Roofing services in Trenton
Trenton is the state capital and the county seat of Mercer County, and it has some of the oldest housing in the region. Roofing here isn't the same as roofing a suburban split-level. Many homes share walls, many have a flat or low-slope section in back, and a lot of roofs have been patched more than once. Our crew works on all of it:
- Roof replacement: full tear-off, deck repair, and new architectural asphalt shingles on pitched roofs.
- Flat roofing (EPDM): rubber membrane roofs for rear additions, porches and low-slope sections, which are common on Trenton row homes.
- Roof repair: leaks at chimneys, party walls, skylights and vent pipes.
- Storm damage repair: wind damage, fallen limbs,.
- Roof inspection and maintenance: a photo-documented check before you buy a house, or before a small problem gets bigger.
- Roof ventilation, gutters, gutter guards, gutter cleaning, siding and skylights.
Want a rough number first? Our Instant Roof Quote gives you a starting estimate in a few minutes. It works best on simple pitched roofs. For a row home with a flat rear section, we'll want to see it in person.
Why Trenton roofs wear out
Older homes, attached walls and layered roofs
Trenton was an industrial city for most of its history. Its factories made iron, steel, rubber and pottery, and the neighborhoods that housed those workers are still standing. That means a large share of the city's homes are old, and many are attached: row homes, twins and narrow single-family houses on tight lots. Mill Hill, for example, is known for its preserved 19th-century row houses.
Older and attached homes bring roofing problems you don't see as often in the suburbs:
- Party-wall seams. Where two roofs meet over a shared wall, the flashing has to tie both sides together. When one side gets replaced and the other doesn't, that seam is often the first place to leak.
- Low-slope rear sections. Additions, kitchens and back porches often sit under a low-slope roof. Shingles don't belong on a low-slope roof, and a worn-out membrane or a patched section of roll roofing will let water in.
- Chimneys. Old brick chimneys, including ones that are no longer used, need solid flashing and sometimes a cricket behind them to shed water. Crumbling mortar and failed counter-flashing cause a lot of leaks.
- Multiple layers. Over the decades, some roofs got a new layer of shingles right on top of the old one. Extra layers add weight, trap heat and hide deck rot. We tear off to the deck so we can see what's really there.
- Aging decking. Board sheathing on older houses can be dried out, split or soft near the eaves. We replace bad boards before new roofing goes down.
The weather here
Trenton sits on the Delaware River, at roughly the midpoint of New Jersey's weather patterns. Nor'easters bring wind-driven rain that pushes under loose shingles and around flashing. Summer thunderstorms can bring strong gusts and sometimes hail. Winter temperatures swing above and below freezing, and that freeze-thaw cycle keeps opening small cracks in flashing, sealant and brick. Flat sections take the worst of it, because water sits on them longer, and snow melts and refreezes on them.
Mature street trees shade a lot of Trenton's residential blocks. Shade keeps roofs damp, leaves clog gutters and downspouts, and branches come down in storms. On attached homes, one clogged downspout can back water up onto two or three roofs at once.
Flat roof or pitched roof: what a Trenton row home needs
A lot of Trenton houses have two roofs in one: a pitched front section facing the street and a low-slope section over the back of the house. The two need different materials, and the transition between them is where many leaks start.
- Pitched sections get architectural asphalt shingles over synthetic underlayment, with ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys.
- Low-slope sections get EPDM, a single-ply rubber membrane made for roofs where water drains slowly. Shingles on a roof that's too flat will leak no matter how well they're nailed.
- The transition between the two is flashed so the shingles lap over the membrane and water always runs downhill onto the next layer, never behind it.
- Parapet walls and copings at the edges of flat sections need the membrane carried up and terminated properly, or water gets in behind it.
- Drainage matters as much as the membrane. We check that scuppers, gutters and downspouts on the flat section actually carry water off the roof, instead of letting it pond against the wall.
