Roof replacement

Roof Replacement in Hamburg Township, Michigan

Most of Hamburg Township was built between 1970 and 1999, and a large share of the lakefront started life as summer cottages. That puts a lot of Hamburg roofs in the same spot right now: on their second or third covering and ready for a full replacement. Here is what replacing a roof in Hamburg actually involves, from the lake lots on the chain to the subdivisions north toward Brighton Road.

Hamburg is a township, not a city or village. It includes Lakeland and Pettysville, and many homes here have a Pinckney, Whitmore Lake, Brighton or Howell mailing address.

When does a Hamburg Township home need a new roof instead of another repair?

When the roof is near the end of its life, already has more than one layer, or keeps leaking in the same spots after repairs. The median Hamburg home was built in 1991, so many original and second roofs here are 20 to 30 years old. On a converted lake cottage, a replacement is also the one chance to fix the attic ventilation and the mismatched roof sections that cause ice dams, which no repair can reach. If you are not sure which side of that line you are on, a free inspection with photos will tell you.

1991

Median build year of a Hamburg Township home

60%

Of Hamburg housing built between 1970 and 1999

Named lakes inside the township

Permit steps for a re-roof: township first, then county

Three kinds of Hamburg roofs, three different replacements

Hamburg Township is about 21,000 people across 36 square miles, and the houses fall into three rough groups. Each one needs a different plan on replacement day.

The lakefront on the Huron River Chain of Lakes is mostly older cottages that grew into year-round homes one addition at a time. The inland lakes, like Rush, Winans and Hamburg Lake, are often reached by private or association roads. And the subdivisions and acreage homes north toward Brighton Road and along Chilson and Pettysville Roads are 1970s to 2000s houses on their first or second roof.

What a roof replacement usually includes, by type of Hamburg home
Where	Typical house	What the replacement usually includes
On the chain: Portage, Base Line, Whitewood, Gallagher, Strawberry and Zukey Lakes	A cottage expanded into a year-round home over several decades	Tear-off of every old layer, new decking where needed, membrane on low-slope additions, rebuilt attic ventilation and new flashing at every spot where an addition meets the house
Inland lakes: Rush, Winans, Hamburg Lake, Bass, Bishop and others	Lake homes reached by private or association roads	Delivery planned around the road, wind-rated fastening on the slopes facing the water and new ice and water barrier at the eaves
Subdivisions and acreage homes	1970s to 2000s homes on their first or second roof	Tear-off to the deck, balanced intake and exhaust ventilation, new drip edge and pipe boots, and ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys

Every house is different. We confirm what is actually on your roof during the free inspection.

Call (810) 588-3933

A converted cottage needs a replacement plan, not just new shingles

Our Hamburg roof repair page tells the story of how the resort cottages on the chain became year-round homes. The short version for a new roof: these houses were framed for summer, then asked to hold Michigan snow. Rafter bays are shallow, and every dormer or addition tied into the roof broke up the airflow along the eaves.

That is why new shingles alone do not fix a cottage that ice dams every winter. With the old roof off, we can open up intake air at the eaves where the framing allows it, add exhaust at the ridge, run ice and water barrier along the eaves and through every valley, and put new step and counter flashing wherever an addition meets a wall. Sections too flat for shingles get a membrane roof instead. If insulation or air leaks in the ceiling below are part of the problem, we tell you that too, because a roof can only do part of the job.

What we check before we write up a lakefront replacement

We walk the roof and go into the attic, because on these homes the story is usually under the shingles. We count the roof sections and how many eras they come from, look at the decking from inside, find where air can and cannot get in at the eaves, note every low-slope section, skylight and chimney, and look hard at the gutters and fascia on the lake side, which take the worst of the winter ice.

Planning the work around lake lots and lake roads

Hamburg's own zoning includes a special rule for waterfront lots 60 feet wide or less, which tells you how tight many lake lots really are. On those lots there is often no room for a dumpster near the house, neighbors are close on both sides, and the only way in is a narrow road behind the home.

So we plan the logistics before we schedule. Where a truck can reach, a boom truck sets the shingle bundles right on the roof. Where it cannot, we stage at the nearest solid surface and carry. Old roofing goes into a container or a trailer placed where your drive allows, and we tarp landscaping, decks and the shoreline side of the house, then run a magnet over the yard for nails before we leave.

Timing matters on lake roads too. Livingston County frost laws cut truck weights from roughly late February to May 1, and many association and dirt roads are soft in spring, so we plan heavy deliveries around that. We give you the schedule ahead of time so you can let your neighbors know.

