Roof Checklist Before Listing Your Home in Grand Rapids, MI
A roof checklist before listing your home in Grand Rapids starts with a legal quirk most sellers don’t know about. Michigan’s Seller Disclosure Act (MCL 565.957) requires sellers of 1–4 unit residential property to complete a written disclosure statement covering the roof’s condition, age, and any known leaks. Grand Rapids Roofing Pros is an independent dispatch service connecting sellers with licensed local roofers for that inspection.
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We connect homeowners with independent licensed roofing professionals in the Grand Rapids area. We are not a licensed contractor and do not perform roofing work ourselves.
Quick answer: do I need a roof inspection before listing?
Quick answer: Michigan law doesn’t require it, but it’s worth doing anyway. MCL 565.957 requires a written seller disclosure covering roof condition, age, and known leaks, but the statute’s standard language states the seller hasn’t inspected generally inaccessible areas, including the roof, so the required form can be completed from unverified knowledge alone. A buyer’s inspector will check the roof regardless, so a pre-listing inspection lets a Grand Rapids seller address issues on their own terms before closing.
A pre-listing roof checklist
- Any visible shingle curling, cracking, or missing tabs? Check from the ground or a ladder-safe vantage point.
- Are gutters and downspouts clear and properly attached, or showing separation or sagging?
- Any history of interior ceiling staining, especially after winter, that hasn’t been documented or addressed?
- Do you know how many roofing layers are on the home, and whether that’s within Michigan’s two-layer recover limit? See our roof-over vs. tear-off guide.
- Do you know your roof’s approximate age relative to its documented local lifespan — roughly 15–20 years for 3-tab or 25–30 for architectural shingles?
What the law requires vs. what it verifies
What MCL 565.957 requires
- A completed written disclosure statement covering roof condition, age, and known leaks
- Good-faith seller knowledge — not a professional inspection
- Applies to sales of 1–4 unit residential property in Michigan
What it doesn’t verify
- It doesn’t require the seller to have ever inspected “generally inaccessible areas,” including the roof
- It doesn’t catch hidden decking or ice-barrier issues invisible from the ground
- It doesn’t prevent a buyer’s own inspector from raising the same issues during negotiations
Michigan’s disclosure law sets a paperwork floor, not a verification standard — a fact built into the statute’s own language. A pre-listing inspection from a licensed roofer doesn’t change what the law requires, but it gives a Grand Rapids seller accurate information to complete that disclosure honestly, and it can prevent a buyer’s inspector from surfacing a surprise late in the process.
Questions Grand Rapids sellers ask
Does Michigan require a roof inspection before selling a home?+
No. MCL 565.957 requires a written seller disclosure statement covering roof condition, age, and known leaks, but it does not require a professional inspection to complete that form.
What is the ‘generally inaccessible areas’ language in the disclosure law?+
It’s standard language in Michigan’s Seller Disclosure Act stating the seller has not inspected areas like the roof unless otherwise noted, meaning the form can be completed from the seller’s existing knowledge alone.
Will the buyer’s inspector check the roof anyway?+
Almost certainly. A pre-listing inspection lets you find and address issues on your own terms rather than reacting to a buyer’s inspection report during negotiations.
What should a pre-listing roof checklist cover?+
Visible shingle wear, gutter and downspout condition, any history of ceiling staining, the roof’s layer count, and its age relative to documented local lifespan.
Can I complete the disclosure form without knowing my roof’s exact condition?+
The form asks for your good-faith knowledge, but an inaccurate or incomplete disclosure can create issues later — a documented inspection reduces that risk.
Go deeper on inspection and condition
Where we match roofers
Get a pre-listing roof inspection on the books
Call now and we’ll connect you with a licensed West Michigan roofer for a pre-listing roof inspection. No phone tag, no obligation.
Call now for a roofer
Independent dispatch service connecting homeowners with licensed local roofing professionals. We are not a roofing contractor.