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 Newton
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 56% of Newton’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
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. With 77% of Newton’s homes were built before 1980, ask the contractor to count the layers before quoting.
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). Newton is in it.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in New Jersey.
Homes and roofs in Newton
59% of the occupied homes in Newton are lived in by their owners: 2,045 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 37% before 1940, 48% before 1960, 77% before 1980; 13% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 56% detached houses, 6% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 10% 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 21 Sussex County municipalities on this site, Newton has the 6th largest share of homes built before 1980: 77%, 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.
Storm record around Newton
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 5 separate days within 10 miles of Newton; the largest was 1.25 in on August 15, 2012. The most recent was July 6, 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 9 federal storm declarations covering Sussex County since 2006. (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; 56% 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; 37% 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
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 Newton should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
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 56% of Newton’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
How old are the houses in Newton?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Newton was built in 1962, 77% of homes were built before 1980, 59% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Newton?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 5 days within 10 miles of Newton 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 Newton?
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Newton should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
What they will ask on the phone
Where the house is: the Newton address or ZIP
One story or two (or more), detached or attached
What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Newton