Licensed & Insured — NJ HIC #13VH13359900
njgoldstarconstruction@yahoo.com · 24/7 Emergency · (862) 271-1225
Home › Areas We Serve › Summit
Roofing, Chimney, Siding & Masonry Contractor in Summit, NJ
NJ Gold Star Construction serves Summit from our Totowa shop with roof repair and replacement, chimney work, siding, seamless gutters, masonry and decks. Licensed under NJ HIC #13VH13359900, insured, free written estimates, and 24/7 emergency response.
Summit’s older colonials carry steep roofs, multiple dormers and prominent masonry — work where craftsmanship is visible from the curb. We take on roofing, chimney and masonry projects here with the same written-scope process we use at home.
Homeowners in Summit get the same process we use everywhere: a hands-on inspection, a written itemized scope before anything starts, our own crew on site rather than subcontractors, and a satisfaction guarantee on the finished work. We have been doing this in North Jersey for more than 25 years.
If you are comparing quotes in Summit, call (862) 271-1225 and we will tell you plainly what the work needs — repair when repair is the right answer, replacement when it is not.
What the work includes
- Roof repair, replacement and 24/7 emergency leak response in Summit
- Chimney repair, repointing, rebuilds, liners and cleaning
- Siding installation and repair — vinyl and fiber cement
- Seamless gutters, guards, screens and cleaning
- Masonry: steps, walkways, patios, sidewalks and retaining walls
- Deck construction, structural repair and restoration
How the City of Summit's permit process works
The City of Summit directs residents to its Department of Community Services document center for construction, engineering and zoning forms, along with a permit tracking portal to monitor an application’s status. As with every New Jersey municipality, the underlying technical requirements come from the statewide Uniform Construction Code.
Summit’s Department of Community Services document center is where the forms for building, engineering, planning, zoning and public works permits are published, and applicants can track a submitted application’s status through the city’s permit tracking system rather than calling in for updates. Separately, the city issues a specific fire safety permit for work like torch-applied roofing or welding — worth flagging if your roofing contractor plans to use a torch-down method on a low-slope section.
What to confirm before work starts
- A full roof replacement needs a construction permit; ask your contractor whether a fire safety permit also applies if torch-applied materials are part of the plan.
- Confirm your contractor’s New Jersey HIC registration before signing — the city cannot issue a permit without it.
- We handle filing on jobs that require it and check both the construction and fire safety permit requirements where applicable.
Multi-dormer rooflines on Summit's older colonials
Summit’s residential character shifted from farmland to estate-scale homes in the late 19th century and continued developing through a postwar building boom, leaving a city with a higher-than-average share of older colonials carrying steep pitches, multiple dormers and prominent chimneys. Each additional roof plane and valley is another place water can find a way in.
A multi-dormer roof has more penetrations, valleys and step-flashing transitions per square foot than a simple gable roof, and every one of those transitions is a potential leak point if it was not detailed correctly the first time. On a steep-pitched Summit colonial, we walk each valley and dormer cheek individually during an inspection rather than doing a single overall assessment, because a roof this complex can have one section in excellent condition and another failing at the same time.
What we check dormer by dormer
- Step flashing at each dormer cheek wall, which fails independently of the main roof field.
- Valley metal condition where two or more roof planes meet, a common source of granule wear and leaks.
- Ice-and-water shield coverage at eaves and valleys, especially relevant on steep, shaded roof sections that hold snow longer.
Chimneys built for a different era of heating
Older Summit homes built during the city’s estate and early-suburban era often have chimneys sized and built for coal or oil heating systems that have since been replaced with gas furnaces, and CSIA’s annual inspection standard under NFPA 211 applies to those chimneys whether they are in daily use or not.
A masonry flue built decades ago for a different fuel type is a common mismatch we find on older Summit properties — oversized for a modern gas appliance, which can let combustion gases cool and condense before fully venting. CSIA points homeowners toward warning signs including creosote buildup, a sooty smell that intensifies in humid weather, and smoke backing up when another appliance runs, all of which apply here regardless of the chimney’s age or architectural prominence. A chimney liner sized correctly to the current appliance is usually the fix, alongside a look at the chimney cap and crown that keep weather out of the flue between uses.
Lead-safe practices on Summit's pre-1978 trim and siding
A large share of Summit’s older housing predates 1978, which means the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies whenever a paid contractor disturbs painted trim, siding or fascia on those homes. Certified lead-safe containment and cleanup should be part of the written scope, not something addressed after the fact.
