Roof Replacement Cost in Bergen County, NJ

For the roof itself, a new architectural asphalt shingle roof in Bergen County runs about $4-$7 per square foot, and standing seam metal $12-$50+ depending on the metal. Tearing off the old roof adds $2-$6 per square foot. On a 2,500 square foot roof, that puts asphalt at roughly $15,000-$32,500 with the tear-off, and a natural slate roof on a Tudor of the same size at $40K-$100K, depending on the slate.

Those are ranges, and the range is the honest answer. What decides where your roof lands is its size, its pitch, how complicated it is, what is underneath the old roof, and how much flashing it needs. Here is what each material costs, what a whole roof costs on the houses we work on, what moves the price, and what a cheap quote usually leaves out.

Cost by material

Prices below are for the roof itself, per square foot of roof area, installed. Tear-off is a separate line, covered in the next section. The last column is the figure that matters over the life of the house.

Slate is priced as a whole roof rather than by the foot, because on the Tudors that carry it the detail work (the valleys, the turrets, the copper) moves the price as much as the area does; the slate figures are for a modest Tudor with 2,500 square feet of slate. Cedar shake is priced after we measure.

What tear-off and the deck add

Most re-roofs start by taking the old roof off, and it is the right call: a second layer laid over the first hides the deck, adds weight, and shortens the life of both.

• Tear-off: $2-$6 per square foot. About $5,000-$15,000 on a 2,500 square foot roof, depending on the material coming off and how many layers are there.
• Decking. Rotted or soft sheathing is replaced sheet by sheet once the old roof is off. It is priced separately and per sheet, so it is only charged if it is needed.
• Copper flashing detail: $5K-$25K at chimneys, valleys and bay-window roofs, depending on how much of it the house has.
• Snow rails or snow guards: $2-$5 per linear foot of eave, on steeper metal roofs over entries and walkways.

What whole roofs cost on Bergen houses

The same material costs very different amounts on a split-level and on a Tudor, because the roof areas and the amount of detail are so different. These are the ranges for whole roofs on the kinds of houses we work on.

• A mid-century ranch or split-level in architectural shingle: low-to-mid five figures for the whole job, as on our Allendale roof replacement page.
• Standing seam metal on a modest home, 2,500 square feet of roof: $30K in steel to $125K+ in copper.
• Standing seam on a typical larger home, 4,000 square feet: $48K in steel to $200K+ in copper.
• An estate roof, 6,000 square feet with complex geometry: $72K in steel to $300K+ in copper. In Upper Saddle River, a full replacement generally runs $30K-$200K+ across materials.
• Natural slate on a typical Tudor, 3,500-4,500 square feet: $60K-$120K depending on the slate and the copper detail, and $100K-$200K+ on large Tudors over 5,000 square feet. The village Tudors in Ridgewood typically carry 2,500-5,000 square feet of roof on complex, multi-plane geometry.

For Edgewater’s hillside houses, see roof replacement in Edgewater.

Six things that move the price

• Roof area. The biggest single factor, and the one people guess worst: roof area is larger than floor area once pitch and overhangs are counted.
• Pitch and height. A steep roof or a third story means slower work and more safety equipment.
• Complexity. Every valley, dormer, turret and bay adds cutting, flashing and time. A multi-plane Tudor can cost 30-50% more than a simple gable of the same area.
• Material. The table above: the same roof costs several times more in copper than in asphalt.
• What is underneath. How many layers come off, and how much of the deck has to be replaced once they do.
• Flashing and ventilation. New chimney and wall flashing, and balanced intake at the soffit with exhaust at the ridge. These are the lines a cheap quote leaves out, and the ones that decide how long the new roof lasts.

What a low quote leaves out

When two quotes for the same house are far apart, the difference is almost never markup. It is usually one of these lines:

• Flashing: new formed metal, or the old flashing bent back into place.
• Ice-and-water membrane: none at all (New Jersey's code requires it only in Sussex County), a strip at the eaves, or the eaves plus the valleys, rakes and every penetration.
• Ventilation: corrected, or left as it was.
• Deck repair: priced per sheet up front, or left out so it can be added later.
• The manufacturer warranty: registered in your name, or not.

Our roof replacement page explains each one, and how to compare two quotes line by line.

When a repair is enough

Not every old roof needs replacing. Most repair scopes here run $500-$5,000+, and most leak repairs $400-$3,000, depending on the source and the material. On a slate roof, a targeted repair (replacing 5-20 slates and re-flashing a valley) typically runs $1,500-$6,000, and a broader restoration $6,000-$20,000+, which can add 15-25 years to a roof that would cost $60K-$120K to replace.

If the roof has years left, we will say so. See roof repair, the seven common leak sources, and how long each roofing material lasts.

Getting a real number for your roof

Every figure on this page is a range because every roof is measured before it is priced. The inspection is free: we look at the roof, photograph what we find, and give you a written estimate with every line itemized, so you can see exactly where the money goes and compare it with anyone else's.

Our Franklin Lakes split-level project shows a full shingle replacement in GAF Charcoal after the roof reached the end of its life. For the materials and written-estimate scope for a local project, see roof replacement in Franklin Lakes.

Want a number for your roof? (201) 446-5941 or request a free estimate online.