Roof Inspection Cost in Michigan (and When It Is Free)

A paid roof inspection usually costs a few hundred dollars. Fixr's cost guide puts the typical range at $307 to $571, and Thumbtack's 2026 data shows basic physical inspections at $75 to $200, drone inspections at $150 to $400, and certification letters adding $75 to $200 on top. A roofer's inspection is normally free, and ours is. Paying makes sense when you need an opinion from someone who is not bidding on the work.

I am Aaron Scott, licensed Michigan residential builder and owner of Roofing Army. None of the national cost guides publish a Michigan-only figure, so every price below is a national band with its source named. What we can speak to directly is the free side: what a roofer's inspection should include, where the free model carries a real conflict of interest, and the few situations where an independent report is worth the money.

How Much Does a Paid Roof Inspection Cost?

The price depends more on who does it and what you get at the end than on the roof itself:

Two other benchmarks help you sanity-check a quote. Fixr's guide, updated in early 2025, puts the national average at $426 with a spread from $120 to $800. Thumbtack's data, updated this month, shows a wider national range of $233 to $1,160 and an attic add-on of $125 to $200. One rule holds across all of them: a certification fee never includes the repairs needed to earn the certificate.

Does a Home Inspection Cover the Roof?

Partly. HomeAdvisor's data, cited in June 2026, puts a general home inspection at $344 on average, with a $230 roof add-on recommended when shingles are curling, patched, or past 18 years old. The InterNACHI Residential Standards of Practice, which many home inspectors follow, say the roof is inspected "from ground level or the eaves," and the inspector is not required to walk on any roof surface, enter an attic that is not readily accessible, determine the adequacy of ventilation, predict remaining service life, or certify the roof. That is the product you are buying, and it is why so many reports end with "recommend evaluation by a qualified roofing contractor."

In 2026, 57 of our phone calls were tied to a closing, and 12 came from new owners whose inspector had flagged the roof after the sale. Our roof inspection checklist for buying a home in Michigan covers what a general inspection tends to miss.

When Is a Paid Independent Roof Inspection Worth It?

Most of the time a free roofer's inspection answers the question. These are the exceptions, where paying someone with no stake in the outcome is the better move.

You are buying a house and want a neutral opinion

A roofer inspecting a house you are buying would also like to replace that roof, so weigh the report accordingly. If the seller disputes your findings, a paid third-party report carries more weight than a contractor's quote. Our inspection is free for buyers too, and every drone and attic photo goes into a portal you can share with your agent, with a real replacement price attached.

You are disputing an insurance decision

If the adjuster's estimate is too low, an independent inspection becomes evidence. Michigan's standard fire policy provisions in MCL 500.2833 let either side demand appraisal in writing when the two "fail to agree on the actual cash value or amount of the loss." Each party selects its own competent, independent appraiser, the appraisers pick an umpire, each appraiser "shall be paid by the party selecting that appraiser," and the umpire's compensation is split equally. Appraisal settles how much a loss is worth, not whether the policy covers it, so a flat denial is a different fight; you can also file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services at 877-999-6442. Our guides on what to do when a roof claim is denied in Michigan and public adjusters versus roofing contractors walk through the options in order.

You are holding another roofer to a warranty

If a roof installed a few years ago is leaking and the installer says it is not their problem, you want documentation from someone who is not competing to redo the work. A paid inspection that photographs the fastener pattern, the flashing, and the underlayment at the leak is what moves a workmanship claim forward. We cover the usual causes in our guide to why a new roof is still leaking, and we will look for free, but a dispute calls for a neutral report.

A lender or insurer wants a roof certification

A certification is a specific product: an inspector or certifying contractor states in writing that the roof is leak-free for a term, typically two to five years according to the National Roof Certification and Inspection Association, after any required repairs. NRCIA puts the inspection and certification fee at $75 to $400, repairs extra. A roofer's estimate is not a certification, so if the paperwork calls for one, you need the paid version. Our guide to selling a house with a new roof covers the paperwork buyers more often ask about.

When Is a Roofer's Free Inspection the Right Call?

Almost every other time: a stain on the ceiling, shingles in the yard after a wind storm, an ice dam, a 20-year-old roof you want a verdict on, or a quote you would like checked.

The honest trade-off is the one Thumbtack's guide names: a contractor inspecting for free has a financial reason to find problems. The answer is not to avoid free inspections but to demand the proof. Get every photo, not a verbal summary. Get written findings that name the defect and its location. Get a repair price when a repair solves it. Then compare against real projects: we publish every roof we install with its price in our job gallery, our roof repair cost guide lists what common fixes run, and our guide on how to compare roofing quotes shows how to line up two opinions that disagree. Before you book anyone, our fall roof inspection checklist covers what you can see from the yard and the attic hatch yourself.

What Does Roofing Army's Free Roof Inspection Include?

Here is exactly what you get. It costs nothing whether or not you hire us, including when you are buying a house.

• A call or text on the way, and about an hour on site.
• The roof, on foot and by drone. We measure the roof, photograph every slope, and check the flashing, valleys, and pipe boots. The drone pass covers the whole roofline.
• The attic. Insulation depth, intake and exhaust ventilation, the underside of the decking for moisture and rot, and whether a bathroom fan is venting into the attic instead of outside.
• A ventilation analysis on every estimate. We calculate what the attic actually needs; our attic ventilation service is built around correcting what we find.
• Written findings with marked-up photos of every issue and its fix, usually the same day. We go over them with you and quote only if work is needed.
• Five quotes at different price points if the roof needs replacing, with financing options shown for each, so you see good, better, and best rather than a single number.
• Every photo in your customer portal, including before, during, and after drone photos if the job goes ahead, so you can see what we saw and share it with whoever you need to.

If you want a formal certification letter for a sale or a dispute, ask when you schedule; that is a separate product from a standard inspection visit. For the step-by-step walkthrough, including whether you need to be home, read what happens at a free roof inspection. If the roof needs work, there is no deposit, our crews are in-house, and a project manager is on site for every job.

What Should a Good Roof Inspection Report Contain?

Whether you paid for the report or got it free, hold it to this list.

• Roof age and an opinion on remaining life. Home inspection standards do not require this; a roofer's report should state it. Our guide on how many years your roof has left explains how we estimate it.
• Number of shingle layers, since a second layer changes the tear-off cost of the next roof.
• Labeled photos of every slope, not just the side facing the street.
• Flashing condition at each penetration: chimney, sidewalls, skylights, valleys, pipe boots, and vents, with a photo of any tar or caulk doing the job of metal.
• Decking condition from the attic side: staining, soft spots, daylight, rusty nail tips or frost in cold weather.
• Ventilation counts, intake and exhaust, and whether they are balanced.
• Where the bathroom and kitchen fans terminate. A fan venting into the attic is the most common thing our crews find.
• Storm damage documentation, if a claim is involved: date-stamped photos of hail bruising, creased or missing shingles, and collateral damage. Our storm damage inspections are built for this.
• A repair-or-replace recommendation with the reasons, not just a conclusion.
• Itemized pricing: a line-item price for a roof repair, or several priced options for a roof replacement, with both warranty terms in years.
• What was not inspected and why, such as a slope under snow or an attic with no access.

Get the Inspection That Fits the Situation

If you are buying, disputing a claim, or holding another contractor to a warranty, budget a few hundred dollars for a neutral report and use our free inspection alongside it for the photos and the real price. For everything else, the free inspection is the right call, held to the standard above. We run them across Southeast and West Michigan from offices in Oxford, Ferndale, Rochester Hills, Plymouth, and Jenison; read what homeowners say about the process in our reviews before you book one.