Roof Replacement Cost in Summit, NJ (2026): The Published Numbers and the City Rules That Change Them
The Short Answer
- $37,335 is what the 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts on tearing off and replacing a 30-square (3,000 sq ft) asphalt shingle roof in its New York, NY market. Middle Atlantic: $37,201. National: $31,871.
- About $1,245 a square is that figure divided by its 30 squares. A square is 100 sq ft of roof. This is arithmetic for orientation, not a quote.
- Metal: $60,246 in the same New York market.
- No permit is needed to replace the roof covering on a detached one- or two-family house in New Jersey. Summit wants a building technical section if plywood sheathing is replaced or added.
- No sales tax on the contractor's charges for a new roof when you sign Form ST-8. A shingle repair is taxable.
- Summit extras: a dumpster on your driveway costs nothing; on a street it is $40. Historic landmarks and homes in historic districts go through a Historic Site Verification.
No cost survey or city source we found publishes a Summit-only roof price. Every figure here is quoted from a source listed at the foot of the page, read on November 4, 2026. R&E Roofing's own prices are in a written estimate for your roof, not on this page.
Search for what a new roof costs in Summit and you mostly get roofers' service pages with no numbers, a directory, and statewide guides with ranges nobody sources. This page gives the one published cost survey that prices the same roof in every market, shows how to turn it into a number for your own roof, and lists the Summit and New Jersey rules that add to the bill or take from it.
Summit is the northernmost city of Union County and borders Essex County, where R&E Roofing's office is (573 Valley St, Orange). If you want a written number for your own house, our roof replacement page for Summit explains what we do, and the estimate form is at the bottom of this page. For statewide figures by material, see the New Jersey roof replacement cost guide.
1. What a New Roof Costs Near Summit
The Cost vs. Value report, published by Zonda and carried by the Journal of Light Construction, prices the same defined job in each market it covers. For an asphalt roof the job is: remove the existing roofing to bare wood sheathing and dispose of it, install 30 squares of fiberglass asphalt shingles (minimum 235-lb., minimum 25-year warranty) with new 30-lb. felt or synthetic underlayment, galvanized drip edge and aluminum flashing, on a rectangular hip roof with two skylights and a vented ridge.
Summit is not one of the report's markets. We use its New York, NY market, shown here beside the Middle Atlantic region and the national average, for 2025.
| Job | New York, NY market | Middle Atlantic | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle roof replacement | $37,335 | $37,201 | $31,871 |
| Metal roof replacement | $60,246 | $60,116 | $51,865 |
The New York market and the Middle Atlantic figure sit within $134 of each other, and both run $5,330 to $5,464 above the national average. The job definition is the same in every market, so the gap is the local price of the same roof, not a bigger job.
Sources, read November 4, 2026: JLC, 2025 Cost vs. Value, New York, NY; JLC, 2025 Cost vs. Value, Middle Atlantic; JLC, Roofing Replacement (Asphalt Shingles) job description.
2. Price Per Square, and Your Roof's Size
Roofers measure and price in squares. GAF defines a roofing square as 100 square feet of roof area, and says materials and labor are priced per square. A 3,000 sq ft roof is 30 squares. Roof area is not floor area: GAF counts every slope and dormer.
Divide the New York market figure by its 30 squares and you get about $1,245 per square. The table below multiplies that out. It is our arithmetic on one published number, not a price from any source and not an R&E quote. Real bids do not scale in a straight line: a small roof still carries a dumpster, a delivery and setup.
| Squares | Roof area | At about $1,245 a square |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1,500 sq ft | about $18,700 |
| 20 | 2,000 sq ft | about $24,900 |
| 25 | 2,500 sq ft | about $31,100 |
| 30 | 3,000 sq ft | $37,335 (the report's own figure) |
| 40 | 4,000 sq ft | about $49,800 |
What pushes a Summit roof above the line: a steep or cut-up roof (more slopes, valleys and dormers), more than one old layer to tear off, sheathing that has to be replaced once the old roof is off, chimneys and skylights to re-flash, a heavier shingle, and a hard-to-reach roof. The report's own job already includes two skylights and a vented ridge.
