Leaks traced from the attic, honest repair-or-replace answers, and itemized written scopes for every roof we quote.
Old Bridge Roofing has spent more than 20 years on roofing in Old Bridge, NJ, covering roof repair, leak tracing, full roof replacement, gutters, chimney flashing, flat roofs and storm damage for homeowners and property owners. We work on detached houses, townhouses and condominiums, and on low-slope commercial roofs. Whatever brings us out, the first job is to find out what the roof actually needs.
That starts with an honest look. Every leak call includes the attic as well as the roof, and you get a straight answer on whether a repair will hold before anyone mentions a new roof. When replacement is the right call, the estimate is broken into separate lines so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
The pages below walk through the problems we see most, how New Jersey’s rules shape a roofing job, and how storms and insurance fit in. Read the sections that match your roof, then call us for an inspection and a written answer.
What we do
Roof repair and replacement in Old Bridge, NJ
Shingle, flashing, pipe boot and flat roof repairs in Old Bridge, NJ, with the leak traced from the attic before anything is priced.
Roof and attic inspections in Old Bridge, NJ with photos and a written condition report for sales, storms, insurance and planning.
Full tear-off roof replacement in Old Bridge, NJ with new flashing, ventilation checked, and decking priced per sheet in the contract.
Roof leaks in Old Bridge, NJ traced from the attic to the real entry point, then repaired at the source rather than under the stain.
Seamless aluminum gutters and leaders in Old Bridge, NJ, sized and pitched with the roof so water is carried away from the foundation.
Standing seam metal roofs and metal porch and addition roofs in Old Bridge, NJ, flashed cleanly where they meet shingles and walls.
Flat and low-slope commercial roofing in Old Bridge, NJ: modified bitumen, EPDM, TPO and PVC repairs, replacements and inspections.
Emergency tarping and temporary roof repairs in Old Bridge, NJ after fallen limbs, wind damage and active leaks, with damage photographed first.
Chimney flashing, crowns, caps, repointing and crickets in Old Bridge, NJ, repaired by roofers who trace the leak from the attic first.
Flat and low-slope roof repair in Old Bridge, NJ for additions, porches, garages and dormers: torch-down, EPDM and TPO seams and flashing.
Wind, hail and fallen-tree roof damage in Old Bridge, NJ, photographed and written up for your claim, then repaired with matched materials.
New, replacement and reflashed skylights in Old Bridge, NJ, curb- or deck-mounted, with the flashing done by roofers rather than left to caulk.
Old Bridge Roofing has been in business for more than 20 years. In that time the questions homeowners bring us have stayed remarkably steady: why the ceiling stains after rain, whether the roof can be patched, and what a new one should include. Our answers come from that experience, written down so you can check them.
Every leak call includes a trip into the attic as well as onto the roof, because water often enters at a pipe boot or flashing well uphill of the stain, so the repair lands where the water gets in rather than under the drip, which is where a quick roof patch usually goes.
No estimate leaves our hands as a single lump sum: tear-off, decking, underlayment, flashing, ventilation and gutters each get their own line, so a homeowner comparing two roofing quotes can spot the one that skipped new flashing rather than finding out after the old roof is gone.
In townhouse rows, condominiums and 55+ communities, we read the association’s documents before writing a number, because some put the roof on the owner and others on the association, so nobody pays for a roof that was never theirs rather than learning it at the next board meeting.
On bayfront houses in Laurence Harbor, staging and fastening are planned for the wind off Raritan Bay: we limit how much roof is open at once and secure stacked bundles, so a gust does not catch a half-stripped roof rather than the wide-open tear-off an inland-minded crew might try.
Rotten roof decking found once the shingles come off is photographed and shown to the owner before a single sheet is replaced, at a per-sheet price already set in the contract, so the final bill holds no surprise line rather than an open-ended charge added after the dumpster leaves.
Each work day ends with the driveway, yard and gutters cleared and a magnet sweep for roofing nails, so children, pets and tires are not finding nails in the grass rather than waiting for a single cleanup on the last day of the roofing job.
A ceiling stain does not always mean the roof is failing. A bathroom fan duct that sweats, a plumbing drip or attic condensation on a cold morning can all leave the same mark. We check the attic and the roof together and ask when the stain appears, so you are not paying for a roof repair that was never going to stop it.
