Paperwork and offices in three New Jersey towns
Papers to ask for, and the office that answers
What New Jersey's own pages say about contractor registration, written contracts, payments and roof paperwork, followed by the office to ask in Colonia, Iselin and Edison. Everything reported here is a published rule or a published page; none of it speaks for any contractor.
Colonia and Iselin share the township's office
Colonia is one of ten recognized sections of Woodbridge Township, and Iselin is another, so a permit question for either one goes to the same township office. The Building Department occupies the third floor of the municipal building, 1 Main Street, Woodbridge 07095, phone 732-602-6003. According to the home-improvement handout, the office opens at eight and closes at half past four on weekdays, with Tuesdays running later (to 6:30 p.m.), and 732-602-6033 is the line for scheduling inspections. For the township generally, call 732-634-4500. Edison is a township of its own, with its own office, described below.
Whom to ask in each place
| Town | Office and address | Phone | What its pages say about roofing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonia | Woodbridge Township Building Department, municipal building, third floor, 1 Main Street, Woodbridge 07095 | 732-602-6003; inspections 732-602-6033 | The permit and home-improvement handouts do not mention roofing |
| Iselin | Woodbridge Township Building Department, municipal building, third floor, 1 Main Street, Woodbridge 07095 | 732-602-6003; inspections 732-602-6033 | The permit and home-improvement handouts do not mention roofing |
| Edison | Code Enforcement, 100 Municipal Boulevard, Edison 08817 | 732-248-7257 | A construction permit is also required to replace siding or roofing; minor work such as roofing usually gets its permit within three days or at the counter |
| All three towns | NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, contractor registration | 800-242-5846; applications 1-888-656-6225 | Registration, complaints and the 2024 licensing law are state matters |
Notes from the sources
- Woodbridge Township, Building Department directory page
- Woodbridge Township, Planning a Home Improvement (PDF)
- Township of Edison, Code Enforcement (permits and construction code)
- NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, Home Improvement Contractor Registration FAQ
- NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, advice on hiring home improvement contractors (1 November 2012)
Checked 1 Nov 2026
What the state's registration number is, and is not
In the Division of Consumer Affairs FAQ, anyone who makes or sells home improvements as a business registers with the Division, whether a sole proprietor, a company or a partnership. The registration is renewed each year ahead of March 31. The number goes on advertising, business cards, vehicles used for the business and business paperwork, and the application includes proof of commercial general liability insurance for $500,000 per occurrence. The FAQ calls this registration and never describes the number as a license. A first violation can cost up to $10,000 and each later one up to $20,000. The FAQ's list of covered improvements does not name roofing but closes with other repairs to residential property. The Division's verification page lists home improvement contractors among the business types you can look up, and its phone line is 800-242-5846.
A 2024 law points toward licensing
The governor signed P.L.2023, c.237 on 8 January 2024. It creates a state board, inside Consumer Affairs, to license contractors in two trades, home improvement and home elevation, and roofing appears on the list of limited specialties the board may license. Its licensing sections, 9 through 13, do not operate until the sixth month after the board adopts rules, while other sections start on the first day of the 25th month after enactment. Consumer Affairs' notice to contractors adds workers' compensation coverage and extra security to the registration process, renames registrants Home Improvement Contractor Businesses, and says existing registrations expired on 31 March 2025. No page read for this site reports whether the board has adopted its rules yet, so a call to Consumer Affairs settles whether a roofer needs a license or a registration number today.
Is a roof replacement a permit job?
The sources disagree. A 2018 state notice on ordinary maintenance puts roof work in the no-permit, no-inspection column for one- and two-family dwellings that are detached. Repairing the roof covering or replacing all of it counts, whatever the amount. The same notice adds that the exemption is not a waiver from code compliance. Edison's code page, on the other hand, says a construction permit is needed to replace siding or roofing. It adds that small jobs such as roofing normally get a permit within three days or while the applicant waits at the counter. Woodbridge's permit and home-improvement handouts say nothing about roofing. For a given roof, phone the office for that town and put the question in exactly those words.
Two Woodbridge pages, two answers on contractors
Woodbridge's contractor page says that as of 31 December 2005 home improvement contractors have to register with the State, and it sends readers to Consumer Affairs at 1-888-656-6225; it describes no township license. The township's construction permit handout, by contrast, carries a line saying contractors performing residential home improvements need a license from Woodbridge Township. Consumer Affairs' FAQ says the state Act supersedes municipal licensing of home improvement contractors from 1 January 2006, while municipal construction permits and inspections still apply. If the Building Department asks for a township license, ask it to say which rule it applies.
Edison's Code Enforcement office, hour by hour
Code Enforcement in Edison is at 100 Municipal Boulevard, Edison 08817, phone 732-248-7257, open Monday to Friday, from eight until half past four. The township's main line is 732-287-0900. Inspections run from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon on weekdays; an inspector wants 24 hours' notice and an unobstructed view of the work. On the same page, state law is said to oblige the Construction Official to fine anyone who does permit work without a permit. An application may take up to twenty working days, although minor work such as roofing needs only minimal plan review.
Notes from the sources
- Township of Edison, Code Enforcement (permits and construction code)
- Township of Edison, Engineering Department
- Township of Edison, official website
Checked 1 Nov 2026
What a written job contract spells out
Section 13:45A-16.2 of the New Jersey Administrative Code asks for a written, signed contract on any home improvement priced over $500, and every change gets written down too. The contract names the seller and gives a business address. It describes the job with the key products and materials, lists the total price along with any finance charges, and sets starting and finishing dates, plus any promises the seller makes about the work. The rule also covers timing and money. Building and construction permits are to be in hand before work begins, inspection certificates are handed over when construction ends, and the seller cannot ask for the last payment until the job is finished.
Notes from the sources
Checked 1 Nov 2026
The thirds that Consumer Affairs suggests
A 2012 Consumer Affairs release suggests dividing the price into three equal payments, the first as work begins, the second around the midpoint and the third at completion; the whole amount is never paid up front. It recommends obtaining the contractor's liability insurance policy, verifying it with the insurer, and confirming the registration with the Division at 800-242-5846. The release also warns about opportunists from out of state and about strangers who ask for credit card details by phone or online.
Notes from the sources
Checked 1 Nov 2026
Three business days to cancel a sale made at home
The Federal Trade Commission's Cooling-Off Rule sets the cancellation right at midnight on the third business day after a covered sale; the count includes Saturdays and leaves out Sundays and federal holidays. Covered sales are those made in the buyer's home, at a temporary location set up by the seller, or in a comparable setting. Sales conducted entirely online, by mail or by phone are outside the rule, as are sales worked out at the seller's own permanent business location. A covered sale obliges the seller to explain the cancellation right, provide two cancellation forms, and supply a copy of the contract bearing its date. More exclusions appear on the FTC page, so read it before leaning on the rule.
Choosing a roofer after a storm
The department's storm sheet gives a short routine: tell the insurance company about the loss promptly, do any temporary repairs the damage calls for, keep each receipt, and photograph damaged property before it is disposed of. Using the insurer's recommended contractor is optional. The insurer is expected to supply its damage estimate on paper and to name, on request, a contractor willing to work at that figure. Questions can go to the department's Consumer Hotline, 1-800-446-7467, weekdays, half past eight until five.
Notes from the sources
Checked 1 Nov 2026
When the paperwork stays unclear
Pick the office for your town from the table, ask the roofing question in plain words, and write down the name and the date. Then call (732) 568-2812 and say what the office told you.
