Replacing a roof that shares a wall
A big share of Trenton's houses are attached, and that changes what a roof replacement involves before anyone climbs a ladder. Your roof ends at a party wall, and your neighbor's begins on the other side of it. Their roof may be newer than yours, older, or a different material altogether.
We replace your side and tie it into theirs. At the seam, we cut the old material back cleanly, carry ice and water barrier across the joint, and lap or flash the new roofing so water always runs onto the next layer instead of behind it. We keep our tear-off and debris on your side of the line. If the neighbor's roof is failing right at the seam, we'll photograph it and show you before we start, because a new roof tied to a rotten edge won't stay dry for long. Sometimes the best answer is for both owners to replace at the same time, and we're glad to walk a neighbor through the estimate too.
Detached homes in Hiltonia, Cadwalader Heights, Glen Afton and Villa Park don't have that seam to deal with, but they often have their own history: old chimneys, board sheathing and more than one layer of shingles.
Two roofs on one house: shingles in front, rubber in back
Many Trenton homes pair a pitched main roof with a low-slope roof over the kitchen, a rear addition or a back porch. A replacement that only covers the front slope leaves the weakest part of the house untouched, so we price and plan both sections together.
- The pitched section gets a full tear-off, new decking where the old boards are split or soft, ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment and architectural asphalt shingles.
- The low-slope section gets EPDM rubber roofing, carried up the walls and parapets and terminated properly at the edges.
- The joint between them is flashed so the shingles lap over the membrane.
- Drainage gets checked while everything is open: scuppers, gutters and downspouts that actually move water off the flat section.
We also count layers during the estimate. Older city roofs sometimes have two or three sets of shingles stacked on each other, and all of them come off. That adds disposal and labor, so it goes in the written estimate up front rather than turning into a surprise on day one. Your finished roof carries a lifetime manufacturer's warranty and a 10-year workmanship warranty.
Trenton permits, historic blocks and tight streets
New Jersey stopped requiring a permit to re-roof a detached one- or two-family home in March 2018. That exemption doesn't cover attached homes, so a new roof on a Trenton row home, twin or townhouse generally needs a construction permit from the city's Division of Technical Services. We prepare the application, pull the permit and schedule the inspection. If your home sits in one of the city's historic districts, such as Mill Hill, we check whether exterior changes need city review before we order materials.
The logistics matter just as much. Narrow streets, shared alleys and on-street parking mean the dumpster, material delivery and tear-off have to be planned ahead so the block isn't blocked for longer than it needs to be. We protect your neighbor's side, sweep the sidewalk and street for nails, and leave the block the way we found it.
Not sure whether you need a whole new roof? Our roof repair crew can often stop a seam or chimney leak on a roof with years left. For a starting number on a simple pitched roof, try the Instant Roof Quote. A row home with a flat rear section is worth an in-person look, and the roof replacement estimate is free.
More detail on how we handle this work anywhere we serve: Roof Replacement. Everything we do in Trenton: roofing in Trenton, NJ.
