Franklin Lakes is one of Bergen County's most affluent boroughs — roughly 11,000 people spread across nearly ten square miles of hilly, heavily wooded land near the Ramapo Mountains, with enough lakes and ponds that open water covers a real part of the town. The housing is overwhelmingly detached single-family — close to nine in ten units — sitting on large, private, tree-shaded lots, and most of it was custom-built or substantially renovated in the second half of the 20th century and on into the 2000s and 2010s. That setting produces the most demanding roofs we touch anywhere: big, architecturally ambitious homes with steep cut-up rooflines, multiple gables and dormers, long material runs, and intricate flashing where dissimilar planes, turrets, and additions all come together. We work Franklin Lakes regularly, and we do the full range here — natural slate, cedar shake, and designer/luxury asphalt systems; copper and standing-seam metal accents like bay roofs, porticos, and dormer caps; full tear-off replacements and new roofs on additions and new construction; and the leak chases, flashing rebuilds, and storm repairs that keep an estate roof watertight. We register the enhanced manufacturer system warranties most one-off roofers can't, and we back every job with a written 10-year transferable workmanship warranty. Wooded, exposed sites mean heavy tree litter, branch strikes, and ice along shaded eaves, so we know what these roofs go through. Zubar Roofing & Exterior Systems is a family-run contractor based in Clifton, about 13 miles south, and we know the difference between an Urban Farms colonial, a lakeside contemporary, and the older Dutch-heritage and period homes that still dot the borough.
Housing in Franklin Lakes
Large custom estates on acre-plus lots, many built or renovated in recent decades, with premium roof materials and intricate architecture. The roofing here is detail-driven — long material runs, copper detailing, and complex flashing.
What we most commonly find on Franklin Lakes roofs
- Estate-grade slate, cedar, and designer shingle systems
- Copper and standing-seam metal accent installations
- Highly complex custom rooflines and flashing
- Premium material sourcing and color matching
Roof Replacement & New Roofs in Franklin Lakes
When a Franklin Lakes roof reaches the end of its life, we do a full tear-off down to the deck, replace any rotted or delaminated sheathing, and rebuild the system from the deck up — ice-and-water shield at the eaves, valleys, and around every penetration, synthetic underlayment, balanced intake and ridge ventilation, and the finish material the home calls for. On the estates here that finish is rarely a plain three-tab: we install and re-lay natural slate, cedar shake, and designer/luxury asphalt shingle, and we detail the copper and standing-seam metal accents — bay roofs, porticos, dormer caps, and turret sections — that these architecturally ambitious homes are built around. Because so much of the housing is steep and cut up with multiple gables, valleys, and long runs, we plan staging, fall protection, and material delivery for the specific roof rather than treating every job the same.
New roofs on additions, new construction, and renovated wings are a steady part of what we do in a town that has kept building custom homes into the 2000s and 2010s. The hard part on an estate roof is almost never the field — it's the transitions: tying a new dormer or addition into an existing slate or cedar field, matching profile and color so the repair disappears, and flashing the spots where roof planes, walls, chimneys, and skylights all meet. We source premium materials and chase down exact color and profile matches before we start, and every replacement and new roof is quoted in a free written, itemized estimate so you can see exactly what drives the cost — roof size and pitch, roofline complexity, the count of valleys, chimneys, and penetrations, decking condition, the material tier you choose, and how tough the wooded, set-back lot is to stage and access.
Permitting in New Jersey depends on the scope of the work. A straightforward like-for-like shingle re-roof on a detached one- or two-family home is treated as ordinary maintenance and usually needs no construction permit, but new decking or framing, added dormers or skylights, or a switch to a heavier material like slate that can change the load will bring permitting into play — we confirm with the Franklin Lakes construction office and pull whatever applies. We're certified with GAF, Owens Corning, and CertainTeed, so we can register the enhanced manufacturer system warranties on the asphalt and designer lines, and we back the full installation with a 10-year transferable workmanship warranty in writing.
Roof Repair & Leak Repair in Franklin Lakes
Most of what we get called for in Franklin Lakes is repair, not replacement — and on a high-end roof that's usually the right call. A slate, cedar, or copper system can have decades of life left while one failed flashing detail, a slipped slate, a split shake, or a cracked pipe boot lets water in. We track the leak to its actual source instead of guessing, then make a targeted repair: rebuilding step and counter-flashing at chimneys and sidewalls, replacing individual slates or shakes with matched material, re-soldering or re-sealing copper and metal seams, and tightening up the skylight and valley details where so many estate-roof leaks actually begin.
