How to choose a roofer in New Jersey
A roof protects everything under it, and the roofers on this site range from small roofing crews to general contractors and remodelers who also roof. The steps below help you sort them before you call.
Check registration first
New Jersey requires home improvement contractors to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs, and the Division lists roofing and siding among the covered work. A contractor may not advertise as a contractor in the state unless registered, and a contractor hired by another contractor must register too. Ask for the registration number, write it down and check it with the Division before you sign.
Know what a permit does and does not cover
Under the Uniform Construction Code, repairing or replacing existing roof covering on a detached one or two family home, including a full replacement, counts as ordinary maintenance that may be done without a permit application or notice to the construction official. The Division of Codes and Standards adds that ordinary maintenance is not a waiver from code compliance, so the work still has to meet the code. If you are unsure whether your job counts, call your town's construction official, the permit office under these rules.
Match the roofer to the roof
On each listing, the tile called roofing work means the roofer installs, replaces or repairs roofs itself. After that, look for the specific work you need: leak repair, flat roofs, asphalt shingles, metal, slate, gutters or commercial roofing. The service pages sort roofers by the work they confirm. A line saying not enough info means the roofer's website did not say, so call and ask.
Climate matters too. New Jersey's amended residential code ties the ice barrier rule to areas where the average daily temperature in January is 25 degrees F or less, so ask any roofer how they protect the eaves on a re-roof.
Read ratings with the review count
Ratings and review counts come from Google. A 5.0 from two reviews and a 4.8 from several hundred are not the same evidence, which is why every card shows both numbers. Read a few recent reviews, see how the roofer answered a complaint, and get at least three estimates in writing.
Know what to ask on the first call
Ask who will be on the roof and whether they are employees, when the job can start and what happens if it rains, what the warranty covers and who stands behind it, and how the crew cleans up nails and old material. Ask for a written estimate that names the materials and the work. After a storm, photograph the damage before anyone touches it, and ask about emergency tarping.