Lawrence Township has 1,272 homes, and half of them were standing by 1977. 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.
Permit
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 (1% of Lawrence Township’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. 53% of Lawrence Township’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
Only Sussex County meets New Jersey’s 25 °F January test for a required ice barrier (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21; DCA Bulletin 07-3). For Lawrence Township, 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. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in New Jersey.
Of 1,209 occupied homes in Lawrence Township, 1,086 (90%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 20% before 1940, 38% before 1960, 53% before 1980; 12% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 98% detached houses.
Of the 12 Cumberland County municipalities on this site, Lawrence Township has the smallest share of homes built before 1980: 53%, against a county range of 53% to 78%.
ZIP codes: 08311
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Township, Cumberland County | 1977 | 53% | 90% | 1% | 7 |
| Fairfield Township, Cumberland County | 1970 | 68% | 79% | 0% | 7 |
| Downe | 1960 | 73% | 84% | 3% | 2 |
| Bridgeton | 1956 | 78% | 36% | 26% | 7 |
| Millville | 1970 | 67% | 64% | 8% | 7 |
| Commercial | 1967 | 71% | 71% | 0% | 6 |
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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 7 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Lawrence Township, topping out at 1.75 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was April 21, 2021.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 11 days).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 11 federal storm declarations covering Cumberland County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Lawrence Township, not that it damaged a 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 Lawrence Township’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; 20% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Ask a roofer working in Lawrence Township 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.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in New Jersey; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
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 (1% of Lawrence Township’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 Lawrence Township was built in 1977, 53% of homes were built before 1980, 90% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 7 days within 10 miles of Lawrence Township from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Ask a roofer working in Lawrence Township 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.
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.