Montclair, New Jersey ยท roofs
Roof trouble on older houses inMontclair, New Jersey
Leaks, loose shingles and storm damage on houses across Montclair and six nearby towns. Dial (973) 358-8198 and describe the roof to a local roofing contractor.
Short answers
- How urgent is my roof problem, out of ten?
A score of 8 to 10 means water at a fixture, a ceiling bulging overhead or a wire down. Get out of the room and phone 911 or PSE&G. A 4 to 7 means a stain that spreads after every rain, so call (973) 358-8198 within the week. A 1 to 3 means a stain that has stopped, or one cracked shingle: photograph it and make the call if it returns.
- Who does the work after I call?
Expert Montclair Roofing does no roofing itself. A call here reaches a local roofing contractor, who sets the price, writes the proposal and does the job. Compare that proposal against the written ones from any other roofers you talk to.
- One shingle or the whole roof: how do I tell?
A Department of Energy repair brief repeats a trade rule: past about 10 percent of the roof needing work, price out a new one. Count the bad spots from the lawn, then call (973) 358-8198 and give the number you counted.
- My house has a slate roof. Does that change things?
Yes. The National Park Service's slate brief says repair belongs to experienced slaters, that walking on slate is to be avoided where possible, and that glued-on mastic patches fail. Look from the ground with binoculars and call (973) 358-8198 with what you see.
- A limb landed on the roof. Who handles it?
Call 911 if a wire is involved, or PSE&G's emergency line, 1-800-436-7734, and never cut a tree tangled in wires. A limb from a street tree is the township's: Montclair's Community Services line is 973-509-5711 on weekdays, and the police line 973-744-1234 covers nights and weekends. For damage the limb did to the roof, call (973) 358-8198.
- I rent. Where do I start?
Roof work is the owner's call. A tenant begins by writing to the landlord or building manager with the date, the room and a photo. Landlords and owners can call (973) 358-8198 when they are ready.
Eight roof jobs, plain names
find the one that sounds like yours
Chimney flashing, ice dams, gutters and flat roofs sit alongside repairs, replacement, storm damage and inspections, all for houses in Montclair and six nearby towns.
Roof RepairStains, lifted shingles and wind damage in Montclair
Is it one bad shingle or a roof giving out? Repair work in Montclair, NJ usually starts with a brown ceiling patch, a shingle in the grass or a thread of daylight in the attic. Next step: call (973) 358-8198 and name the room with the stain and how old the roof is.
Open the roof repair page
Roof ReplacementA full re-roof on a Montclair-area house
When is a roof past patching? Replacement in Montclair, NJ takes the old covering off, looks the boards over and lays a new roof, often after repairs have started to repeat. Your move: call (973) 358-8198 and describe the roof's age, its pitch and the last repair.
Open the roof replacement page
Storm DamageWind, falling limbs and heavy rain on Montclair roofs
Did the wind take a few shingles, or did something heavier land? Storm damage calls in Montclair, NJ run from lifted tabs and bent gutters to limbs on the roof. Once the wires are accounted for and the sky has cleared, call (973) 358-8198 and report what the storm left behind.
Open the storm damage page
Roof InspectionChecking an older roof, ridge to attic
Does the roof need work, or only watching? An inspection in Montclair, NJ gets a roofer's eyes on the places a view from the lawn misses. Next step: call (973) 358-8198 and say what prompted it, whether a storm, the roof's age or a stain.
Open the roof inspection page
Flat RoofsPuddles, seams and drains on flat and low-slope roofs
Is that puddle supposed to be there? Flat and low-slope roofs over Montclair-area additions, porches and rear kitchens give out at seams, drains and edges. Next step: call (973) 358-8198 and say how long the water sits after a rain.
Open the flat roofs page
Gutter RepairOverflow, sagging runs and downspouts at the foundation
Where does the water go once it leaves the roof? Gutter work in Montclair, NJ covers overflow, sagging runs, and downspouts that empty beside the foundation. Call (973) 358-8198 and name the corner that overflows first.
Open the gutter repair page
Ice DamsIce at the eaves and water inside after a thaw
Why is there a ridge of ice at the eave and a wet wall inside? Ice dams in Montclair, NJ form when heat leaks into the attic, melts the snow above it and lets the water refreeze at the edge. Your move: call (973) 358-8198 and say where the ice and the stain line up.
Open the ice dams page
Chimney FlashingLeaks around the chimney, wall joints and vent pipes
Is the stain tracing back to the chimney? Flashing is the thin metal that keeps water out where a roof meets a chimney, wall or vent, and it often gives out before the shingles. Next step: call (973) 358-8198 and say how far the stain sits from the chimney.
Open the chimney flashing pageAfter you dial
You say where the roof is, what you can see from the lawn or from inside, and roughly how old the roof is. Photos on your phone help.
The call reaches a roofing contractor who works around Montclair. That contractor decides whether to come out for a look and which day. Ask for the proposal in writing before agreeing to anything.
Prices come from the contractor, not from Expert Montclair Roofing, so the written proposal is the number to compare.
What moves a roof quote up or down
Size and pitch set the hours. A second layer of old shingles turns a job into a tear-off. The Department of Energy repair brief says damaged roof boards get replaced with panels of matching thickness, and that is more lumber and more labor. Chimneys, skylights and valleys add flashing.
Material matters too. Slate and other heavy coverings are specialist work, per the National Park Service. Big trees and tight driveways change how the load reaches the roof. The replacement page and the repair page go through the details.
Seven towns, seven kinds of old roof
about 59 percent of homes went up in 1939 or earlier, per the Census Bureau's 2024 estimates, so many roofs sit on nearly century-old framing. Montclair roofing has the numbers.
roughly 81 percent of homes date to 1939 or earlier. Glen Ridge roofing covers what that means overhead.
close to half of households rent, which changes who makes the call. See Bloomfield roofing.
the median home was built in 1956. West Orange roofing picks up there.
the median year is 1959, and 1950s houses are the biggest group. Details are on Cedar Grove roofing.
34,600 homes, about 31 percent from 1939 or earlier. Clifton roofing has the split.
median year built 1957, with a small township to match. Try Little Falls roofing.
Before you dial
Dial (973) 358-8198 and the roofing contractor picks it up from there. No hours are posted, so ask on the call when someone can come out.
Have the street address, the stained room and a rough age for the roof in hand. A live wire, a sagging ceiling or a fall from a roof goes to 911 first.
Where the numbers come from U.S. Department of Energy, Repairing Roofs and Ceilings technical brief (Jan 2006) National Park Service, The Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance of Historic Slate Roofs (Preservation Brief, 1993) PSE&G, Downed power lines Township of Montclair, Shade trees in Montclair Q&A Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, Assessing roof damage after Superstorm Sandy (7 Nov 2012) NJ Department of Banking and Insurance, Guidance on filing insurance claims for storm-related damage