The rule requires firms performing paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes to use EPA-certified renovators trained in lead-safe practices — proper containment and specific cleanup steps, not just general care. On a Summit property with original trim details around multiple dormers and a prominent chimney, that can mean more surface area to manage carefully than on a simpler, newer roofline. We flag this in the written scope for any siding repair or trim work on an older Summit home before the job starts.
Gutter and masonry work on Summit's mature, tree-lined lots
Summit’s older residential streets are known for mature tree canopy, and that canopy sheds onto multi-dormer roofs and into gutter systems more heavily than a newer, open-lot development would. Grading and drainage around foundations and masonry work also need to account for root systems that have grown in over decades.
A complex, multi-valley roof under heavy tree cover collects debris in more places than a simple roofline does, which is part of why we recommend a closer look at gutter guards on a heavily wooded Summit property rather than relying on a cleaning schedule alone to keep up. Mature root systems near a foundation can also affect grading over time, sometimes lifting or tilting a walkway or patio installed decades ago — something we check during a foundation-adjacent masonry estimate rather than assuming the original grade is still accurate.
If you are weighing roofing, chimney, gutter or masonry work on an older Summit property, request a free written estimate and we will walk the whole exterior, not just the specific complaint that prompted the call.
Services available in Summit
NJ Gold Star Construction repairs and replaces asphalt shingle, flat and metal roofs across Berg…
We repair, repoint, reline and fully rebuild masonry chimneys throughout North Jersey, and we cl…
We install seamless aluminum and copper gutters, add guards and screens, and repair or clean exi…
We build and repair steps, walkways, patios, sidewalks, retaining walls and stone veneer across …
We install and repair vinyl, fiber cement and wood siding across North Jersey, including the wat…
We build new decks and repair existing ones across North Jersey — footings, framing, decking, ra…
Frequently asked questions
Do you serve Summit?
Yes. Summit is part of our regular service area for roofing, chimney, siding, gutter, masonry and deck work.
How fast can you get to Summit for an emergency?
We answer 24/7 and reach active leaks in Summit the same day whenever possible, tarping to stop water before the permanent repair is scheduled.
Are you licensed to work in Summit?
Yes. We hold New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor license #13VH13359900, carry full insurance, and pull permits with your municipality where the work requires them.
Does Summit require a separate permit for torch-down roofing work?
It can. The city issues a specific fire safety permit covering activities like torch-applied roofing and welding, separate from the standard construction permit for the roof replacement itself. We confirm both requirements with the city before scheduling a job that involves a torch-applied low-slope section on your roof.
Why do older Summit homes have so many roof valleys and dormers?
Summit’s residential character developed from large estate-era homes in the late 1800s through a postwar building boom, both periods that favored steep, multi-plane rooflines with dormers for added light and space. Each additional plane adds a valley or flashing transition, which is why these roofs need a more detailed inspection than a simple gable roof would.
Should an older Summit chimney be relined before switching to gas heat?
Often, yes. A masonry flue originally built for a coal or oil-fired system is frequently oversized for a modern gas appliance, which can let combustion gases cool before fully venting. A liner sized to the current appliance is the typical fix, and it is worth checking during any furnace conversion, not just when a problem shows up later on.
Does NJ Gold Star track permit status for Summit projects?
Yes. Summit provides a permit tracking portal for submitted applications, and on jobs where we file the paperwork, we monitor that status alongside our own project schedule so you get an accurate timeline rather than a guess. We would rather flag a delay early than let a review sit unmonitored.
Do mature trees near a Summit home affect roofing material choices?
Indirectly, yes. Heavy shade and debris load favor materials and details that shed moisture reliably and resist granule wear, and they make ice-and-water shield coverage at eaves and valleys more important than it would be on an open, sunny lot. We factor tree cover into the specification, not just the maintenance schedule, when we write the estimate for a shaded Summit roof.
- Get a Permit — City of Summit, NJ
- Homeowner Resources — Chimney Safety Institute of America
- Renovation, Repair and Painting Program — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Updated September 2026 · Reviewed by Edgar Lopez Gonzalez, owner · NJ HIC #13VH13359900
Licensed & insured. 25+ years in North Jersey. We answer 24/7 for leaks and storm damage.
- Town
- Summit, Union County
- License
- NJ HIC #13VH13359900
- Emergency service
- 24/7 — call (862) 271-1225
- Estimates
- Free, written and itemized