Built for wind off the water

In Hamburg, the storm record is about wind, not hail. NOAA logged seven severe wind events naming Hamburg or Pettysville between 2020 and 2026, averaging about 63 miles an hour, and no hail reports naming the township in that time. Open water gives that wind a long, clean run at the lake-facing side of the roof.

So a new Hamburg roof gets built for it. We use Owens Corning starter shingles at both the eaves and the rakes, nail the slopes facing the water to the manufacturer's high-wind pattern, and install Owens Corning Duration shingles with SureNail Technology, which is designed to grip in high wind. If your roof is late in the season, we hand-seal the edges so they hold until the shingles bond in warm weather.

Ice is the other half. The February 22, 2023 ice storm hit lakefront eaves hard, tearing off gutters and splitting fascia. During a replacement we put in new drip edge, replace any rotted fascia or decking we find at the eaves, and make sure the gutters are attached to solid wood.

Call (810) 588-3933

Permits for a Hamburg re-roof

A roof replacement in Hamburg Township takes two approvals: a township land use permit first, then a building permit from the Livingston County Building Department in Howell. The township asks for a letter of authorization from the homeowner or a signed contract, so the paperwork starts with your signature. We handle the rest with you and confirm the details with the township on every job.

If your home is in the floodplain, a straight tear-off and replace is not considered new development. Adding a dormer, a roof over a new deck or other new structure can be, so if you are thinking about adding on while the roof is off, we check with the township before the work is planned.

The Owens Corning roof we install in Hamburg

On Top Roofing is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, the top level of the Owens Corning contractor network. Every Hamburg replacement uses the complete Owens Corning system: shingles, underlayment, ice and water barrier, starter, hip and ridge and ventilation, plus new flashing and drip edge.

Because we install the whole system, we can register Owens Corning's Platinum Protection warranty in your name. It covers both the materials and our workmanship, and it can transfer once to a buyer if you sell, which matters on the lakes, where homes change hands often. Our own crews do the work, not subcontractors.

Where we replace roofs in Hamburg Township

Our shop at 5896 Sterling Dr in Howell is a straight run down Chilson Road into the township. We replace roofs across all of Hamburg: the lake homes on the chain from Zukey and Strawberry to Base Line and Portage, the inland lakes, Lakeland and Pettysville, and the subdivisions north toward Brighton Road. If your mail says Pinckney, Whitmore Lake, Brighton or Howell and your home is in Hamburg Township, this is your page.

Hamburg
Lakeland
Pettysville
Portage Lake
Little Portage Lake
Base Line Lake
Whitewood Lakes
Gallagher Lake
Strawberry Lake
Zukey Lake
Ore Lake
Tamarack Lake
Rush Lake
Winans Lake
Hamburg Lake
Bass Lake
Bishop Lake
Chilson Road
Pettysville Road
Hamburg Road
Merrill Road
Strawberry Lake Road
Rush Lake Road
Brighton Road

Frequently asked questions

My address says Pinckney or Whitmore Lake. Is this the right page for me?

If your home is inside Hamburg Township, yes. Six ZIP codes reach into the township, and most lakefront homes here have a Pinckney or Whitmore Lake mailing address. Permits follow the township line, not the post office, so we file with Hamburg Township and Livingston County either way.

How long does a roof replacement take on a Hamburg lake home?

Most homes take one to two days. A cottage with several roof sections, more than one old layer and material that has to be carried in can take longer. Weather can also move the schedule, and we keep you updated if it does.

Will a new roof stop the ice dams on our cottage?

A replacement helps a lot, because it is when we can add ice and water barrier along the eaves and in the valleys and fix the airflow in the attic. Ice dams start with heat escaping from the house, though, so if insulation or air leaks in the ceiling are part of the problem we will tell you. We would rather be honest than sell you a roof that ice dams again.

How do you protect our yard and shoreline during the tear-off?

We tarp plants, decks and the ground around the house, keep old roofing out of the water, and clean up at the end of every day. Before we leave, we run a magnet over the yard, driveway and shoreline side to pick up nails.

Do we need approval from our lake or subdivision association?

Some Hamburg associations have rules about roofing, and some lake plats have old deed restrictions. We ask about it on the first call, look at what applies to your home and order nothing until any approval you need is in hand.

Can you replace a roof in Hamburg in the winter?

Yes, on the right days. We work in dry weather, hand-seal the shingle edges so they hold until they bond in warmer weather, and plan deliveries around icy or soft lake roads. Some homeowners prefer to wait for spring, and we can help you decide which makes more sense for your roof.