Getting a Southeast Michigan roof ready for winter means four things: understanding how much snow your roof can carry, cutting off the attic heat that builds ice dams, knowing who you will call if a storm opens the roof at 2 a.m., and getting any real repairs done now, because winter limits what a roofer can safely do. This checklist covers all four.
I am Aaron Scott, licensed Michigan residential builder and owner of Roofing Army. We run crews out of Oxford, Rochester Hills, Ferndale, and Plymouth, and every winter we answer the same emergency calls. Almost all of them trace back to something that could have been handled in October. If you have not done a basic fall roof inspection yet, start there. This article picks up where that one leaves off.
How Much Snow Can a Michigan Roof Hold?
More than most homeowners fear, and less than some assume. Roofs in Michigan are designed to carry a snow load set by the Michigan Residential Code for your area, and a sound roof in good condition handles a normal winter without any help. The problem is weight that builds up unevenly or after a thaw-and-refreeze cycle.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) gives figures worth remembering. Roughly 10 to 12 inches of fresh snow weighs about 5 pounds per square foot. Old, packed snow is much denser: 3 to 5 inches of it also weighs about 5 pounds per square foot. Ice is heavier still; an inch of ice weighs about as much as a foot of fresh snow. IBHS estimates a typical roof can handle around 20 pounds per square foot of added load, and that a couple feet of packed snow topped with a couple feet of new snow can approach 60 pounds per square foot, well past what most roofs are built for.
What that means in practice for a Southeast Michigan home:
- A normal snowfall on a normal roof is not an emergency.
- Deep snow that has been rained on and refrozen is the load to watch.
- Low-pitch roofs, additions with flat or shallow sections, and porch roofs carry the most weight the longest.
- Drifts against a second-story wall or chimney concentrate load on one spot.
- Warning signs of overload: sagging ridge line, new cracks in drywall at the top floor, doors upstairs that suddenly stick, creaking from the attic.
If you see those signs, use a roof rake from the ground to remove what you can from the lower slopes and call a professional for the rest. Do not send anyone up on a snow-covered roof.
How Do You Prevent Ice Dams Before Winter?
Ice dams are the number one winter roof problem we deal with, and they are almost never a shingle problem. They form when heat from the house melts snow on the upper roof and the water refreezes at the cold eaves. We wrote a full explanation of the mechanism in our ice dam guide, so here is just the prevention checklist, in order of impact:
- Air seal the attic floor. Attic hatch, recessed lights, bath fan housings, plumbing and wiring penetrations, top plates. This is where most of the heat is escaping.
- Get bathroom and kitchen fans out of the attic. Every one of them should exhaust through the roof or a wall, not into the insulation.
- Add insulation with baffles at the eaves. The baffles keep the soffit intake open so cold air can still wash the roof deck.
- Balance the ventilation. Intake low at the soffits, exhaust high at the ridge, in roughly equal amounts. A ridge vent with no soffit intake does almost nothing.
- Clear the gutters. A leaf-packed gutter holds water at the coldest point on the roof and starts the dam.
We do a ventilation analysis on every estimate we write, because we have replaced too many roofs that were fine and attics that were the actual problem. If you want the attic side of this handled properly, that is what our attic ventilation service is for. On the postwar ranches in Ferndale and the 1970s colonials in Troy, the fix is usually opening blocked soffit intake and adding baffles, not tearing anything off.
What Should Your Emergency Roof Plan Look Like?
Winter storms in Michigan bring three kinds of roof emergencies: a tree limb through the deck, wind stripping shingles from a slope, and an ice dam that suddenly starts pouring water through a ceiling. In every case, the goal in the first hour is the same: stop the water, protect what is inside, and document what happened. Have this plan written down before you need it.
- Know who you will call. Save the number of a local roofer that offers emergency tarping before the storm, not after. Storm chasers show up after; your local company is there before and after.
- Know where your main water and electrical shutoffs are. If water is coming through near a light fixture, kill the breaker before you do anything else.
- Keep a tarp kit inside. A heavy poly tarp, a few 2x4s, and screws let a professional secure the roof fast. You should not be the one on the roof in a storm.
