Half of the 2,288 homes in Franklin Borough were built before 1955. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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 Franklin Borough
Permit
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). That covers the 47% of Franklin Borough’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
New Jersey deletes the IRC’s reroofing definitions (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21(c)2.xxii); its layer rule for existing houses is in the Rehabilitation Subcode, which this site has not read yet. 73% of Franklin Borough’s homes were built before 1980: ask how many layers yours has and whether the price is for a tear-off to the deck.
New Jersey requires an eave ice barrier where January averages 25 °F or colder, and names Sussex County as that area (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21(c)8.ii; DCA Bulletin 07-3). Franklin Borough is in it.
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.
Homes and roofs in Franklin Borough
Owners live in 1,249 of Franklin Borough’s occupied homes, or 56%. Counting by decade, 40% before 1940, 54% before 1960, 73% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 9% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 47% detached houses, 8% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 17% buildings of two to four units, 5% manufactured homes.
Older houses hide their history: ask the contractor to confirm the deck (board or sheet) and every layer above it before pricing, because slate or two layers mean a full tear-off.
Of the 21 Sussex County municipalities on this site, Franklin Borough has the 8th largest share of homes built before 1980: 73%, against a county range of 43% to 85%.
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.
Hail and storms near Franklin Borough
Within 10 miles of Franklin Borough, hail of an inch or more was reported on 7 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2.5 in on July 3, 2014. The most recent was July 13, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 11 days).
At the county level, Franklin Borough shares Sussex County’s record of 9 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4614 (Remnants of Hurricane Ida, September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
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; 47% 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; 40% here predate 1940
Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Additions and porch roofs
Seams at walls and drainage
Checking a contractor in New Jersey
Ask a roofer working in Franklin Borough 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.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Franklin Borough?
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). That covers the 47% of Franklin Borough’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
When were most homes in Franklin Borough built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Franklin Borough was built in 1955, 73% of homes were built before 1980, 56% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Franklin Borough?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 7 days within 10 miles of Franklin Borough from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in Franklin Borough have?
Ask a roofer working in Franklin Borough 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 Franklin Borough, or at least the ZIP code
The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
How many layers are on it, if you know
Your timing for a complete replacement
Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA