Behind every brownstone parapet on this mile square is a membrane roof, not a shingle roof. Different system, different failure points, different trade. We replace, repair and storm-proof the ones this city actually has.
Six things, done properly, on the building types this city is actually made of.
Full tear-off to the deck, rotten sheathing replaced, new insulation and membrane, parapet and flashing rebuilt. The job most Hoboken buildings eventually need.
Roof replacement 02New systems on additions, rooftop build-outs, gut renovations and conversions — including roof decks and bulkheads that must stay watertight around new penetrations.
Roof installation 03Seam splits, blistering, punctures, failed coping, cracked parapet flashing and ponding at a tired drain. Repaired properly, where a repair is honestly the right call.
Roof repair 04Water coming into the top floor tonight. Emergency tarping, temporary membrane patching and a stop-the-damage visit, followed by a proper permanent repair scope.
Emergency repair 05After a nor’easter or hurricane remnant: lifted membrane edges, blown coping, torn flashing and wind-driven water. Documented properly for the insurance claim.
Storm damage 06Finding where the water actually enters — which on a shared party wall is often not above the stain, and sometimes not even on your roof. Traced before it is patched.
Leak repair
Hoboken was built wall-to-wall as a dense port town. The result is a city of flat and low-slope roofs hidden behind street-facing parapets — a completely different system, with completely different failure points, from the pitched shingle roofs most contractors quote by default.
Modified bitumen, EPDM rubber and TPO are the systems that belong on these buildings. Material choice drives how long the roof lasts and how it fails.
Most Hoboken leaks start at the parapet wall, its coping, or the flashing where the membrane turns up a party wall — not in the open field of the roof.
Row houses share structure. Water entering a neighbouring roof can travel and show up as a stain on your top-floor ceiling, which changes who needs to fix what.
A flat roof drains through internal drains and scuppers. When those clog or settle, water ponds and stays — and standing water is what ages a membrane fastest.
Four stages, and you know the price before stage three begins.
We get on the roof. Membrane condition, parapet and coping, flashing, drains, deck soundness and the interior stain if there is one.
Scope, system, materials and price in writing, with photos. If a repair is genuinely better value than replacement, that is what we quote.
Building permit filed, historic review if the block requires it, street occupancy for the dumpster, roof access arranged with the owner or manager.
Tear-off, deck repair, insulation, membrane, then the flashing and parapet details that decide whether it lasts. Site cleared, warranty handed over.
Most roofing quotes look alike on paper. These are the differences that decide whether the roof still holds in five years.
| What matters | Apex RoofingWhat we do | A typical out-of-area rooferWhat usually happens |
|---|---|---|
| Roof system quoted | Flat and low-slope membrane matched to the building — modified bitumen, EPDM or TPO. | Asphalt shingles by default, because that is what the truck is loaded with. |
| Knows the building stock | Brownstone parapets, shared party walls, internal drains and scuppers — the things that actually fail here. | Generic pitched-roof assumptions carried over from suburban work. |
| How a leak is diagnosed | Traced to the true entry point, which on a shared wall is often not above the stain — and sometimes not on your roof. | Sealant applied wherever the ceiling happens to be wet. |
| Hoboken permits | Filed with the City as part of the job, before the tear-off starts. | Left to the owner to work out, or skipped entirely. |
| Historic district review | Washington Street corridor review handled and built into the schedule from day one. | Often unaware the review applies until the job is stopped. |
| Access and logistics | Street occupancy, dumpster placement and permit parking arranged before the crew arrives. | Turns up and improvises on a narrow one-way street with no driveway. |
| The estimate | Written scope, materials and price, with photographs, after someone has actually been on the roof. | A number over the phone, or pressure to sign at the door. |
| Repair versus replace | A repair is quoted when a repair is genuinely the right call, and that is put in writing. | Full replacement quoted by default, because it is the bigger invoice. |
| Storm and insurance | Photographs and a plain cause-of-loss write-up your insurer can actually use. | “We’ll deal with the insurance” — and then no paperwork. |
| Coverage area | Hoboken only. One square mile, every neighborhood, no travel surcharge. | The whole metro, with Hoboken squeezed in between bigger jobs. |
This is not a dig at any particular company — it is the checklist we would use ourselves. Ask any roofer you are considering, including us, to answer every line of it in writing before you sign.
