Before a roofer starts work: what to check and what to ask

What a registration number does not prove

New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs states plainly that registration is not a license. A home improvement contractor registers each year, and the registration number belongs in ads, on vehicles and on business documents. Subcontractors and contractors from other states register too.

The Division's FAQ does not name roofers, so a question to the Division settles whether a particular roofer is covered. The state's regulations say a business needs the registration to be in the home improvement business or to advertise as a contractor. The regulation's definition of home improvement names no roofs or gutters, though its closing words sweep in other changes, repairs and improvements. The License Verification System has a business search that includes home improvement contractors. It is for verification only.

Checking liability coverage before anyone climbs up

The Division's FAQ sets a minimum of $500,000 per occurrence in liability insurance for registered contractors. A 2012 news release from the Division suggests asking for a copy of the liability policy and calling the insurer to check it. The same release gives 800-242-5846 for checking a contractor's registration and complaint history.

What the written contract has to list

State rules ask for a written contract once home improvement work passes $500. The document lists who is selling, what work will be done with the main materials, the full price, when work begins and ends, any security interest, and whatever promises the seller puts in writing. Work cannot start until required permits are issued. Copies of inspection certificates go to the owner, and any change to the deal is written down.

How much to hand over before the work starts

The Division's rule of thumb is thirds: one third before work starts, one third at the halfway point and the last third once the job is done. It is a suggestion, not a legal limit. In its Sandy-era advice, the asphalt roofing trade group cautioned homeowners about contractors asking for money up front. A written payment schedule puts both ideas on paper.

Roof jobs on the state's maintenance list

New Jersey's code lists some work as ordinary maintenance, which skips the permit process. On detached one- and two-family homes that includes repairing or replacing existing roof covering, repairing or replacing gutters and leaders, and liquid lining of a chimney. The list has limits for work that touches loadbearing parts, structural beams or fire safety.

Under a 2018 alert from the Department of Community Affairs, replacing any share of a detached one- or two-family home's existing roof covering, all of it included, counts as ordinary maintenance. The alert adds that ordinary maintenance is no waiver from code compliance, and that it took effect on March 5, 2018.

Twins, townhouses and row houses

The 2018 alert does not address attached dwellings. A row house, a twin or a townhouse falls outside what it says, so the town office is the one to ask. None of the town pages read for these facts addresses it.

Two details from the town pages: Harrison's FAQ says documents are signed and sealed by contractors holding a state license, except for owner-occupied one-family houses, and Newark's 2026 checklist lists a home improvement contractor license among its requirements.

Four offices, four sets of hours

Each town runs its own office, and none of the four town pages read for these facts mentions roofing by name. The table at the end lists address, phone and hours as each town's page shows them. Numbers and hours change, so a call before a visit saves a trip.

The 2024 codes and a date in February 2027

New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs shows the 2024 editions of the building codes as adopted on August 17, 2026. The Fall 2026 Construction Code Communicator gives applicants a six-month grace period and names February 17, 2027 as the final day for filing under the earlier codes. It also notes that the 2024 codes adopt newer snow-load standards, which may be higher in some areas. The pages checked do not say how the new editions affect the ordinary-maintenance list, so the town office has the current answer.

Solar panels sitting on the old roof

The Spring 2025 Communicator says reroofing on detached one- or two-family homes is ordinary maintenance, and that a roof replacement with existing panels left in place needs no building permit. If the panel rails are removed and grounding is compromised, an electrical permit is needed. A roof with panels is worth a conversation with the roofer and the town office before work starts.

After a storm: the insurer and the contractor

After wind or water damage, New Jersey's insurance department tells policyholders to call the insurer promptly, make temporary repairs, save the receipts and take pictures before discarding anything. Choosing a contractor stays with the homeowner, and the insurer's suggestion is optional. The department also runs a consumer hotline at 1-800-446-7467. A written proposal, the asphalt roofing trade group adds, is worth asking for.

Cancelling within three days, and where that ends

The FTC's cooling-off rule lets a buyer cancel certain sales made away from the seller's regular place of business for three days, until midnight of the third business day. Exceptions include emergency purchases, a visit the buyer asked for to handle a repair or maintenance (anything beyond what was requested is covered), and sales at the seller's permanent place of business.