FAQ

Partly. An ice dam forms when warm air leaking into the attic melts snow that refreezes at the cold eave, so the house makes it. The roofer's part is the ice and water barrier along the eaves and the ventilation that keeps the attic cold. Local roofers report many older Howell ranches and capes short of that ventilation, and the attic shows whether it was ever put in.

Published New Jersey figures range from about $9,000 to $40,000 and more, depending on material, size and contractor. In Howell, local roofers report most replacements at $8,500 to $17,000, with asphalt estimates up to about $23,000, and a South Jersey guide puts most full replacements at $13,500 to $21,500. Your figure depends on layers, decking and the shape of the roof, so it is a written quote once the roof has been seen.

It depends on what the water and the wind are doing. Water coming in now, near anything electrical, or getting worse with each rain is urgent. So is meltwater coming through a ceiling in a thaw. A creased shingle with a dry ceiling, a dark ring on dry plywood, or vents that need adding can wait for a booking.

For an asphalt roof on most Howell houses it is above the published local estimates of about $8,500 to $23,000. A New Jersey thread on r/Roofing about a $42,000 quote for roughly 2,300 square feet of roof drew the reply that quality re-roofs in the state can be found at or below $700 a square, about $18,200 for that roof. Ask what is driving the number: several layers, a lot of soft decking, cedar shake to remove or a metal roof can explain it; the total alone does not.

Most roof repairs in Howell are estimated at $300 to $1,500, and national figures put most repairs between $300 and $3,000, with the average around $900. A lifted edge or a few shingles sits at the low end; a chimney flashing rebuilt, reported locally at around $500, or a valley sits higher.

A roofer who looks before quoting, goes into the attic, and writes down what was found. Look for the New Jersey HIC registration number on the quote, the ventilation named (intake, exhaust, ice barrier), the permit question answered, and a workmanship guarantee stated in writing. And a roofer who will tell you when the problem is the attic, not the shingles.

Soft or darkened decking seen from the attic; leaks in more than one place at once; shingles curling or bare of granules across whole slopes; daylight through the boards; and a new repair needed every season. Asphalt is commonly rated at 15 to 30 years, so age is a prompt to have the roof read, not a verdict. One sign alone is usually a repair.

Asphalt shingles are commonly rated at 15 to 30 years, and a basic shingle at the lower end of that. Where a roof lands in that range depends partly on the attic under it: heat and moisture trapped by poor ventilation age shingles and rot decking from below, and local roofers report that problem on many older Howell ranches and capes. A roof is done when it stops staying dry, not on its birthday.