Roof emergencies answered 24/7PullmanGrand JunctionFennvilleSouth HavenBloomingdaleBangorAlleganSaugatuck & DouglasGoblesHollandKalamazooPortage(616) 360-2522 Roof emergencies answered 24/7PullmanGrand JunctionFennvilleSouth HavenBloomingdaleBangorAlleganSaugatuck & DouglasGoblesHollandKalamazooPortage(616) 360-2522

Roof Inspections in Southwest Michigan

Lifetime Construction Builders inspects your roof for free when you want an estimate, after a storm, or for an insurance claim. One visit covers the roof and the attic where we can reach it, with dated photos of what we find. When work is needed, you get a written estimate. We're family owned, roofing since 2009, and a real person answers our line 24/7.

Book a free inspection (616) 360-2522 A real person answers 24/7
Request a free inspection
  • Michigan license 252400088
  • Insured: $1M liability, $2M workers' comp
  • BBB Accredited
  • Atlas Preferred Contractor
Drone view of a brick house getting a new dark shingle roof, with two roofers working the front slope near the chimney and skylights
Two roofers on the front slope of a new shingle roof

When your roof needs an inspection

NOAA's 1991–2020 normals give Bloomingdale 109 inches of snow a year, 91.6 of them from December through February. A spring roof inspection, once that snow is gone, shows what winter did. A storm, an insurance claim, or a roof nearing the end of its lifespan are the other times to call.

Recent winter storms in Allegan and Van Buren counties

  1. Van Buren CountyHigh wind, 64 mph measured
  2. Allegan County1.5 to 2.5 feet of snow
  3. Allegan CountyIce storm, up to 0.75 inch of freezing rain
  4. Allegan CountyBlizzard, 1 to 2 feet of snow
  5. Gobles28 inches of lake-effect snow

Sources: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 climate normals.

Signs on an asphalt shingle roof

  • Granule loss, with granules collecting in the gutters
  • Bruised or creased shingles and lifted tabs
  • Nail pops and missing shingles

Signs on a metal roof

  • Loose or missing fasteners
  • Open seams
  • Rust

Signs on a flat roof

  • Open seams in the membrane
  • Water ponding after rain
  • Punctures in the membrane

Signs in the attic and at the eaves

  • Daylight through the roof deck
  • Stains on the deck and damp insulation
  • Thick icicles along the gutters and eaves, which the state's MIREADY guide says can mean an ice dam
An ice dam forms when warm attic air melts the roof snow and the water refreezes at the colder eaves.
Long icicles hanging from a snow-covered roof eave on a brick house
Icicles along a snow-covered eave

MIREADY warns that water ponding behind an ice dam can back up under the shingles, into the attic, and onto ceilings along the outside walls. It recommends attic insulation of at least R-30, with R-38 preferable, and airflow from the soffits out through the roof vents. That's why our inspection includes the attic wherever we can reach it.

Brick bungalow with snow covering its hip shingle roof, deep snow in the yard, and bare trees behind
Snow covering the hip roof of a brick bungalow

Roof inspections: the first four answers

What homeowners ask us first about a roof inspection.

How much does a roof inspection cost?

Nothing. Lifetime Construction Builders inspects roofs for free when you want an estimate, after a storm, or for an insurance claim. If the roof needs work, you get a written estimate, and its price doesn't change.

What does a roof inspection consist of?

A walk of the roof, and of the attic where we can reach it, with dated photos of what we find. Lifetime Construction Builders writes an estimate when work is needed, so you know what the repair or replacement would cost.

How long does a roof inspection take?

One visit. How long Lifetime Construction Builders spends on your roof depends on how easy the roof is to reach, snow cover in winter, and why you called, whether that's a storm, a claim, or an estimate.

Why do I keep getting calls about roof inspections?

Storms bring door-to-door and phone sellers. DIFS, Michigan's insurance department, warns of fraudsters posing as contractors and adjusters after storms. Ask any roofer for a Michigan license number and check it with LARA. Lifetime Construction Builders holds Michigan license 252400088.

Free roof inspections, booked 24/7 (616) 360-2522

What our customers wrote on Google

A roofer who never sends the quote he promised is one of the complaints we read most in West Michigan roofing reviews. Our inspection ends with a written estimate whenever work is needed. We're rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google.

