Elk has 1,524 homes, and half of them were standing by 1985. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
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
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). Attached houses (2% of Elk’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. With 44% of Elk’s homes were built before 1980, ask the contractor to count the layers before quoting.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21
Ice barrier
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). For Elk, ask whether the quote includes one anyway.
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21; NJ DCA Bulletin 07-3
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in New Jersey.
Owners live in 1,256 of Elk’s occupied homes, or 89%. Counting by decade, 12% before 1940, 20% before 1960, 44% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 34% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 84% detached houses, 12% manufactured homes.
34% 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 24 Gloucester County municipalities on this site, Elk has the 15th largest share of homes built before 1980: 44%, against a county range of 7% to 89%.
ZIP codes: 08028 · 08343
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | 1985 | 44% | 89% | 2% | 9 |
| Glassboro | 1986 | 43% | 60% | 8% | 10 |
| Clayton | 1975 | 58% | 81% | 3% | 8 |
| Upper Pittsgrove | 1971 | 69% | 91% | 0% | 6 |
| Elmer | 1938 | 90% | 68% | 7% | 6 |
| Harrison Township | 1997 | 21% | 91% | 5% | 9 |
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 Elk, hail of an inch or more was reported on 9 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was April 4, 2025.
Gloucester County has had 10 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4614, Remnants of Hurricane Ida (September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any 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 Elk’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; 84% 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 | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 12% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Seams at walls and drainage |
Any business offering home improvements in Elk must be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, with the number on its contracts and ads (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144); 47,473 registrations were active in October 2026.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in New Jersey.
Detached houses: no permit, no notice. 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). Attached houses (2% of Elk’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 Elk was built in 1985, 44% of homes were built before 1980, 89% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 9 days within 10 miles of Elk from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Any business offering home improvements in Elk must be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, with the number on its contracts and ads (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144); 47,473 registrations were active in October 2026.
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.