West Michigan Roofing Resources & Guides

Once a year for most homes, ideally in fall before lake-effect snow arrives, plus an extra look after any major wind or hail event. Grand Rapids roofs endure heavy snow loads and constant freeze-thaw cycling, so an annual inspection catches ice dam wear, lifted shingles, and failing flashing while the fixes are still small and cheap. Our roof health inspections are free across the region.

It comes down to remaining life, how widespread the damage is, and the deck underneath, not the birthday. Isolated damage on a roof comfortably inside its service life usually calls for a targeted repair, most of ours carrying a 10 to 15 year warranty. Widespread granule loss, curling, repeated leaks in different places, two existing layers, or a soft deck point to replacement, and once a roof is inside roughly its last five years, we recommend replacement when a repair would exceed about 25 percent of replacement cost. Our repair-versus-replace guide walks the whole framework, and a free inspection settles it.

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that builds along the cold eaves of a roof when heat escaping into the attic melts the snow higher up and the meltwater refreezes at the edge. The dam traps water behind it and forces it up under the shingles, and it's the leading cause of winter roof leaks in West Michigan. Note what causes it: the attic, not the shingles. The lasting fixes are adequate attic insulation and updated air intake at the soffits with exhaust at the ridge; ice and water shield at the eaves is the backup barrier that limits the damage when a dam forms, but by the manufacturers' own admission it doesn't prevent one.

Our rule: once roughly 6 to 8 inches has accumulated, the two-week forecast shows no daily temperatures above 35, and more snow is coming. That's snow with no exit plan, and the load only grows from there. Use a roof rake from the ground in small sections, leave an inch or two of snow so the rake never contacts the shingles, and never use a ladder or walk the roof in winter. If the accumulation is beyond rake reach, the roof is steep, or a dam is already forming, call us; roof snow removal is one of our winter services, roofs only, done safely by people who do it for a living.

Stay off the roof. Check from the ground and the attic for leaks, daylight, or stains, photograph everything before touching anything, and set buckets under active drips. Don't tarp it yourself; a tarp installed wrong often causes more damage than the storm did, and that damage may not be covered. Call us to inspect, stabilize, and document. If the roof is open and can't wait, emergency response has us there usually within 24 hours at a premium; if it can hold, standard scheduling covers it in a couple of days at most. The full playbook is in our storm damage guide.

Yes. A roof health inspection and written estimate cost you nothing and carry no obligation. We walk the roof, check the attic and deck, document what we find with photos, and give you the honest answer, repair, replacement, or leave it alone, with real numbers attached. If it's a repair, we say repair. Call or text (616) 840-1927 or schedule online.