Flint particulars
Genesee County recorded no hail of 1 inch or larger in the NCEI reports for Jul 2024 to Jun 2026, and the largest hailstone listed was 0.88 in. Wind was another matter: 19 reports of 50 knots or more on 10 days (largest 61 kt), plus 2 tornado reports. 3 wind reports name Flint itself. No hail in the reports does not mean no hail risk, so for storm questions use the county storm tool and look at your own roof's condition.
The city's FY27 master fee schedule has a line "Permit Fees-Reroofing or Residing": $140 when the value is under $5,000 and needs one inspection, and above that it follows new construction rates ($140 plus $27 per $1,000 or part over $2,000). The table's columns do not line up cleanly in the source, so ask the city to confirm the split. Building & Safety Inspections is at 1101 S. Saginaw St, Room S106, 810-766-7284, open Monday to Thursday, 9am to 3pm.
Flint's housing is 93.2 percent pre-1980 and its median home value is $47,600. On the ground, Genesee County carries 30 psf, with Davison, Fenton, Grand Blanc and Linden at 25. Roofer pay in the Flint metro has a median of $34.02 an hour, a figure we could not confirm on the BLS table itself, so check it there: pay, not price. Nearby: Burton and Fenton.
Storm damage in Flint: what to know
Those wind reports fall on 10 days, the largest at 61 knots, and there are 2 tornado reports. The largest hailstone recorded was 0.88 inch. NCEI's data are preliminary for recent months, so use the county number as a starting point.
Before cleanup, DIFS says to photograph and film the damage, list damaged items with dates and values, and keep damaged items until the insurer says otherwise. DIFS also says public adjusters must hold a DIFS license, cannot take more than 10 percent of the settlement, and that you are not required to hire one. Asking a repairman to "cover the deductible" by inflating the bill is listed as fraud.
Permits for storm damage in Flint
Roofing and roof repair are not on the building-permit exemption list in Michigan's R105.2, and enforcement is local.
Many cities run their own building department, so start by asking the City of Flint building department who issues roofing permits.
When storm damage to a roof is an emergency
- Water is coming through a ceiling or light fixture.
- Decking is gone and the attic is open to weather.
- A tree is on the roof or the ceiling is sagging; keep out of the room.
- Power lines are down near the house; stay away and call your utility.
- A few lifted shingles with no stain inside, once photographed and reported to your insurer.
- Dented vents or gutters that still drain.
What to do from the ground and from inside after a storm
Try this first: make a list of damaged items with dates and values before you throw anything out.
- Photograph each slope and any shingle pieces from the ground, and keep the pieces.
- Check top-floor ceilings and, through the attic hatch, the underside of the roof boards for damp.
- Note when the storm hit, call your insurer and record the claim number.
- Ask any roofing company for its license number.
What storm damage costs
The estimate below is the Michigan-wide one, adjusted for Michigan wages and not for Flint in particular. The same table is on the storm damage page. How we estimate costs. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $915 to $7,400 per repair with water damage | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan roofer median wage ratio (1.07). No Michigan roofing company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Roofer wage, Michigan median | $28.62 an hour (middle half of roofers: $23.02 to $37.56) | What Michigan roofers are paid (BLS May 2025, read through O*NET OnLine), not what you are charged. |
| Residential re-roofing permit, Grand Rapids | $66 | FY2027 fee schedule. Whether a repair needs it is the city's call. |
| Roof or re-roof permit, Sterling Heights | $78, plus a $56 application fee | 2026-27 application; the sum is ours. |
| Roof permit, East Lansing | $60 application, plus $140 | Residential, with rough and final inspections. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Michigan's roofer median wage ratio to the US (1.07, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine). The wage and permit rows in the table are what roofing workers are paid and what a city's own schedule charges, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan roofing company that publishes a price we could count. Full method.
Questions about storm damage
How long do I have to file a roof storm damage claim in Michigan?
Tell your insurer as soon as possible; the suit deadline is 1 year after the loss or the policy period if longer, tolled from your notice until a formal denial.
Will my insurance replace the whole roof after hail or wind damage in Michigan?
Not necessarily: DIFS says a policy covers only the damaged portion and the insurer need not replace the entire roof, and your policy wording sets the scope.
Should I sign my insurance check over to a roofing company?
No: DIFS lists requests to sign insurance checks over to a contractor among its warning signs, so keep the check.