- Move valuables and set buckets. Poke a small hole in a bulging ceiling to drain it in a controlled spot rather than letting it collapse.
- Photograph everything. Interior damage, exterior damage, the debris that caused it. Your insurer will want this, and we explain the full process in how to file a roof insurance claim in Michigan.
- Do not sign anything at the door. Tarping and a permanent repair are two separate decisions. Get the tarp on, then make the repair decision with a clear head.
What Can a Roofer Do in a Michigan Winter, and What Can They Not?
Homeowners ask this every year, so here is the honest answer from a company that works through the winter.
What we can do: inspections, emergency tarping, leak repairs, flashing and pipe boot repairs, ice dam relief (steaming or carefully removing the dam, never chipping it with tools), attic ventilation and air sealing work, and full roof replacements on dry days above freezing. A large share of the tear-offs in our job gallery were done in months most people assume are off-season.
What we cannot do, or will not do:
- Walk a roof that is covered in snow or ice. It is unsafe for the crew and damages the shingles.
- Install shingles in weather the manufacturer does not allow. Asphalt shingles rely on a self-sealing strip that bonds with sun and warmth. In cold weather we follow the manufacturer's cold-weather installation guidance, which can include hand-sealing, and some days we simply wait.
- Promise a permanent repair on a day the roof deck is wet or frozen. A tarp buys time; the real repair happens when conditions allow, and we will tell you which one you are getting.
That is why the best winter roof strategy is to get real repairs done in the fall. Everything we do in January costs more time, more care, and more weather delays than the same job in October.
What Are the Roofing Army Winter Standards?
Every roof we install is built for a Michigan winter, whether it goes on in July or December. That means 6 feet of ice and water shield at every eave, which is well beyond the Michigan Residential Code minimum of 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, and full ice and water coverage on any slope under 4/12 pitch. Underlayment is fastened with cap nails, not staples, so wind cannot tear it. Every plumbing vent gets a new pipe boot. And every estimate includes the ventilation analysis, because a roof that is being melted from underneath will fail no matter how well the shingles are nailed.
Our inspections are free, we never take a deposit, and a project manager is on site for every job. If you want a winter-ready roof in Rochester Hills, Ferndale, Troy, or anywhere in Southeast Michigan, book the inspection now while the leaves are still on the trees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I rake snow off my roof in Michigan?
For a normal snowfall on a sound roof, no. Rake from the ground with a roof rake when snow is deep and has been rained on or refrozen, when drifts are building against a wall or chimney, or when you see sagging, cracking drywall, or sticking doors on the top floor. Clearing the lower few feet of roof also reduces ice dam fuel. Never climb onto a snow-covered roof.
Can a roof be replaced in the winter in Michigan?
Yes, on suitable days. We replace roofs through the winter when the deck is dry and the temperature allows shingles to be handled and sealed correctly. In cold weather we follow the shingle manufacturer's cold-weather installation guidance, which can include hand-sealing. On days that do not meet those conditions, we wait rather than install a roof that will not seal.
How much snow is too much for a roof?
IBHS figures put about 10 to 12 inches of fresh snow, or 3 to 5 inches of packed snow, at roughly 5 pounds per square foot, and estimate a typical roof handles around 20 pounds per square foot of added weight. Deep packed snow with new snow on top can approach 60 pounds per square foot. Old, wet, refrozen snow is the load to watch, not a single fresh snowfall.
What is the fastest way to stop an active ice dam leak?
Rake the snow off the lower roof from the ground to remove the fuel, then lay a sock filled with calcium chloride vertically across the dam to melt a drainage channel. If water is actively coming through, call for emergency service. Do not chip at the ice with a shovel or hatchet; that destroys shingles and the dam re-forms anyway.
Does a roof tarp count as a repair?
No. A tarp is a temporary measure to stop water until the permanent repair can be done safely. In winter that can mean days or weeks of waiting for a dry, warm enough day. A good roofer will tell you clearly whether you are getting a tarp or a repair and what the plan is for the permanent fix.