Buying an older Trenton home? Check the roof first
If you're buying in Trenton, have the roof looked at before closing. A general home inspection often looks at the roof from the ground or a ladder. A roofing inspection from us goes further. We look at the flat sections up close, check the party-wall seams and chimney flashing, count the layers, and look for soft decking. You get photos and a plain description of what you're buying, whether that's a roof with years left, one that needs a repair soon, or one that needs replacing. That's useful information for your negotiations and your budget.
Trenton neighborhoods we cover
We work across the whole city. That includes the historic row-house blocks of Mill Hill and the tight streets of Chambersburg. It includes Hiltonia and Cadwalader Heights, where larger older homes sit near Cadwalader Park, and the West End, Glen Afton and Villa Park neighborhoods. We also cover Berkeley Square along the river, Central West, Wilbur, and East Trenton around the Assunpink Creek.
Downtown, you're working around some of the most historic ground in the state: the Old Barracks, the New Jersey State House, and the Trenton Battle Monument. Row homes and older houses in and around those areas often need a contractor who is comfortable with tight access, narrow streets and staging a dumpster without blocking the block. We plan for that on every Trenton job.
Trenton borders several towns we serve every week. If you're near the city line, we're also working in Hamilton Township, Ewing and Lawrence Township, and throughout Mercer County.
Permits and code in Trenton
In Trenton, construction permits are issued by the city's Division of Technical Services, which acts as the city's construction code enforcing agency. Permits for building, plumbing, electrical and fire protection work all come out of that office.
Here's how the rules generally apply to roofs:
- Detached one- or two-family homes: Since March 2018, New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code treats re-roofing a detached one- or two-family dwelling as ordinary maintenance. No permit is required, and there's no inspection.
- Row homes, twins and townhouses: Because they're attached, that exemption doesn't apply. A permit is generally required, which covers a large share of Trenton's housing.
- Commercial and mixed-use buildings need a permit, and some flat-roof methods may involve the fire subcode.
- Historic districts: Parts of Trenton, including Mill Hill, are designated historic districts. If your home is in one, we'll check whether the city needs to review exterior changes before we order materials.
When a permit is needed, we prepare the application and pull it, then coordinate the inspection. You don't have to go downtown or sort out which forms apply.
Whether or not a permit is required, we build every roof the same way: ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, proper drip edge, new flashing at walls and chimneys, and ventilation that matches the attic. On flat sections, we install EPDM to the manufacturer's specifications, with proper terminations at walls and edges.
How a roof replacement works with us
- Inspection. We look at the roof, the flat sections, the chimney, the party-wall seams and the attic if there's access. We take photos of what we find and show you.
- Written estimate. You get the scope, materials and warranty in writing. If a repair will do the job, we'll say so.
- Permits and scheduling. We pull the permit when one is needed and pick a date around the weather.
- Setup. On narrow streets, we plan dumpster and material placement ahead of time and protect your property and your neighbor's.
- Tear-off. Old roofing comes off down to the deck, including extra layers. We replace damaged decking.
- Installation. Ice and water barrier, underlayment, flashing, shingles on the pitched sections, and EPDM on low-slope sections, all tied together at the transitions.
- Cleanup. We haul debris away and runer for nails, including the sidewalk and street.
- Walkthrough. We walk the finished roof with you, go over photos, and hand you your warranty information.
Why Trenton homeowners choose Allabaugh
- Licensed: NJ HIC #13VH09734600. We also hold PA HIC #PA162561.
- GAF-certified roofing contractor.
- Lifetime manufacturer's warranty and a 10-year workmanship warranty on roof replacements.
- Financing available.
- 5.0 stars from 233 Google reviews.
- More than 20 years of roofing experience under owner Jared Allabaugh.
- Free estimates with photo documentation.
Old roof, flat-roof leak, or a seam that won't stop dripping? Call (609) 477-0487 for a free inspection anywhere in Trenton, or get a starting number with our Instant Roof Quote.