Not every roof problem is an emergency. Knowing the difference saves you an after-hours rate.
Active water, or an opening the weather can get through.
Real, worth fixing — but not worth a midnight call-out.
Hail is rare on this side of the Hudson. What actually damages roofs here is wind: nor’easters and the tail end of Atlantic hurricanes, driving rain horizontally under any edge they can lift.
We photograph the damage, write a plain cause-of-loss description, and give you the documentation your insurer will ask for. Most policies cover sudden storm damage; almost none cover a roof that simply wore out — so the distinction is worth getting on paper properly, at the time.
Storm damage roof repairRoof work here is permitted work — and on some blocks it is reviewed work too.
Filed with the City of Hoboken before work begins.
Extra review where the building sits in the historic district.
Five things that limit the damage and make the repair faster.
Hoboken is small enough that no part of it is a drive. Whether the building is a Downtown brownstone, a Midtown walk-up or a tower on the Waterfront, it is the same crew, the same written estimate, and no travel surcharge.
Reviews from owners, landlords and building managers across the mile square.
Called them after noticing a leak in our roof, and they responded quickly. They found the problem, explained what needed to be done, and got the repair taken care of without any hassle. Very professional and reliable service.
Really happy with the roofing work. The crew showed up on time, worked efficiently, and cleaned everything up when they were finished. The roof looks great, and the price was fair. Would definitely use them again.
We had some damaged shingles after a heavy storm and needed help right away. They came out, inspected the roof, and repaired the damaged areas quickly. Great communication from start to finish and very friendly team.
Had work done? Tell us how it went.
We will come and look at it, then send a written estimate with photos and a clear scope. No obligation — and no price quoted over the phone before anyone has seen the building.
Prefer to talk? Call (551) 230-0252.
Almost always a flat or low-slope roof, not a steep shingle roof. Hoboken’s brownstones, row houses and brick walk-ups were built wall-to-wall with flat roofs hidden behind a parapet at the street. That means the right systems are modified bitumen, EPDM rubber or TPO membrane — not asphalt shingles. Any roofer who quotes you shingles for a standard Hoboken row house has not looked at the building.
Yes. A roof replacement requires a building permit from the City of Hoboken. If the building sits in the Southern Hoboken Historic District along the Washington Street corridor, visible exterior work can also require historic review, which adds time to the schedule. We pull the permit and handle the paperwork as part of the job.
A typical single row house or small walk-up is a two to four day job in good weather: tear-off, deck inspection and repair, insulation, membrane, then flashing and parapet detail. Larger mixed-use or multi-family buildings run longer. Weather is the main variable, because membrane work needs a dry deck.
Rarely in the open field of the roof. The common failure points are the parapet wall and its coping, the flashing where the membrane turns up the party wall, drains and scuppers that pond water, and old chimney or skylight penetrations.
Because Hoboken buildings share party walls, a leak showing on your top floor can originate on the roof next door. Finding the true entry point before patching is most of the job.
Not much. Hail is rare here. The real storm risk is wind — nor’easters and hurricane remnants lift membrane edges and blow off coping and flashing, and driving rain then gets under the lifted edge. Wind and water, not hail, is what most Hoboken storm claims are actually about.
It is planned before the crew arrives. Hoboken has permit parking, narrow one-way streets and almost no driveways, so we arrange street occupancy for the dumpster and material drop in advance, and stage the tear-off so the sidewalk stays usable. Buildings where the only roof access is through a top-floor unit or a common stair get scheduled with the owner or manager ahead of time.
An inspection, photographs and a written estimate — for any building in Hoboken, at no cost and with no obligation.
