Buchanan is a small village of about 2,300 people on 1.75 square miles, incorporated in 1928 and long known as the home of the now-decommissioned Indian Point plant. Next door, the unincorporated hamlet of Montrose has about 2,900 residents and was the site of King's Ferry, the Revolutionary War crossing of the Hudson. Together they have roughly 2,000 homes, most of them single-family.
Buchanan sits only about 39 feet above sea level, with Montrose a bit higher at about 118 feet. The local landscape mixes riverfront, wooded hills, steep slopes, wetlands and streams. That combination means two roofing problems at once: open wind and rain coming off the Hudson, and damp, shaded roofs on the wooded side. A house on the flats near the water and a house up the hill in Montrose can need quite different details.
Two places, two permit offices
Buchanan counted 877 housing units in 2020, and Montrose 1,125. Most are single-family houses on streets that run from the river toward the hills around Tate Avenue, Verplanck and Crugers. Because Buchanan is a village and Montrose is part of the Town of Cortlandt, two homes a few hundred yards apart can need permits from two different offices.
What to plan for on a Buchanan and Montrose roof
Wind-driven rain off the river
Low riverfront homes in Buchanan and Verplanck take rain sideways off the Hudson. The code requires ice-barrier membrane along the eaves, and on these houses Jersey Roofing's crew also runs it through every valley and along walls and chimneys. They fasten shingles to enhanced-wind specs, with GAF starter strips at eaves and rakes or the Owens Corning Duration system with OC starter and hip and ridge.
Damp, shaded roofs in Montrose
The wooded hills and wetlands around Montrose keep many roofs in shade and humid air. Moss and algae grow fast there, and condensation can build up in poorly vented attics. Jersey Roofing's crew balances soffit intake with ridge exhaust and checks the deck for soft spots from past moisture, and we recommend algae-resistant shingles that resist the dark streaking common on north slopes.
Ice dams on a cold river corner
Westchester averages 25 to 50 inches of snow a year, and homes on the hill above the river can hold it on shaded eaves. Ice dams form when warm attic air melts snow that refreezes at the cold overhang. Good ventilation, sealed attic penetrations and the ice-barrier membrane together are what prevent water from backing up under the shingles.
Roof permits in Buchanan and Montrose
- Office
- Village of Buchanan Building Department
- Phone
- (914) 737-1033
- Website
- buchananny.gov/building.html
Buchanan addresses permit through the Village at 236 Tate Avenue; Montrose (10548) is unincorporated and uses the Town of Cortlandt Code Enforcement Division at (914) 734-1010. Jersey Roofing files with whichever office applies.
The roof systems installed in Buchanan and Montrose
Jersey Roofing installs complete GAF and Owens Corning systems: ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, starter strips, architectural or designer shingles, matched ridge cap and balanced ventilation. On a qualifying GAF system it can register the Golden Pledge® warranty, and on an Owens Corning system, Platinum Protection. Both include lifetime workmanship coverage. Compare the warranties.
Neighborhoods we serve in and around Buchanan and Montrose
- Verplanck
- Montrose
- Crugers
- Tate Avenue area