31% of homes here were built in 2000 or later. HUD’s useful-life table gives an asphalt-shingle roof 20 years, so roofs on houses from the early 2000s are reaching that age.
Of the 68 Bergen County municipalities on this site, Demarest has the 59th largest share of homes built before 1980: 58%, against a county range of 30% to 93%.
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 Demarest
NOAA’s storm reports show 18 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Demarest, topping out at 2.5 in on July 8, 2021. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
That is more hail days than 89% of the places in the state on this site.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 10 federal storm declarations covering Bergen County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Demarest’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; 98% 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; 15% 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
Coating is not a replacement
Checking a contractor in New Jersey
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Demarest should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
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 (0% of Demarest’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
How old are the houses in Demarest?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Demarest was built in 1967, 58% of homes were built before 1980, 94% are owner-occupied.
Does Demarest get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 18 days within 10 miles of Demarest 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 Demarest?
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Demarest should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
What they will ask on the phone
The street address in Demarest, 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
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Demarest