Roof Replacement in Paterson, NJ

What We Find When We Tear Off a Paterson Roof

Census estimates put about 60% of Paterson’s housing units in buildings put up before 1960, and only about 5% in buildings from 2010 or later. That means most roofs we replace in the city are going onto houses that have already been through several roofs. Tear-off is where the real condition of the house shows up.

• Two or more layers of old shingles, sometimes with roll roofing underneath, adding weight and hiding the deck.
• Board sheathing with gaps, old nail holes and soft spots where earlier leaks ran for years.
• Flat rear roofs over kitchens and porches that have been coated many times instead of replaced.
• Little or no attic ventilation, because many of these houses were built before soffit and ridge vents were standard.
• Patchwork flashing at chimneys and side walls that needs to be rebuilt, not reused.

That is why we recommend a full tear-off on most Paterson roofs. It is the only way to see the deck, replace what is rotted and give the new roof a flat, solid base. You see photos of the deck before anything new goes on.

Permits for Roof Replacement on Paterson’s Building Types

Whether a new roof needs a construction permit depends on the building, and Paterson has every type. Here is how the state’s ordinary-maintenance rule lines up with the city’s housing mix:

Dumpsters, Driveways and Tight Paterson Blocks

On many Paterson blocks of two- and three-family houses, there is little or no driveway, side yards are a few feet wide, and parking is on the street. Tear-off debris from a multi-layer roof is heavy, so the container plan comes first. When a container can sit on the property we put it there. If it has to go in the street, the city needs to allow it, so that gets settled before the job is scheduled, not the morning of.

During the job we tarp landscaping, walkways and the neighbor’s side of a narrow yard, run magnets for nails, and keep entrances clear so tenants can get in and out. If you own a rental, we can give you a short schedule to share with tenants so nobody is surprised when the crew arrives.

Materials, Ventilation and Ice Barrier

On pitched roofs we install architectural asphalt shingles, which suit everything from a Northside two-family to a Colonial Revival near Eastside Park. On the flat and low-slope rear sections so common in Paterson, we install membrane roofing designed for low slopes rather than stretching shingles where they do not belong; our flat roof repair and replacement page explains the options.

Ventilation is part of the job. Many older Paterson houses have no soffit intake at all, so we look at how air can get in at the eaves and out at the ridge before choosing ridge vents, and we explain what is practical on your house.

About ice barrier: New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs says the code requires an ice dam membrane only where the January average daily temperature is 25°F or less, and in New Jersey that area is Sussex County. So it is not a code requirement in Paterson. We still recommend it at eaves, valleys and where a pitched roof meets a flat one on houses with a history of ice dams or wind-driven leaks.

Roof Replacement Questions from Paterson Homeowners

More Roofing Help in Paterson

For an overview of our work in the city, visit our Paterson roofing contractor page, our Passaic County roofing hub and our main roof replacement service in New Jersey.

Not sure you need a full roof? Read about roof repair in Paterson first. A new roof is also the right time to look at siding in Paterson and gutters in Paterson.

We replace roofs throughout the area, including roof replacement in Clifton, roof replacement in Woodland Park and roof replacement in Elmwood Park. For a rough number before we visit, try our roof cost calculator.