Westfield has 11,192 homes, and half of them were standing by 1953. 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). That covers the 78% of Westfield’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
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. 79% of Westfield’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. Westfield 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. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in New Jersey.
81% of the occupied homes in Westfield are lived in by their owners: 8,841 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 37% before 1940, 65% before 1960, 79% before 1980; 12% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 78% detached houses, 13% 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 Union County municipalities on this site, Westfield has the 12th largest share of homes built before 1980: 79%, against a county range of 65% to 98%.
ZIP codes: 07090
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield | 1953 | 79% | 81% | 3% | 13 |
| Garwood | 1953 | 79% | 54% | 4% | 15 |
| Scotch Plains | 1960 | 81% | 79% | 4% | 16 |
| Cranford | 1951 | 87% | 78% | 3% | 16 |
| Mountainside | 1957 | 88% | 88% | 1% | 12 |
| Fanwood | 1954 | 83% | 85% | 4% | 15 |
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 13 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Westfield, topping out at 1.75 in on July 27, 2008. The most recent was August 6, 2024.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4614, September 2021) is the latest of 8 federal storm declarations covering Union County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Westfield, 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 Westfield’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; 78% 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; 37% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Ask a roofer working in Westfield 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). That covers the 78% of Westfield’s homes that are detached; twins, rowhouses, townhouses and structural work are outside it.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Westfield was built in 1953, 79% of homes were built before 1980, 81% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 13 days within 10 miles of Westfield 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 Westfield 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.