General Contractor & Roofing, Siding, Gutter, Chimney Services in Montclair, NJ
Polar Contracting is the roofing, siding, gutter and chimney specialist Montclair homeowners call when restoring a Shingle Style estate, a Watchung Plaza Foursquare or a South End Tudor — without losing the architectural character the township is famous for.
0704207043
Your Trusted Montclair General Contractor
Few Essex County towns are as architecturally protected as Montclair. From the Frederick Law Olmsted-influenced layouts of the Estate Section to the dense Edwardian blocks behind Watchung Plaza, every street has its own design vocabulary — and exterior work needs to respect it. We routinely match cedar shake reveal lines, restore historic copper half-round profiles, and source slate-look products that actually pass review by Montclair's Historic Preservation Commission.
As a locally-owned general contractor based in nearby Clifton, we understand the roofing, gutter, siding and chimney challenges that Montclair homeowners face — from harsh North Jersey winters to summer storms rolling off Montclair Art Museum.
Why local experience matters for your Montclair, NJ home.
Montclair History & Character
Montclair was set off from Bloomfield in 1868 and grew rapidly when the Greenwood Lake railroad opened a direct line to Manhattan. That rail-driven prosperity built one of the most concentrated collections of Stanford White-era Shingle Style, Queen Anne Victorian and Tudor Revival housing in the country. Many Estate Section homes still wear roofs the architects originally specified — natural slate, terne metal valleys, copper standing-seam dormers — most now well past their 100-year mark.
Montclair Housing Stock
The two ZIPs split Montclair's housing tellingly: 07043 (Upper Montclair) skews toward larger Tudor Revivals, Shingle Style estates and Colonial Revivals on quarter-acre+ lots; 07042 (the South End and downtown) leans denser, with Foursquares, Edwardian two-families and the township's distinctive 'Montclair Cottage' style. We do natural and DaVinci synthetic slate, half-round copper and aluminum gutters with hidden hangers, cedar and Hardie restoration, and full chimney rebuilds with cast-stone or natural-stone caps that pass historic review.
Weather & Roof Wear in Montclair
Montclair sits on the eastern slope of First Watchung Mountain, which means west-facing roofs in the Estate Section catch the brunt of summer thunderstorms rolling off the ridge. The township's signature mature oak and copper-beech canopy — especially along Upper Mountain Avenue, Highland and Lloyd Road — drops staggering fall debris that crushes undersized gutters. Combine that with Mountainside-side ice damming on shaded north slopes and you have a town where shortcuts on flashing, ventilation and gutter sizing show up within two winters.
Serving Near Montclair's Landmarks
We provide roofing, gutter, siding and chimney services throughout Montclair, including homes and businesses near:
Montclair Art Museum
Wellmont Theater
Watchung Plaza
Eagle Rock Reservation
Anderson Park
Brookdale Park
Mountainside Hospital
The Crane House and Historic YWCA
Montclair Neighborhoods We Serve
Our crews work in every Montclair neighborhood, including:
Upper Montclair
Estate Section
South End
Watchung Plaza
Walnut Street arts district
Frog Hollow
Erwin Park
Marlboro Inn area
Our Services in Montclair
Roofing, siding, gutters and chimney work — one trusted local crew for every exterior project on your Montclair, NJ home.
Roofing in Montclair, NJ
Roofing in Montclair, NJ means matching the original — DaVinci or natural slate on Estate Section Shingle Style and Tudor Revivals, premium architectural shingles on South End Foursquares, copper-pan valleys and step-flashing on dormered Victorians. Every Montclair roof we install is detailed for Historic Preservation Commission review and built for the freeze-thaw and ridge-line wind that hit First Watchung.
We restore Montclair's distinctive cladding work — half-timbered Tudor stucco panels, original cedar shake on Shingle Style estates, hand-cut wood lap on Frog Hollow Cottages — with a combination of true cedar, fiber-cement and engineered wood that holds the historic profile while ending the repaint cycle.
Half-round copper with cast bronze hidden hangers is the Montclair standard on Estate Section Victorians and Tudors; on South End and Watchung Plaza homes we run heavy-gauge seamless aluminum sized for the township's brutal oak canopy. Either way, downspouts get upsized and tied into proper drainage so basements stay dry.
Montclair's original brick and brownstone chimneys take a beating from Watchung freeze-thaw. We rebuild crowns with cast stone, repoint with historically-matched lime-rich mortar where required, install stainless caps that suit the architecture, and waterproof with vapor-permeable sealers — no shiny silicone slop.
Answers to the most common questions from Montclair homeowners.
Can you do exterior work that passes Montclair's Historic Preservation Commission review?+
Yes. We've prepared HPC submission packets for Estate Section and Upper Montclair properties — material samples, profile drawings, color matches — and adjusted scopes mid-job to address review feedback.
Will you install natural slate, or only synthetic slate, on a Montclair Shingle Style?+
Both. Natural Vermont and Buckingham slate are still the right answer on certain Estate Section homes; DaVinci synthetic slate is appropriate for budget-conscious or weight-restricted decks. We'll tell you honestly which fits your specific roof.
What's involved in re-doing copper gutters on an Upper Montclair Tudor?+
Tear-off of the failing system, fascia inspection and any rot replacement, custom-bent half-round copper with hidden hangers, soldered miters and matching round downspouts. We also re-plumb to existing or new underground drainage.
Do you handle Montclair brick chimney rebuilds above the roof line?+
Routinely. Above-the-roof rebuild, new cast-stone crown, stainless cap, repoint and waterproof — typically a 2–3 day job depending on chimney size and access.
Also Serving Near Montclair
Polar Contracting works across Essex County and the surrounding North Jersey communities.
Montclair homeowners hire Polar Contracting because we know the difference between a Shingle Style cottage in the Estate Section and an Edwardian two-family on Pine Street — and we detail, source and price the work accordingly. We also handle the Historic Preservation Commission paperwork most contractors quietly avoid.
Local Expertise
Based in Clifton, we know Montclair and Essex County building codes inside and out.
Fast Response
Quick service for Montclair residents with same-day estimates available.
Trusted Reputation
5-star reviews from Montclair homeowners who trust our quality work.
Need a General Contractor in Montclair, NJ?
Get your free roofing, gutter, siding or chimney estimate today. We proudly serve Montclair and all of Essex County.