Half of the 3,298 homes in Riverside were built before 1950. 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.
The rules for a reroof in Riverside
Permit
No permit for a detached house
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 (17% of Riverside’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
New Jersey deletes the IRC’s reroofing definitions (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21(c)2.xxii); its layer rule for existing houses is in the Rehabilitation Subcode, which this site has not read yet. 88% of Riverside’s homes were built before 1980: ask how many layers yours has and whether the price is for a tear-off to the deck.
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 Riverside, ask whether the quote includes one anyway.
Of 3,012 occupied homes in Riverside, 1,712 (57%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 42% before 1940, 69% before 1960, 88% before 1980; 4% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 55% detached houses, 17% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 18% 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 36 Burlington County municipalities on this site, Riverside has the 4th largest share of homes built before 1980: 88%, against a county range of 21% to 97%.
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 Riverside
NOAA’s storm reports show 16 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Riverside, topping out at 2.5 in on May 20, 2022. The most recent was May 3, 2025.
That is more hail days than 80% of the places in the state on this site.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 12 federal storm declarations covering Burlington 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; 55% 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; 42% here predate 1940
Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Low-slope roofs and rear sections (17% of homes here are attached)
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 Riverside should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
Does a roof replacement in Riverside need a permit?
No permit for a detached house. 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 (17% of Riverside’s homes) and any work that touches the structure fall outside the rule.
How old are the houses in Riverside?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Riverside was built in 1950, 88% of homes were built before 1980, 57% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Riverside?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of Riverside 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 Riverside?
New Jersey had 47,473 active home improvement registrations in October 2026; the one belonging to whoever quotes your roof in Riverside should be on the contract (N.J.S.A. 56:8-144).
What they will ask on the phone
Where the house is: the Riverside 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 Riverside