We serve the southern half of Monmouth County, including Howell, Wall, Freehold, Manasquan, Brielle, Sea Girt, Spring Lake and Belmar. The jobs we do most there are full roof replacements, wind damage repairs and siding or trim upgrades on older shore homes. Call Dover Roofing at (732) 419-1462; we answer every hour of every day.
Where the shore towns and the farm roads meet
Southern Monmouth County packs two very different kinds of property into a short drive. East of the Parkway, Manasquan, Sea Girt, Spring Lake and Belmar face the ocean, and many of their houses are older shore cottages and two-story homes with wood trim, porches and steep roofs. West of it, Howell, Wall and Freehold Township spread out into wooded lots and subdivisions built mostly from the 1960s into the 1990s, with some older farmhouses still standing along the county roads.
Weather follows the same split. Near the inlet and the beaches, salt spray and nor'easter gusts loosen ridge caps, pit metal and push rain behind siding at window heads. Inland, the risk shifts to falling limbs, clogged gutters under oaks and maples, and ice building along the eaves in a cold snap. Allaire State Park and the Manasquan Reservoir put a lot of woodland right next to neighborhoods, and those trees drop plenty on roofs every fall.
What we look at first on a Monmouth County roof
When we climb a roof here, these are the spots that most often tell the story.
- Ridge caps and rake edges on homes within a mile or two of the ocean
- Step flashing where a second-story wall meets a lower porch or garage roof
- Chimney flashing and crowns on older brick chimneys
- Valleys loaded with leaves under mature oak and maple trees
- Soffit vents painted over or blocked, which traps heat and moisture in the attic
- Wood trim and window sills behind aluminum capping that may be hiding rot
- Gutters pulled away from fascia after ice or heavy leaf loads
The upgrades Monmouth homeowners ask us about most
Most calls from the northern edge of our area turn into one of these projects.
Tear-off and new architectural shingles
Many of the 1970s and 1980s colonials here are on a second roof that's reaching its end. We strip to the deck, replace soft sheathing, add ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, then install a wind-rated shingle line.
Siding that stands up to salt
On shore houses we often compare fiber cement with insulated vinyl. Fiber cement holds paint well and resists dents, while good vinyl costs less and needs almost no upkeep. Either way, house wrap and window flashing do the real work.
Trim that stops rotting
Painted pine trim near the ocean rarely lasts. Cellular PVC boards and aluminum capping keep corners, frieze boards and window casings looking sharp without a repaint every few summers.
Gutters sized for tall trees
Six-inch seamless gutters with larger downspouts and micro-mesh guards handle the leaf drop around Howell and Wall far better than the five-inch runs many houses started with.
Comparing siding for a house near the inlet?
If you live in Manasquan, Brielle or Sea Girt and you're weighing materials, read our side-by-side look at vinyl or fiber cement for a shore house. It covers cost, upkeep and how each one handles salt air. Then call (732) 419-1462 and we'll come out, measure the house and walk the walls with you so the choice is based on your home rather than a brochure.