This was my first time needing roof work done. From start to finish, Lifetime Construction made the whole process a great experience. The work they do is absolutely amazing!
Sandra S. Google review
“Lifetime Construction Builders has completed three distinct roofing projects for me, all of the highest quality. The team is excellent at their tasks, always on time, communicative, and responsive to phone calls while solving problems. I would strongly recommend them.”
Clark R. Google review
“Great customer service and competitive pricing. Look to them to do your roof. Very professional and on time.”
Trevor S. Google review
Read our reviews on Google Meet Luis and the team

What happens at a free roof inspection

Every roof inspection runs the same four steps. Luis, our regional manager in Michigan, is your contact from the visit to the estimate.

  1. You call, and a real person answers

    Call (616) 360-2522 any time; the line is answered 24/7. Tell us your town and why you want the roof checked: an estimate, a storm, or an insurance claim.

  2. We walk the roof and the attic

    In one visit, a roofer walks the roof, and the attic where we can reach it. Roof access and winter snow cover can change when we come out.

    Looking down the ridge of a gray architectural shingle roof, with a worker and a white pickup truck below
    Gray architectural shingles along a ridge

  3. Dated photos of what we found

    You get dated photos, so you see your roof the way the roofer saw it. For an insurance claim, those photos go to your adjuster, and claim help costs nothing extra.

    How our insurance claim help works.

  4. A written estimate when work is needed

    If the roof needs a repair or a new roof, you get a written estimate, and its price doesn't change. Every installation that follows carries our lifetime transferable warranty.

    Read about roof repair and roof replacement.

Call (616) 360-2522 Or request a free inspection

Roof inspection cost in Michigan

A roof inspection from Lifetime Construction Builders costs nothing when you want an estimate, after a storm, or for an insurance claim.

If the inspection finds a problem, most roof repairs cost $450 to $1,500. Your price is in the written estimate, and it doesn't change once you have it.

Roof repair prices

What a roof inspection costs

  • Inspection with an estimateFreeOne visit; a written estimate when work is needed
  • Inspection after a stormFreeOne visit, with dated photos
  • Inspection for an insurance claimFreeDated photos for your adjuster

What the visit depends on

  • Roof access
  • Snow cover in winter
  • The reason for the inspection

Free inspection and written estimate. Financing available, ask Luis. 5% military discount. We take credit card, check, or cash.

More roof inspection questions

Insurance, roof age, Michigan code, permits, and winter. Anything else, ask on the phone.

A person answers 24/7(616) 360-2522
Should I get a roof inspection before filing an insurance claim?

Yes, it shows you what to report. Lifetime Construction Builders' free inspection gives you dated photos of the damage, and our claim help costs nothing extra. DIFS, Michigan's insurance department, also tells homeowners to photograph storm damage and keep their receipts.

How do I know a roofer isn't selling me a roof I don't need?

Look at the dated photos. Lifetime Construction Builders photographs what the roofer finds, so you can see the problem yourself. Any work we recommend goes in a written estimate, and that price doesn't change.

Should a 20-year-old roof be replaced?

Age alone doesn't decide it. InterNACHI puts the lifespan of 3-tab shingles at about 20 years, architectural shingles at about 30, and metal at 40 to 80. A free inspection from Lifetime Construction Builders shows whether your roof needs a repair or a full replacement.

When does Michigan code rule out a new roof over the old one?

Under the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, the old roofing must come off first if the roof already has two or more layers or is water-soaked or deteriorated. Rusted or damaged flashing can't be reused. Lifetime Construction Builders' dated inspection photos show which applies to your roof.

Do I need a permit to reroof my house in Michigan?

Usually, though each township and city sets its own rules. Saugatuck Township charges $100 plus $4 per $1,000 of project value, and the City of Kalamazoo $52 per structure. Kalamazoo's form asks for the contractor's license number; Lifetime Construction Builders' is 252400088.

Can you inspect a roof in the winter?

Often, yes. Heavy snow cover can push an inspection back, because the roofer needs to see the shingles. A spring inspection after the snow melts shows what winter did, and the Lifetime Construction Builders line is answered 24/7 to book one.

Does a home inspection check the roof?

Not always up close. Home inspectors often don't walk the roof and refer buyers to a roofer. Lifetime Construction Builders walks the roof and the attic where it can reach them, takes dated photos, and writes an estimate when work is needed.

Roof inspections across Southwest Michigan

Our office is at 605 56th Street in Pullman. We inspect roofs for free in all twelve towns listed here, from Holland and South Haven to Kalamazoo and Portage.

Lake-effect snow and your roof

Roof services after the inspection

Book a free roof inspection

Tell us your town and why you want the roof checked, and we'll call you back to set up the visit. Prefer to talk first? Visit our contact page.

Rather talk now? Call (616) 360-2522

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