Guide
Village and historic roof rules before you replace
Written by Ultra Power Construction. The credentials page states that this contractor is licensed and insured in New Jersey and lists GAF and Owens Corning programs. Updated 2026-09-27.
Ridgewood, Tenafly, and Ho-Ho-Kus have older houses where a material change is not only a construction question. This page will not invent a fee or a form. It tells you what to ask the town that actually decides.
- The municipality issues the building permit
- Appearance is a separate question
- Write the assumption into the contract
The municipality issues the building permit
New Jersey’s Uniform Construction Code is statewide. The local construction office says when a re-roof needs a permit and what drawing or photo they want. Bergen County is not the permit desk for an ordinary house roof.
Appearance is a separate question
Some streets care if you leave slate for asphalt, or if the color shifts. That may be zoning or a historic review, or it may be nothing. Call the borough before you order material. A roofer’s experience in the next town is not a ruling.
Write the assumption into the contract
If the price assumes asphalt and the town requires you to stay with slate, the job changes. Say who checks, and what happens to the price if the answer is no. Do not discover that on delivery day.