The median home in River Edge was built in 1954; there are 4,590 of them. 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.
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). Attached houses (3% of River Edge’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. 82% of River Edge’s homes were built before 1980: ask how many layers yours has and whether the price is for a tear-off to the deck.
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). River Edge 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
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in New Jersey.
76% of the occupied homes in River Edge are lived in by their owners: 3,432 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 16% before 1940, 64% before 1960, 82% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 10% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 72% detached houses, 3% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 16% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 68 Bergen County municipalities on this site, River Edge has the 21st largest share of homes built before 1980: 82%, against a county range of 30% to 93%.
ZIP codes: 07661
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Edge | 1954 | 82% | 76% | 3% | 14 |
| New Milford | 1954 | 88% | 61% | 1% | 14 |
| Oradell | 1956 | 90% | 91% | 2% | 17 |
| Bergenfield | 1954 | 85% | 71% | 4% | 14 |
| Maywood | 1951 | 88% | 69% | 1% | 16 |
| Paramus | 1963 | 72% | 83% | 5% | 14 |
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 River Edge, hail of an inch or more was reported on 14 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2.5 in on July 8, 2021. The most recent was September 8, 2023.
Bergen County has had 10 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4614, Remnants of Hurricane Ida (September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
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; 72% 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; 16% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Any business offering home improvements in River Edge must be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, with the number on its contracts and ads (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144); 47,473 registrations were active in October 2026.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in New Jersey.
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). Attached houses (3% of River Edge’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 River Edge was built in 1954, 82% of homes were built before 1980, 76% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of River Edge from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Any business offering home improvements in River Edge must be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, with the number on its contracts and ads (N.J.S.A. 56:8-138, 56:8-144); 47,473 registrations were active in October 2026.
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.