Most storm damage doesn’t announce itself. So we get on the roof and look.
Licensed, insured, never subcontracted storm restoration for East Lansing homes, and an honest read on what yours actually needs.
What Michigan storms do to an East Lansing roof.
On a street lined with old trees, the first sign of a bad storm is usually a limb in the yard. Sometimes it came down clear of the house. Sometimes it caught the eave on the way down, or dragged across the shingles before it settled, and the only proof is a scuffed patch on a slope you can’t see from the driveway. Wind works the same street in its own way, lifting tabs along the rakes and prying at flashing where a roof meets a wall.
None of that has to show inside right away. A loosened step flashing beside a dormer or chimney can sit quietly through the fall, then take on meltwater once snow starts piling at the eave, and by February there’s a stain on a bedroom ceiling. Siding takes hits too. A split piece of vinyl or a dented downspout looks cosmetic until water starts finding the gap behind it.
So the visit starts in the yard and ends in the attic. We look for anything that came down, get on the roof, check the siding and gutters, then go up inside and look for daylight or damp at the decking. Each piece of damage gets photographed with enough of the house around it that a stranger could follow it, and you keep every photo.
East Lansing sees the full run of Michigan storm damage across the year. Summer brings the hail and straight-line wind that come through when a line of storms crosses the county, and those events crease shingles, bruise the mat under the surface, and dent gutters and metal. Winter brings the quieter damage that shows up later: ice dams that force water back under the shingle at the eave, wind that peels tabs along the rake, and the weight of a heavy wet snow. A lot of storm damage does not announce itself, which is the trap. A bruised shingle looks fine from the ground and then fails a season later, and hail-dented metal keeps working until it does not. When we come out for the free look after a storm, we get up on the roof and document what is actually there, because a real read is what protects both the home and the claim.
Where a storm claim is involved, the honest, thorough inspection is also what gives you a fair shot with the insurer. We photograph the damage clearly, write the scope to match what the roof and siding actually need, and meet the adjuster on site so we are all looking at the same evidence. We install to manufacturer spec with the ice-and-water membrane, flashing, and fastening a Michigan roof needs, so the repair holds through the next winter instead of failing again. And we hold the same line here that we hold everywhere: we will not pad a claim with damage that is not there, and we will not tell you a storm totaled a roof that only took a repair. Straight talk is the whole reason Andrew, Aaron, and Preston started this company, and a storm, when people are stressed and money is on the line, is exactly when it matters most.
Storm Restoration is one of the many services we bring to East Lansing and the rest of Ingham County. Read how we handle storm restoration, see everything we do in East Lansing, or book a free roof look.
The order things happen in after hail or high wind.
If water is getting in, that gets handled first. We photograph the opening, then cover it so the decking, insulation and ceiling stop soaking up rain while everything else gets sorted out. Next comes the full inspection, with photos and notes you keep a copy of. If a claim makes sense, we sit down with you and go through it in order: when to call your insurer, what the adjuster will want to see, and what our photos show. If you’d like us at the house when the adjuster comes, we’ll be there. Whether the claim gets paid, and for how much, is the insurer’s decision. Our part is making sure the damage that is actually on the house gets seen. If the adjuster’s scope and ours don’t line up, we’ll show you where they differ and why. Once you know where the claim landed, we schedule the repair, our own crew does it, and we walk the finished work with you before we pack up.
Three lines we hold on every storm job.
Storm season brings plenty of quick promises to the front door. These are the ones we’ll put our name on.
Photos before anything moves
Every damaged spot gets photographed before it’s tarped, torn into or cleaned up. Once a shingle is pulled or a limb is cut away, that evidence is gone, and the pictures are what you’ll lean on when you talk to your insurer.
A straight call on the claim
When the damage is minor, we’ll tell you a claim may not be worth filing and give you a fair price in writing for the repair. When it’s real, we’ll help you through it. Either way, you make the call with the facts in front of you.
Our own crew, start to finish
The person who photographs your roof works for Anchor, and so does everyone who repairs it. Nobody sells you on a claim and then hands the job to a crew you’ve never met.
Serving East Lansing.
More about storm restoration · all our East Lansing services · call (989) 900-0018.
Questions East Lansing homeowners actually ask.
What people ask us in the week after a storm comes through. Pictures from past jobs are in our gallery.
A tree limb came down on my roof. What do I do first?
Stay off the roof and keep everyone out of any room where the ceiling is wet or sagging. If it’s safe, take a few photos from the ground. When a heavy limb is still resting on the house, a tree service usually has to lift it off before we can cover the hole, so call both.
Should I call my insurer before or after you look at the damage?
Let your insurer know about the storm within a few days either way, since most policies want prompt notice. A free look before you file a claim tells you whether there’s damage worth claiming, and our photos give you something specific to describe. If what we find is minor, you may decide to pay for the repair yourself. That choice is yours.
Can hail damage the siding and gutters too, or just the roof?
All of it. Vinyl siding can crack or split, especially in cold weather, and gutters and downspouts dent easily. On shaded walls we also watch for older rot that a split piece has exposed. That part usually isn’t storm damage, so our notes keep it separate from what the storm did.
What should I keep for the insurance company?
Our photos and written scope, receipts for any tarping or emergency work, and your own pictures of damage inside, like a stained ceiling or wet insulation. Write down the date the storm hit. Hang on to damaged pieces until the adjuster has seen them or told you they aren’t needed.
The storm was in the fall. Can the repair wait until spring?
Sometimes, if the damage is cosmetic and the roof is still shedding water. If a shingle is lifted, flashing has pulled loose, or anything is open, waiting tends to make the job bigger, because snow and meltwater find that gap all winter. We’ll tell you which situation you’re in and cover anything that shouldn’t wait.
Do you work with my insurance company on a storm claim?
Yes. We document the damage clearly with photos, write the scope to match what your East Lansing home actually needs, and meet your adjuster on site so everyone is looking at the same evidence. We are not the ones who decide the claim, but a thorough, honest inspection gives you a fair shot at getting the roof and siding covered for the damage that is really there.
How do I know if my roof has hail or wind damage?
Often you cannot tell from the ground, and that is the trap with storm damage. A bruised or creased shingle can look fine and then fail a season later, and hail dents on metal and gutters are easy to miss. After a storm we get up on the roof and check it properly during the free look, so you get a straight answer on whether there is real damage before you file anything.
My roof leaked after the last storm. Can you tarp it fast?
Yes. If a storm has opened your roof up, the first job is to stop more water getting in, and we can get an emergency cover on so the damage does not spread while the claim and the full repair get sorted out. Then we come back and do the real repair to manufacturer spec, so it holds through the next Michigan winter rather than leaking again.
Will you tell me if the storm didn’t actually total my roof?
We will, plainly. We will not pad a claim with damage that is not there, and we will not tell you a storm destroyed a roof that only took a repair. If a section is all your home needs, that is what we will scope. Being honest with people when they are stressed and money is on the line is exactly why we started, and it is why so much of our East Lansing work comes from referrals.
Already had storm damage? Let’s get you a straight read on it.
Call after the wind or hail passes and we’ll walk your East Lansing roof and siding, photograph what we find, and tell you whether it is worth a claim.
(989) 900-0018