A stain that grows after every storm usually means water is running along a rafter or the underside of the decking before it drops. We follow that path in the attic back to the entry point, often a cracked pipe boot, a lifted shingle or a gap in the flashing. The repair goes there, not under the stain.
Most roof leaks start at a penetration rather than in the open field of shingles. Rubber pipe boots crack in the sun, chimney step flashing loosens as the mortar ages, and skylight flashing fails at the upper corners. We replace the failed part with lead flashing boots or new step and counter flashing instead of smearing sealant over it.
A few shingles in the yard after a windstorm often mean more have lost their seal and are lifting without falling. We check the slope that faced the wind, replace missing pieces with a matched shingle and hand-seal the tabs around them. If the surrounding shingles are too brittle to bend, we say so, because a patch that cracks its neighbors is no repair.
Ice dams form when attic heat melts snow higher on the roof and the water refreezes at the cold eave, backing up under the shingles. The lasting fix is usually in the attic: air sealing, insulation and balanced soffit and ridge ventilation. On a re-roof we can also run ASTM D1970 self-adhering ice and water barrier along the eaves.
Water that shows up behind the gutter or along the fascia often points to missing drip edge or a gutter hung too low to catch the runoff. Without drip edge, water curls back under the shingle edge and rots the fascia and the first course of decking. We correct the drip edge and the gutter line together so the water ends up in the gutter.
When a fallen limb or a storm has opened the roof, the first job is to stop more water getting in. We tarp the opening and fasten the tarp over the ridge and into solid framing so it holds in the next wind. The damage is photographed before anything is covered, because those photos matter if you file a claim.
One leak in a roof that is otherwise sound is a repair. Repeated leaks in different places, curled or granule-bare shingles across a whole slope, or soft decking underfoot point toward replacement. You get a straight answer on repair first, and we only talk about a new roof when a repair would be money spent on borrowed time.
A tear-off starts with the dumpster placed where it will not crack the driveway and tarps over landscaping and windows. The old roofing comes off one section at a time, the decking is checked, then underlayment, drip edge, flashing and shingles go on. Each day ends with the yard, gutters and driveway cleaned and a magnet sweep for nails.
New Jersey’s rehabilitation subcode, N.J.A.C. 5:23-6, does not allow a new covering over a roof that already has two or more layers, or over slate, wood shake or tile. Those roofs come off to the deck. Even where one overlay is allowed, we usually recommend a full tear-off, because it is the only way to see and repair the decking.
Replacing the roof covering on a detached one- or two-family house is ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, so no construction permit is needed. Townhouses, other attached and multifamily buildings and commercial roofs fall outside that rule and are permit work, as is structural repair to rafters or beams. We confirm which side of that line your building sits on first.
Shingle color should work with what will not change: the brick, the siding and the trim. Darker blends often suit red brick and white siding, while weathered grays and browns sit well on tan or earth-toned homes. We bring full-size samples so you can judge them against your own house in daylight rather than as a small chip under store lighting.
A roof ages from underneath when the attic cannot breathe: trapped heat bakes the shingles in summer and trapped moisture rots the decking in winter. On every replacement we check that soffit intake matches the ridge vent in net free area and that insulation is not blocking the soffits. A ridge vent with no intake does very little.
If the roof under a solar array needs replacing, the panels have to come off and go back on, and that work has to be coordinated with the solar company. We build the removal and reinstall into the roofing schedule from the first conversation and flash the new mounts properly, so the job does not stall with the roof half done.
Townhouse roofs run across several units, so the line between your roof and your neighbor’s has to be tied in carefully at the party wall. We look at how the adjoining roof was built and match the transition so water cannot get under the joint. Because attached buildings need a permit, that step goes into the schedule from the start.
In 55+ communities and condominiums, the roof may belong to the association, the owner, or be split between them, depending on the declaration and bylaws. We check those documents, or ask the manager, before writing an estimate. That keeps you from paying for work the association owes, or booking work the board has to approve first.
Old Bridge grew fastest after the war: Census figures count 68.6 percent of its homes as built between 1950 and 1989, with 6,011 units from the 1960s alone. A house from that era may be on its third roof, sometimes with an old layer still underneath. We expect tired decking, undersized vents and old flashing on these homes and check for all three.
