North Bergen has 24,959 homes, and half of them were standing by 1961. 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
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). In North Bergen, 18% of homes are detached. An attached house, or work on rafters and beams, is not covered.
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. 75% of North Bergen’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. North Bergen is outside it, so whether to add one is up to you and the installer.
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.
42% of the occupied homes in North Bergen are lived in by their owners: 9,894 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 30% before 1940, 48% before 1960, 75% before 1980; 11% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 18% detached houses, 5% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 33% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 12 Hudson County municipalities on this site, North Bergen has the 4th largest share of homes built before 1980: 75%, against a county range of 45% to 86%.
ZIP codes: 07047
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Bergen | 1961 | 75% | 42% | 5% | 15 |
| West New York | 1966 | 64% | 23% | 6% | 15 |
| Guttenberg | 1976 | 62% | 40% | 5% | 15 |
| Weehawken | 1965 | 56% | 30% | 5% | 15 |
| Union City | 1961 | 71% | 19% | 3% | 14 |
| Fairview | 1960 | 73% | 33% | 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.
Within 10 miles of North Bergen, hail of an inch or more was reported on 15 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 1.75 in on July 6, 2020. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 6 federal storm declarations covering Hudson County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near North Bergen, 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 North Bergen’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; 18% 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; 30% 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 |
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in North Bergen should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
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. 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). In North Bergen, 18% of homes are detached. An attached house, or work on rafters and beams, is not covered.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in North Bergen was built in 1961, 75% of homes were built before 1980, 42% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 15 days within 10 miles of North Bergen from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in North Bergen should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
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.