How to Choose a Roofing Contractor in Rochester Hills
How to vet a roofing contractor Rochester Hills homeowners can trust: the state license, insurance certificates, the city permit and an itemized estimate.
For a typical Southeast Michigan house, the roof replacement cost Michigan homeowners are quoted in 2026 usually falls between about $9,000 and $18,000 for architectural asphalt shingles, with most jobs landing in the low to middle teens. Cost guides put installed asphalt at roughly $450 to $850 per square, and a square is 100 square feet of roof. Where your house lands in that range depends on its size and shape, the pitch, how many layers come off, and what the crew finds under the old shingles. A steep, cut-up roof with two layers and soft decking can run well past $20,000.
The number most homes land on
Roofers price by the square, not by the house. Roof area is larger than floor area once you add overhangs, pitch and an attached garage. Shape matters as much as size. A two-story colonial in Troy has less roof than a ranch in Shelby Township with the same living space, because the colonial stacks its rooms under one roof.
Ballpark: Michigan cost guides published in 2025 and 2026 put a 2,000-square-foot (20-square) architectural shingle roof at roughly $9,000 to $18,000 installed, with their averages running from about $11,000 to $17,000. Use that to sanity-check a quote, not as a quote.
National averages sit a little lower, around $9,500 to $10,000, and Southeast Michigan tends to sit at the higher end of the state’s prices. Material costs have moved, too. Several shingle manufacturers raised prices in spring 2025 and increases continued into 2026, so a neighbor’s quote from a few years back is not a useful benchmark.
What drives the price
Size and shape
Every valley, dormer, chimney and skylight means more cutting, more flashing and slower work. Two roofs with the same number of squares can price thousands of dollars apart if one is a simple gable and the other has four valleys and a chimney.
Pitch
Pitch is how many inches the roof rises per foot. A 4/12 or 5/12 roof is walkable. Around 8/12, crews need roof jacks, harnesses and more time per square, and many contractors start adding a steep-roof charge at that point.
Layers to tear off
The Michigan Residential Code, which is based on the IRC, limits a roof to two layers. If yours already has two, a full tear-off is the only option. A second layer means more labor and heavier dumpster loads. One 2026 cost calculator puts a two-layer tear-off at roughly $50 to $100 more per square than a single layer.
Decking
Nobody knows the condition of the plywood or boards until the shingles come off. Soft, delaminated or rotted sections get cut out and replaced. Cost guides put that at roughly $75 to $150 per 4x8 sheet installed. A good estimate names the per-sheet price up front, so the only unknown is the count.
Ice and water shield
In our climate, code requires an ice barrier at the eaves, running from the edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall. It is the main defense against ice dams, and every freeze-thaw winter in Oakland and Macomb counties produces them somewhere. Many roofers also run it in valleys and around chimneys and skylights. How far it goes is a real difference between quotes.
Ventilation
Shingles last longer over an attic that breathes, which usually means intake at the soffits and exhaust at the ridge. Cost guides put a ridge vent on its own at about $300 to $650 installed, though it is normally folded into a replacement bid. An under-vented attic cooks shingles from below in July and feeds ice dams in January.
Material tier
Basic 3-tab shingles have been largely phased out by the major manufacturers. Architectural (laminated) shingles are now the standard, and they are what most Michigan cost figures assume. Designer shingles and metal cost meaningfully more.
Permit and disposal
Re-roofing generally needs a building permit from your city or township, and the fee varies by community. Tear-off debris is heavy. National 2025 data puts a 20-yard dumpster at roughly $275 to $700, and disposal is normally built into the bid.
What a good written estimate itemizes
A one-line quote that says “replace roof” tells you nothing you can compare. A good estimate spells out the scope:
| Line item | What it should say |
|---|---|
| Roof size | Total squares, and how they were measured |
| Tear-off | How many layers come off, down to the deck |
| Decking | Price per sheet for replacement, and whether any sheets are included |
| Underlayment | What goes over the rest of the deck |
| Ice and water shield | Where it goes: eaves (and how far up), valleys, around chimneys and skylights |
| Flashing | New or reused at walls and chimneys, new pipe boots, drip edge |
| Ventilation | What intake and exhaust you have, and what changes |
| Shingles | Manufacturer, product line and color |
| Permit and cleanup | Who pulls the permit, the dumpster, a magnetic nail sweep of the yard |
| Warranty | Manufacturer coverage and the contractor’s workmanship terms, in writing |
| Payment | Deposit, when the balance is due, and what triggers it |
How to compare quotes
Line the quotes up item by item before you look at the totals.
- Same scope, or not. A low quote that reuses old flashing and puts ice barrier only at the eaves is not the same roof as one that replaces flashing and covers the valleys.
- Decking rates. A quote with no per-sheet price can look low until the tear-off. Compare the rate, since every roofer will find the same wood.
- Layer count. Each roofer should tell you how many layers are on the roof now. You can often see them stacked at the roof edge.
- License. Residential roofing contractors in Michigan must be licensed through LARA, and you can look up a license on LARA’s website before you sign.
- Permit. Ask who pulls it. A contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something.
- Paperwork. Get the contract, the scope and the warranty terms in writing.
The lowest number is sometimes the right choice. If two roofers bid the same scope and the same materials and one is lower, that’s a fair win. The trouble starts when the low bid is low because something is missing.
To get a number for your own house, J&M Roofing gives free estimates across Oakland and Macomb counties and the surrounding area. You can request one here, or read more about our roof replacement work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does homeowners insurance pay for a roof replacement?
Usually only when the damage comes from a sudden covered event, such as hail or wind, rather than age and wear. What the policy pays depends on whether it covers replacement cost or actual cash value, minus your deductible.
Can I put new shingles over my old ones to save money?
Michigan’s residential code allows a second layer only over a single existing layer in sound condition, and never a third. The savings are modest, and you give up the chance to inspect the decking and to put an ice barrier directly on the deck at the eaves.
How long does a roof replacement take?
Most single-family re-roofs take one to three days on site, weather permitting. Steep pitches, two layers to remove and decking repairs add time.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Michigan?
Generally yes. Re-roofing needs a building permit from your city or township, and most contractors pull it as part of the job; if you’re unsure, check with your local building department.
