Roofing in Ann Arbor
The state's snow table lists Washtenaw County at 25 psf of ground snow, with Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Saline at 20. That is snow on the ground, not the load on a roof. Ann Arbor also has 15 local historic districts, where the city says work is reviewed by the Historic District Commission and by city staff, and building permit applications in a district get a staff review with a $35 fee on the fee schedule.
The page we read does not name roofs, so whether a re-roof triggers that review is something to ask before you sign. Building and Construction Services is at 301 E. Huron St, 734-794-6263, and applications go through STREAM. Housing in Ann Arbor is 64.3 percent pre-1980 with a median home value of $435,100, the highest in our first group of cities. For storms, Washtenaw County had 1 hail report of 1 inch or larger and 12 wind reports of 50 knots or more on 6 days (largest 61 kt) in Jul 2024 to Jun 2026, plus 1 tornado report.
Reports naming Ann Arbor itself give 7 wind and 1 tornado, a minimum. Roofer pay in the Ann Arbor metro has a median of $29.68 an hour (medium confidence, via O*NET): pay, not price. See Ypsilanti and Novi too.
What roofing costs near Ann Arbor
We have collected no quotes for Ann Arbor, so there is no price for the city itself. The statewide estimates are on each service page, and the Michigan page lists them with what roofers are paid (the Michigan median in BLS data for May 2025 is $28.62 an hour, which is pay, not price) and the permit fees we could read. How we estimate costs.
Permits for roofing work in Ann Arbor
Many cities run their own building department, so start by asking the City of Ann Arbor building department who issues roofing permits.
Whether a re-roof needs a permit is decided city by city. Most of the cities whose pages we read ask for one, and Portage does not for a shingle-only replacement, so the building department is the office to ask. Read the permit guide
Roofing jobs in Ann Arbor
The short answer to each job, as it applies across Michigan. Each links to the full page with the cost evidence, permit rules and what to try first.
- Emergency roof repairEmergency roof repair in Michigan means stopping water from getting into the house and keeping the damage from growing, which is also what most insurance policies expect of you. DIFS, the state insurance regulator, names covering a damaged roof with a tarp as the example, tells you to save the receipts, and says to leave permanent repairs until the insurer has inspected.
- Roof repair in Ann ArborRoof repair in Michigan can mean replacing a few shingles or refastening flashing, or it can be the visit that shows the whole covering has to come off. No Michigan statute or code text we read sets a percentage that forces a replacement, so the 25 percent rule you may have heard of has no Michigan source.
- Roof replacement in Ann ArborRoof replacement in Michigan means removing the existing roof coverings down to the deck, then building back up with underlayment, an ice barrier along the eaves and the new covering. Whether you need a permit depends on your city, and who pays depends on your policy, including whether it settles at actual cash value or replacement cost.
- Roof leakRoof leak repair starts with finding where the water gets in, which can sit some distance from the stain on the ceiling. In a Michigan winter the cause may be an ice dam, and DIFS says standard homeowners policies cover a range of winter damage including ice dams and leaky roofs, though cause and policy wording still decide.
- Storm damage in Ann ArborRoof storm damage in Michigan follows an order set by DIFS, the state insurance regulator: tell your insurer, photograph before any cleanup, make only temporary repairs, then wait for the inspection. DIFS also says a homeowners policy covers only the damaged part of a roof when hail or wind lifts shingles.
- Roof inspectionA roof inspection is a written, photographed look at the roof covering, flashings, vents and the attic below, done to say what condition the roof is in and what needs work. Book one before a claim to have a record, after a storm to see what changed, or before a purchase to learn what you are buying.
- GuttersGutter installation in Michigan is licensed work: the state's residential maintenance and alteration license lists gutters among its trades, and a job of $600 or more needs it. DIFS advises keeping gutters clean to prevent ice damming, while ENERGY STAR ties ice dams to an under-sealed attic, so a gutter job answers only part of the winter problem.
- Flat roofFlat roof repair in Michigan starts with the slope, because the 2015 residential code allows asphalt shingles only on slopes of 2:12 or more, and a roof below that needs a different roofing system. The state also sets ground snow load by county, from 20 pounds per square foot in Monroe to 90 to 100 in Keweenaw, and those are ground figures, not the load on your roof.
- Metal roofMetal roof installation in Michigan is permitted and licensed like any other re-roof: a local building permit where your city requires one, and a company holding the roofing craft on a Michigan maintenance and alteration license. As we read the 2015 code that still applies to houses, its ice barrier list does not name metal panels, and metal may go over some existing roofs if the manufacturer's instructions allow it.
- SkylightSkylight installation in Michigan means cutting a hole in the roof deck, framing it, and flashing the unit so water goes around it, and the 2015 code requires flashing at every roof opening. A unit skylight installed to the code's glazing section and flashed per the manufacturer's instructions may go in without a cricket.
- Chimney flashingChimney flashing repair in Michigan replaces or rebuilds the metal that carries water over the joint where the chimney meets the roof. The 2015 code that still applies to houses requires corrosion-resistant flashing there, and a cricket behind any chimney more than 30 inches wide.
More on Michigan roofing
Licensing, the building code, permits, snow load, storms and insurance claims are covered once for the whole state on the Michigan page. To check a roofing company, read how to check a roofer's license in Michigan.