Parts of Laurence Harbor along Raritan Bay sit in FEMA coastal flood zones, including VE and AE, and any one house’s zone is an address lookup rather than a guess. In those zones, a large roof project can count toward FEMA’s substantial improvement 50 percent rule. We help you assemble the cost figures the township’s floodplain review will ask for.
A buyer’s home inspector will look at the roof, and an unexplained stain or curled shingle in the report can stall a sale. Before you list, we inspect the roof and write a condition report you can hand to the buyer’s inspector. If repairs make sense, you can make them before they turn into a negotiating point.
Three-tab shingles are flat and single-layer. Architectural, or laminated, shingles such as GAF Timberline HDZ, Owens Corning Duration and CertainTeed Landmark are thicker and carry wind ratings such as ASTM D3161 Class F and ASTM D7158 Class H. Designer shingles imitate slate or shake, and impact-rated lines carry UL 2218 Class 4.
Standing seam metal runs in continuous panels with raised, interlocking seams and concealed fasteners, so there are no exposed screws to back out. It costs more than shingles up front but sheds snow and water well and lasts considerably longer. Many homeowners use it on a porch roof or low-pitch addition even when the main roof stays shingle.
Real cedar shake and natural slate are handsome, but cedar needs upkeep and slate is heavy and costly to install. Synthetic and designer shingles that mimic them give a similar look at lower weight and cost. If you already have slate or cedar and want something new, New Jersey’s rules require the old material to come off first.
Flat and low-slope roofs need a membrane, not shingles. Torch-down SBS or APP modified bitumen is built up in heat-welded layers, EPDM rubber is a single sheet with glued or taped seams, and TPO and PVC single-ply membranes have heat-welded seams. We choose based on how the roof drains, what sits on it, and who walks on it.
Coatings can extend the life of a sound flat roof by reflecting heat and sealing minor weathering, but they will not cure ponding water, failed seams or wet insulation underneath. Rejuvenation sprays for shingles cannot put back lost granules or reseat lifted tabs. We tell you plainly when either is worth the money and when it only delays a real repair.
Seamless aluminum gutters are formed on site to the length of each run, so there are no joints along the house to leak. We size and pitch gutters and leaders with the roof and carry the water away from the foundation instead of dumping it beside it. Gutter guards help under trees, though no guard ends the need for an occasional check.
A leaking skylight may only need new flashing, or the unit itself may be fogged and failing. Curb-mounted skylights sit on a raised frame, while deck-mounted units fasten to the roof deck with their own flashing kit. A re-roof is the best time to replace or reflash one, and some owners choose to remove an unused skylight and close the opening.
Chimneys leak at the step and counter flashing, through a cracked crown, or through mortar joints that need repointing. A cricket, or saddle, behind the chimney turns water around it, and IRC R1003.20 calls for one behind chimneys wider than 30 inches. Chimney flashing is replaced with every roof we install, never reused under new shingles.
After a storm, photograph the damage from the ground and inside the house, then stop more water from getting in with a tarp or temporary repair. Keep every receipt for that emergency work and read your policy’s section on duties after a loss. We photograph the roof, write up the damage for your own claim and will meet the adjuster on site.
You report the damage, an adjuster inspects, and the insurer decides under your policy, often paying actual cash value first and the balance after the work on a replacement-cost policy. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance publishes storm claims guidance for homeowners. We supply photos, measurements and an itemized scope to support your file.
Homeowners policies cover sudden damage, such as wind tearing shingles away or a tree landing on the roof, but not the gradual aging of the roof itself. Claims are often denied when the adjuster sees granule loss, curling or old leaks rather than fresh storm damage. Our write-up separates the two honestly, because an overstated claim helps no one.
New Jersey’s uniform policy language, described in DOBI Bulletin 11-16, lets a hurricane deductible apply only to a hurricane named by the National Weather Service with hurricane-force sustained winds measured in New Jersey. No hurricane deductible could be applied after Irene, and Executive Order 107 barred them for Sandy, which arrived as a post-tropical storm.
Under the Public Adjusters’ Licensing Act, N.J.S.A. 17:22B, anyone paid to negotiate a property claim for a homeowner must be a public adjuster licensed by the Department of Banking and Insurance. A roofer cannot negotiate your claim. Public adjusters are paid from the settlement under a written contract that has to list their services and maximum fee.
In New Jersey, a full roof replacement is generally an exempt capital improvement, documented with Form ST-8, the Certificate of Exempt Capital Improvement, so the owner is not charged sales tax on the job. A roof repair is a taxable service. Because that line shows up on the invoice, we describe the work on the paperwork clearly.
Price depends on the size and pitch of the roof, how many layers come off, how much decking needs replacing, the shingle or metal chosen, and the flashing, ventilation and gutter work that comes with it. A steep roof cut up by dormers and valleys takes longer than a simple gable. Our itemized scope shows where each dollar goes.
Coverage on an older roof depends on your policy, not the roof’s age alone. Some policies pay actual cash value on older roofs, subtracting depreciation, while others pay replacement cost. Storm damage to an older roof can still be covered, but the adjuster will separate it from wear. Read your declarations page and ask your agent before a storm.
The rule that forces a whole new roof once more than 25 percent is repaired comes from the Florida Building Code. New Jersey once treated roofing repairs up to 25 percent of the roof area in 12 months as ordinary maintenance, but dropped that limit in 2018. Here, the rehabilitation subcode’s tear-off rules are what govern a re-roof.
New Jersey does not yet issue a separate roofing license. Contractors doing home improvement work, roofing included, register with the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Contractors’ Business Registration Act, renew every year, and print the registration number on contracts and ads. Ask any roofer for that number and check it with the state before signing.
A roofer hurt on your property is normally covered by the contractor’s own workers’ compensation, and OSHA requires fall protection at 6 feet on residential roofs under 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13). Ask for certificates of insurance for workers’ compensation and liability before work begins. A contractor carrying neither leaves you exposed if someone is hurt.
Old Bridge Roofing provides roofing throughout the greater Old Bridge area, with the same crews and the same standards on every job.
Good to know
Most detached-house replacements are finished in a few working days. The size and pitch of the roof, the number of old layers coming off, any decking that has to be replaced and the weather all move that number. We give you a working schedule with the estimate and tell you right away if something found under the old roof changes it.
Every estimate breaks the job into separate lines for tear-off, decking, underlayment, flashing, ventilation and gutters. That lets you hold two quotes side by side and see whether one of them left out new flashing or attic ventilation. It also means the price you sign is tied to a defined scope rather than a single lump sum.
We photograph it and show you before any sheet is replaced. The per-sheet price for decking is written into the contract before work starts, so the cost of a soft section is known in advance. You see the damage, you know the price, and nothing is added to the bill without you seeing why.
No. Step flashing, counter flashing and chimney flashing are replaced along with the roof. Old metal has been bent, nailed and sealed for years, and tucking it under new shingles leaves the most leak-prone parts of the roof as the oldest. Fresh flashing is part of the scope from the first estimate.
We photograph the damage, write it up for your own claim and will meet the adjuster on site when you ask. In New Jersey, only a licensed public adjuster may negotiate a claim on a homeowner's behalf, so the claim itself stays between you and your insurer. Our job is to make the roof's condition clear and documented.
New Jersey home improvement rules give homeowners the right to cancel a home improvement contract within three business days of receiving a copy. Our contracts are written to those rules and include the cancellation notice. Read it before signing, and keep your copy with the rest of your paperwork.
We install architectural shingles from the major manufacturers, including GAF Timberline HDZ, Owens Corning Duration and CertainTeed Landmark, along with impact-rated and designer lines when a house calls for them. We also install standing seam metal and low-slope membranes such as modified bitumen, EPDM and TPO, and we bring full-size samples to compare.
The driveway, yard and gutters are cleaned at the end of every work day, not just on the last one. That includes a magnet sweep across the lawn and driveway for roofing nails. Landscaping and windows near the work are covered while the old roof comes off, and the dumpster is placed with the driveway surface in mind.
Yes. Before we write an estimate on a townhouse, condominium or home in a 55+ community, we check the association's documents to confirm who holds the roof. Attached buildings also fall outside New Jersey's no-permit rule for detached houses, so a permit belongs in the schedule. Both points are settled before work is priced.
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