The median home in Montclair was built in 1938; there are 16,521 of them. 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
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 (3% of Montclair’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. 86% of Montclair’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 Montclair, 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. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in New Jersey.
57% of the occupied homes in Montclair are lived in by their owners: 8,953 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 59% before 1940, 74% before 1960, 86% before 1980; 9% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 50% detached houses, 3% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 19% buildings of two to four units.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 22 Essex County municipalities on this site, Montclair has the 4th largest share of homes built before 1980: 86%, against a county range of 54% to 92%.
ZIP codes: 07042 · 07043
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montclair | 1938 | 86% | 57% | 3% | 14 |
| Glen Ridge | 1938 | 92% | 91% | 1% | 13 |
| Bloomfield | 1950 | 80% | 51% | 4% | 13 |
| Verona | 1954 | 88% | 79% | 3% | 13 |
| Cedar Grove | 1959 | 72% | 84% | 12% | 13 |
| Nutley | 1953 | 81% | 70% | 8% | 16 |
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 14 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Montclair, topping out at 1.75 in on July 6, 2020. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Essex County since 2006: 10, most recently DR-4614, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Montclair, 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 Montclair’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; 50% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 59% 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 | Seams at walls and drainage |
Ask a roofer working in Montclair 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.
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 (3% of Montclair’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 Montclair was built in 1938, 86% of homes were built before 1980, 57% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of Montclair 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 Montclair 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.