Sources, read November 4, 2026: GAF, how many bundles of shingles are in a square; Fine Homebuilding, estimating asphalt shingles; JLC, 2025 Cost vs. Value, New York, NY.
3. Why Summit Houses Can Run Above the Average
The cost survey prices a plain hip roof. Summit's houses are older than that picture. In the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020 to 2024, five-year estimates), the median year Summit's housing was built is 1953, and 2,925 of the city's 8,786 housing units were built in 1939 or earlier.
| Year built | Housing units |
|---|---|
| 1939 or earlier | 2,925 |
| 1940 to 1949 | 694 |
| 1950 to 1959 | 2,611 |
| 1960 to 1969 | 818 |
| 1970 to 1979 | 525 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 392 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 113 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 510 |
| 2010 to 2019 | 164 |
| 2020 or later | 34 |
What an older house can add to a roof bill:
- Sheathing. Nobody can price boards they cannot see. The condition of the deck is only known once the old roofing is off, which is why a good estimate gives a price per sheet of plywood replaced, not a guess folded into the total. In Summit, replacing or adding plywood also brings in a building technical section (section 4).
- Complex rooflines. More slopes, valleys and dormers mean more squares, more flashing and more labor per square than the survey's rectangular hip roof.
- Original materials. Older houses may carry slate or wood, which InterNACHI lists at 60 to 150 years and 25 years. Matching or replacing them is a different job and price from asphalt.
The same survey puts the median value of an owner-occupied home in Summit at $969,900 (2019 to 2023 estimates), which matters for the resale section below.
Sources, read November 4, 2026: Census Reporter, ACS 2024 5-year, table B25034 and B25035, Summit city, NJ; Census Reporter, Summit, NJ profile (ACS 2023 5-year); InterNACHI, Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes; Wikipedia, Summit, New Jersey.
4. Permits, Dumpsters, Torches and Historic Review in Summit
Construction permit
New Jersey has one construction code for every town. Its rule on ordinary maintenance, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7(c), lists “the repair or replacement of existing roof covering on detached one- and two-family dwellings” and says no permit for, inspection of, or notice to the enforcing agency of ordinary maintenance is required. Two limits apply: ordinary maintenance does not include “any work affecting structural or fire safety” (rafters and other structure), and the rule covers only detached one- and two-family houses.
Summit's own permit submittal chart lists “Roof - RESIDENTIAL (patch/cover replace only)” as “No permit needed”, with the note “If plywood is replaced or added – Building Technical Section required.” So the sheathing question from section 3 is also a paperwork question. The Construction office is at 512 Springfield Avenue and answers at (908) 273-6408.
Dumpster
Summit says there is no cost for residents to have a dumpster on private property. On a non-metered street the dumpster permit is a flat $40. In a metered space in the Central Retail Business District it is $40 a day, Sundays included. Street requests need a Summit Police Department Traffic Bureau signature and must be submitted at least 48 hours before work begins, to Parking Services at City Hall.
Torch-applied flat sections
If part of the job is a flat porch or addition roof applied with a torch, the Summit Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau lists a Fire Safety Permit at $54 for torch work and roof repair. Its torch rules call for at least two fire extinguishers rated 2-A:20B:C on site (one on the roof), a hose line, combustibles removed, and a fire watch for at least 30 minutes after the work.
Historic landmarks and districts
Summit's development regulations, § 35-23.1(B), have the Zoning Office refer a Historic Site Verification to the Historic Preservation Commission for “the improvement, removal, alteration, demolition or partial demolition of an exterior component” of any designated historic building or landmark, and of any building in a historic district. The Commission has seven days to decide whether it will review and, if it does, 30 days to send its findings. If you are not sure whether your house is designated, ask the Department of Community Services before choosing a material that changes the roof's look.
Sources, read November 4, 2026: N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 and 2.14 (NJ Department of Community Affairs, PDF); City of Summit, Permit Submittal Chart (PDF); City of Summit, Department of Community Services; City of Summit, Construction (dumpster permit); Summit Fire Department, Fire Safety Permit application (PDF); City of Summit Code, Article XXIII, Historic Preservation Review.
