The median Union County house was built in 1957, tied with Passaic County for the oldest in New Jersey. A house that old has rarely kept its first roof. We strip all of it to the boards, let you see them, and build the new roof from there.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · GAF Certified · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney puts new roofs on Union County houses, from two-family homes in Elizabeth to 1950s houses in Cranford, Westfield and Summit, under NJ HIC 13VH13268400. Old shingles come off down to the boards, and you see photos of any rot before it is replaced. Detached one- and two-family houses need no construction permit. Inspections are free.
Half the houses in Cranford date to 1951 or earlier, and half in Summit and Westfield to 1953 or earlier. About 71 percent of Cranford and Summit homes predate 1960, and in Westfield 37 percent predate 1940. Houses that age have rarely kept their first roof, and an earlier crew may have shingled straight over the one before.
Older roofs here were often laid on planks, not plywood sheets. A plank can be sound in the middle and punky at the edges where it was nailed. With the shingles off we go board by board. Anything we want to replace gets photographed and priced for you first.
The State Climatologist puts Union County in the northern part of the Central Zone. Storms flip between rain and snow, and slush parked in the valleys and at the eaves turns to ice by morning. On an old roof, those two places get our closest look.
That is why nobody here gets a number from the curb. Layers, deck and attic come first, and the price after.
Most of the cost on a house from the 1950s is hidden: the layers, the planks, the attic. The inspection is how we see it, and the photos are yours to keep whether you hire us or not.
Some of these roofs still have a few good years. When a repair makes more sense than a new roof, that is the price you get. Roof repair in Union County
In Elizabeth roughly a third of homes are two-family houses, and in Linden and Hillside roughly a quarter. Two households live under that roof, so the estimate spells out how many days we will be there and your tenant can plan around it. Three- and four-unit buildings go through the construction office, and we find out what it wants before work starts.
In Westfield about 78 percent of homes are detached houses, and in Berkeley Heights 84 percent. Westfield is also old, with 37 percent of its homes built before 1940. On those houses the deck is where the surprises are, so we plan time to check the planks once the shingles are off. Berkeley Heights is newer, with a 1966 median, and plywood decks are more common there.
With the old roof coming off, the gutters are easy to swap at the same time. Gutter installation in Union County
Most houses take one or two days once work starts, weather permitting. All seven steps are on the roof replacement page.
We get on the roof when it is safe to, check the attic and take photos. You see them before we talk about price.
Scope, materials, number of days and the price, on paper. Any permit goes on it too.
Every layer comes off down to the wood. If we find rotted boards, we stop and show you before we replace them.
New underlayment and shingles go on. Then we haul the old roof away and run a magnet over the lawn and driveway for nails.
On a detached one- or two-family house, no. New Jersey's construction code treats a new roof covering on a detached one- or two-family house as ordinary maintenance, so there is no permit and no notice to the town. A townhouse or other attached house usually goes through the town's construction office. Westfield requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior changes in its historic districts, though a repair that matches the old material and look is exempt. We check with your town before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate.
On roofing work, we are also GAF Certified. What GAF Certified means
If it is in Union County, yes. We cover all 21 municipalities, from Berkeley Heights to Winfield. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
Roof size and steepness, the number of layers, the share of the deck that is rotted, and the shingle line all move the number. On a 1950s house, half of that is invisible until someone is up there. We do not quote over the phone. The written price follows the inspection.
Not on a detached one- or two-family house. The state construction code counts that as ordinary maintenance. Townhouses, other attached homes and buildings with three or four units go through the town's construction office. About 8 percent of Union County homes are in three- or four-unit buildings, so we check before we start.
One roof, two households. With your tenant's agreement we check the ceilings in both apartments, and the estimate lists the work days, which gives your tenant notice. No permit is needed for the roof on a detached two-family house.
Yes. Westfield requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior changes in its historic districts, though a repair that matches the old material and look is exempt. Whether your job needs one is the town's call, so we ask before we start and put any approval step on the estimate.
Call us, but check with your association first. In most condos the roof and the siding belong to the association, and the board hires the contractor. Townhouses vary. Your association documents say who owns what.
Send your town and a line about what is going on. We call you back shortly, get on the roof for a free inspection, and hand you photos plus a written price. When a repair is enough, that is what we recommend.
Or call 732-682-9251