The wooded, exposed setting drives a specific set of problems here. Big trees overhanging the roof drop branches and constant leaf and needle litter that clog valleys and gutters and hold moisture against the roof, and shaded northern slopes near the lakes and along the Ramapo uplands stay cold and ice up at the eaves in a hard winter. Add the sheer complexity of these rooflines — every extra valley, chimney, dormer, and dead-valley behind a wall is one more place water can find a way in — and routine attention pays off. We'd rather keep a good roof going than sell you a new one you don't need, and we'll show you photos of what we found either way.
For an active leak we move fast — we get a properly installed temporary cover on the roof to stop the water, then come back to do the permanent repair right. We're available 24/7 for emergency leaks at (973) 337-9001, and from our Clifton shop we're about 13 miles south, close enough to respond when an estate roof in Franklin Lakes starts taking on water during a storm. The inspection and the written estimate are always free.
Shingle Roof Contractors Serving Franklin Lakes
Even in a town known for slate and metal, a large share of Franklin Lakes homes are roofed in asphalt — and on these houses the right choice is a designer or luxury architectural shingle, not a builder-grade three-tab. We install GAF, Owens Corning, and CertainTeed, including the designer lines built to read like slate or shake from the street — think GAF Grand Sequoia and Camelot, CertainTeed Grand Manor and Carriage House, and Owens Corning's heavier architectural profiles. On a steep, highly visible roofline with multiple gables and dormers, the dimensional shadow and color blend of a designer shingle is what keeps an asphalt roof looking like it belongs on the house.
Being certified with all three manufacturers matters more here than the brochures suggest. It lets us register the enhanced system warranties — the long-term, transferable coverage that most one-off roofers simply can't offer because they aren't credentialed — and it means we install the full matched system the warranty requires: the manufacturer's underlayment, starter, ridge, and ventilation, not a mismatched mix of whatever's on the truck. On a property where the roof is a major part of the home's value and curb appeal, that paperwork and that system integrity are worth getting right.
We match the shingle line and color to the architecture, whether it's a center-hall colonial in Urban Farms, a contemporary near one of the lakes, or a renovated home along the Franklin Avenue side of town. Every shingle project comes with a free written, itemized estimate and our 10-year transferable workmanship warranty, on top of whatever manufacturer system warranty the chosen product supports.
Storm Damage & Insurance Claims in Franklin Lakes
Franklin Lakes sits on hilly, heavily wooded ground near the Ramapo Mountains, and that terrain is exactly what makes storms hard on roofs here. Nor'easters and summer thunderstorms bring high wind and heavy, wet snow, and the big mature trees that shade these estate lots become the threat — branch strikes and full limb drops puncture slate and shake, tear copper and metal flashing loose, and lift designer shingles on exposed ridgelines. After a bad blow we do a free, thorough inspection and document everything photo by photo, including the high, steep, hard-to-reach planes that are easy to miss from the ground.
When the damage warrants an insurance claim, we make the process straightforward and honest. We document the loss clearly, explain in plain language what's storm-related versus normal wear, and meet your adjuster on the roof so legitimate damage on a complex, high-value system isn't under-counted or written off as old age. On premium materials like slate, cedar, and copper, matching is critical — a claim has to account for sourcing the right material and matching profile and color, not just slapping on the cheapest replacement, and that's a point we'll make on your behalf.
Two things we never do, because both are improper and illegal in New Jersey: we never ask you to sign an Assignment of Benefits, and we never offer to waive or 'eat' your deductible. You stay in control of your own claim and your own roof. If you think a storm may have damaged your Franklin Lakes roof, get a free inspection before you file — call (973) 337-9001 day or night.
Why we work in Franklin Lakes
Estate roofing in Franklin Lakes demands premium materials installed by a credentialed crew with a real warranty — the standard we hold on every job.
Familiar landmarks
Franklin Lakes · High Mountain Park Preserve (nearby) · Urban Farms
Franklin Lakes neighborhoods we roof
We work every corner of Franklin Lakes — Urban Farms, Crystal Lake, High Mountain Road, Pulis Avenue corridor, Franklin Avenue corridor, Franklin Lake Road, Campgaw side, Ramapo Mountains foothills, Old Mill Road area, and Pulis / Colonial Road area — across all 1 ZIP codes (07417).