5. Sales Tax: A New Roof Versus a Repair
New Jersey's sales tax is 6.625%, and on a roof it depends on what the job is. The Division of Taxation answers both cases:
- A new roof: “The installation of a new roof is an exempt capital improvement and as such the charges are not subject to tax. The property owner must issue the contractor a fully completed Certificate of Exempt Capital Improvement (Form ST-8).”
- Replacement shingles: “Installation of replacement shingles is repairing real property and as such the charges are subject to tax.”
Form ST-8 is filled in by you and the contractor, kept by the contractor, and never sent to the state. The contractor still pays sales tax to its supplier on the materials. On a quote for a full replacement, there should be no sales tax line on the labor; on a repair quote, there may be.
Sources, read November 4, 2026: NJ Division of Taxation, Sales and Use Tax FAQ; NJ Division of Taxation, Form ST-8 (PDF).
6. Is It Time? Roof Age and Lifespan
InterNACHI, the home inspectors' association, publishes life expectancy figures it calls guidelines, not guarantees, based on normal wear and regular maintenance:
| Roofing | Years |
|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles, 3-tab | 20 |
| Asphalt shingles, architectural | 30 |
| Wood | 25 |
| Metal | 40 to 80 |
| Slate | 60 to 150 |
So a 20-year-old 3-tab roof is at the end of its listed life, and a 20-year-old architectural roof is not. Age starts the conversation; the roof finishes it. Curling, cracked or missing shingles, bare patches where granules are gone, stains on the ceiling and loose flashing at the chimney are what tip a roof from repair to replacement. If the roof is sound but one area failed, a repair costs less, though section 5 explains why it is taxed and a new roof is not.
Source, read November 4, 2026: InterNACHI, Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes.
7. What a New Roof Returns at Resale
The Cost vs. Value report also publishes a resale value for each job and the share of the cost it recoups. For the asphalt roof:
| Area | Job cost | Resale value | Cost recouped |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY market | $37,335 | $21,286 | 57% |
| Middle Atlantic region | $37,201 | $21,680 | 58.3% |
| National average | $31,871 | $21,501 | 67.5% |
In the New York market a new asphalt roof is estimated to return 57% of its cost at sale. Against a median Summit home value of $969,900 (ACS 2019 to 2023 estimates), the survey's $37,335 roof is about 4% of the value of the house (our arithmetic).
Sources, read November 4, 2026: JLC, 2025 Cost vs. Value, New York, NY; JLC, 2025 Cost vs. Value, Middle Atlantic; Census Reporter, Summit, NJ profile.
8. What a Written Summit Roof Estimate Should List
New Jersey law, N.J.S.A. 56:8-151, requires every home improvement contract over $500 to be in writing and signed, and to state the contractor's legal name, business address and registration number, include a copy of its commercial general liability insurance certificate with the insurer's phone number, and give the total price including any finance charges. You may cancel for any reason before midnight of the third business day after you receive your copy.
Beyond what the law requires, these lines let you compare two Summit bids against each other and against the tables above:
- Roof area in squares, and how it was measured.
- How many layers come off, and that the tear-off goes to bare sheathing.
- A price per sheet of plywood if sheathing has to be replaced, and who files the building technical section if it does.
- Underlayment, ice barrier at the eaves, drip edge and flashing at chimneys, walls and skylights, each named.
- The shingle by brand, line and color.
- Ridge and attic ventilation.
- Dumpster: where it will sit, and any street permit (section 4).
- Separate prices for porch, addition or flat sections, and any torch work.
- Form ST-8 for a full replacement, and no sales tax on the labor (section 5).
- Start date, how many days, and clean-up.
Want a written estimate for your Summit roof, itemized like the list above? Send the address and what you know about the roof through the form at the bottom of this page, or call the office.
Source, read November 4, 2026: N.J.S.A. 56:8-151, via Justia.
Questions Summit Homeowners Ask About Roof Replacement Cost
How much does a roof replacement cost in Summit, NJ?
The 2025 Cost vs. Value report, which prices the same job in every market, puts tearing off and replacing a 30-square (3,000 square foot) asphalt shingle roof at $37,335 in its New York, NY market. Its Middle Atlantic figure is $37,201 and its national figure is $31,871. Your roof's size, pitch, layers, sheathing and shingle choice move your price from there. No cost survey or city source we found publishes a Summit-only roof price.
How do you estimate the cost of a new roof?
Roofers price by the square, which GAF defines as 100 square feet of roof area. Measure or get the roof area in squares, then multiply by a per-square price. The Cost vs. Value report's New York market figure works out to about $1,245 a square ($37,335 divided by 30 squares). That is arithmetic on a published number, not a quote. Steep or cut-up roofs, extra layers and replaced sheathing cost more per square.
Should a 20-year-old roof be replaced?
Not on age alone. InterNACHI's life expectancy chart lists 20 years for 3-tab asphalt shingles and 30 years for architectural asphalt shingles, and says the figures are guidelines, not guarantees. A 20-year-old 3-tab roof is at the end of its listed life. A 20-year-old architectural roof is not. What decides it is the roof itself: curling, missing or cracked shingles, granule loss, leaks and the condition of the flashing.
How much does a metal roof cost in NJ?
The 2025 Cost vs. Value report prices a metal roof replacement at $60,246 in its New York, NY market, $60,116 for the Middle Atlantic region and $51,865 nationally. InterNACHI lists metal roofs at 40 to 80 years against 20 to 30 years for asphalt shingles.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Summit?
Usually not for a detached one- or two-family house. New Jersey's construction code treats the repair or replacement of existing roof covering on those houses as ordinary maintenance, which needs no permit, inspection or notice. Summit's permit submittal chart lists residential roof patch or cover replacement as no permit needed, but says a building technical section is required if plywood is replaced or added. Work affecting structural safety, and roofs on other buildings, need a permit.
Do I pay sales tax on a new roof in New Jersey?
Not on the contractor's charges, if you give the contractor a completed Form ST-8. The New Jersey Division of Taxation says the installation of a new roof is an exempt capital improvement. Replacing some shingles is different: the Division says installing replacement shingles is a repair and the charges are taxable. New Jersey's sales tax rate is 6.625%.
Does a roofer need a dumpster permit in Summit?
Not on your own property: Summit says there is no cost for residents to have a dumpster on private property. A dumpster parked on a non-metered street is a flat $40, and one in a metered space in the Central Retail Business District is $40 a day. Requests need a Summit Police Traffic Bureau signature and must be filed at least 48 hours before work starts.
Does my Summit home need historic review before a new roof?
Only if it is a designated historic landmark or sits in a designated historic district. For those, Summit's code has the Zoning Office refer a Historic Site Verification to the Historic Preservation Commission for the alteration of an exterior component, and the Commission has seven days to say whether it will review. Call the Department of Community Services at (908) 273-6408 before ordering materials if you are unsure.
Sources
Every figure and quoted rule on this page was read from these pages on November 4, 2026. The price per square and the size table are our arithmetic on the Cost vs. Value figure. R&E Roofing has no affiliation with any of these sources.
- Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, New York, NY
- Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, Middle Atlantic
- Journal of Light Construction, Roofing Replacement (Asphalt Shingles) job description (June 20, 2025)
- GAF, How Many Bundles of Shingles Are in a Square
- Fine Homebuilding, Estimating Asphalt Shingles
- Census Reporter, ACS 2024 5-year, Year Structure Built (B25034, B25035), Summit city, NJ
- Census Reporter, Summit, NJ profile, ACS 2023 5-year
- Wikipedia, Summit, New Jersey
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2 (PDF)
- City of Summit, Permit Submittal Chart (PDF)
- City of Summit, Department of Community Services
- City of Summit, Construction: Bagged Meter and Dumpster Permits
- Summit Fire Department, Fire Safety Permit Application (PDF)
- City of Summit Code, Chapter 35, Article XXIII, Historic Preservation Review
- New Jersey Division of Taxation, Sales and Use Tax FAQ
- New Jersey Division of Taxation, Form ST-8 (PDF)
- N.J.S.A. 56:8-151, home improvement contracts (Justia)
- InterNACHI, Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes