Kalamazoo’s roofing and exterior crew since 1998
Benton Harbor, MI Roofing & Gutter Contractor
Lyster Exteriors repairs and replaces roofs and gutters in Benton Harbor, MI, with our own Kalamazoo crews, working since 1998. Nearly six in ten homes in the city were built before 1960, and a roof on framing that age should be walked, measured, and counted for layers before anyone writes a number down.
Roof installation photos
A Roof Replacement in Six Photos
These are Lyster Exteriors crews on real jobs, in the order the work happens. The photo at the top of this page belongs between steps three and four: the roof is dried in and the shingle bundles are loaded along the ridge.
There are more finished jobs in our project gallery, and the full write-up of how we install a new roof covers each layer in more detail.
Benton Harbor’s housing stock
Built on River Flats, Mostly Before 1960
Benton Harbor was laid out on low, wet ground along the Paw Paw River, a short way inland from Lake Michigan and across the St. Joseph River from the city of St. Joseph. A ship canal cut through those flats in the 1860s gave the town the harbor in its name. It took that name in 1865 and became a city in 1891.
What that age means on the roof
Decking on these houses is often plank boards instead of plywood sheets, chimneys and steep original rooflines need real step flashing instead of caulk, and earlier reroofs may have left a second layer under the one you can see. That second layer matters. Michigan’s residential code, the same 2015 edition the city says it enforces, requires a replacement to go down to the roof deck, and it does not allow new shingles over a roof that already has two or more layers.
Source: Michigan Residential Code 2015, sections R908.3 and R908.3.1.1.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, Year Structure Built, Benton Harbor city. Figures rounded.
Newer houses, including those near the Golf Club at Harbor Shores, are the exception here. They usually have sheet decking and a single layer of shingles.
Roofing
Repair It or Replace It
We do both kinds of work, so the recommendation follows the roof.
- Points to a repair: wind-lifted tabs on one slope, a cracked pipe boot, flashing that has pulled open, or a few missing shingles on a roof that is otherwise sound. See roof repair.
- Points to a replacement: shingles that snap instead of flex, granules piling up at the downspouts, daylight or staining in the attic, or a roof already carrying two layers. See roof replacement.
If you are between the two, our guide to repair or replace, and how to tell walks through the signs.
The storm record
Measured at the Benton Harbor Airport
There is an automated weather station at the Benton Harbor airport. These are its readings, with reports from elsewhere in Berrien County, as published by the National Weather Service after two storms in 2025:
- March 30, 2025A 78 mph thunderstorm gust at 4:54 p.m. At Berrien Springs, a barn roof was reported ripped off and trees uprooted.
- May 15, 2025Gusts of 61 mph at 10:13 p.m. and 72 mph at 10:25 p.m. Across the river in St. Joseph, a tree three feet across came down on a house.
Sources: National Weather Service Northern Indiana, March 30, 2025 severe storms and May 15 and 16, 2025 wind event. Preliminary storm reports.
What wind like that does to shingles
A gust in the 70s does not have to tear a roof off to shorten its life. It breaks the seal strip under the shingle tabs, creases them along the nail line, and lifts ridge caps. After a storm like either of those, have every slope walked.
If a storm caused the damage, we photograph it so your insurance adjuster sees what we saw. See storm damage repair and insurance documentation. Winter does its own work here: lake-effect snow sits on the roof and melts from underneath, which is how ice dams form. Our guide to roof snow and ice dams covers when to act.
Our storm damage statistics page covers Kalamazoo County and six nearby counties. Berrien County is not in that data, so the record here comes from the Weather Service directly.
Gutter services
Gutters for Benton Harbor Homes
Mature trees shade the older blocks and fill gutters fast. A gutter that overflows or pulls away from the house soaks the fascia board behind it, and rotted fascia cannot hold the next set of gutters either.
We install seamless aluminum gutters and downspouts, formed to the length of each run so there are no seams along the eave to open up.
What a gutter check covers
- Pitch: whether water runs to the outlet or stands in the trough
- Hangers and the fascia they are screwed into
- Corners and end caps, where leaks usually start
- Downspout count and where each one sends the water
- The drip edge above, and whether water is getting behind the gutter
Between replacements, roof and gutter maintenance keeps small problems small.
Flat and commercial roofs
Flat Roofs, Porches, and Storefronts
Benton Harbor has plenty of low-slope roofs: storefronts downtown, rear additions, and porch roofs on older houses. Lyster Exteriors is not only a shingle company. We have installed flat roof membranes since 1998, in three systems:
- TPO, a white single-ply membrane with heat-welded seams
- EPDM, a black rubber membrane
- Modified bitumen, an asphalt-based sheet system
On a flat roof the questions are whether the membrane has life left, whether the seams and edges are the only trouble, and whether the deck underneath is dry. See flat roof replacement and commercial roof repair. If you have been offered a coating, read what a roof coating can and cannot do first.
Permits
City or Township? We Sort Out the Permit
When your job needs a permit, Lyster Exteriors pulls it. That is worth more here than in most towns, because a Benton Harbor mailing address does not tell you which government you are in.
The City of Benton Harbor has its own Building Official, who asks owners to make contact before beginning any project to go over permitting and inspection requirements. Benton Charter Township, next door, is a separate government with its own building department. The township hall itself has a Benton Harbor mailing address. Your property tax bill will tell you which one you are in.
Sources: City of Benton Harbor Building Department and Benton Charter Township Building Department. Confirm office hours before you go.
Inside the city limits
City of Benton Harbor Building Official
City Hall, 200 E Wall St, Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Posted office hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In Benton Charter Township
Township Building Department
1725 Territorial Rd, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Find Out What Is Under Your Shingles
Free roof and gutter estimate for your Benton Harbor home, with the layers counted and the deck checked from the attic.
Why a Kalamazoo crew
50 Miles East of You, on Purpose
Lyster Exteriors works out of 2211 Miller Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, about 50 miles east of Benton Harbor on I-94. There are roofers with offices in town. Here is why a homeowner here would still hire us:
- Old roofs are ordinary work for us. Board decking, double layers, and chimneys that need real flashing are what our crews handle in Kalamazoo’s older neighborhoods too.
- The crew is on our payroll. The people who tear off and shingle your roof are Lyster Exteriors employees.
- Roof, gutters, and fascia from one company. When the roof edge leaks, nobody can blame another contractor.
- A 10-year workmanship warranty on the roof, from a company that has been in business since 1998.
Read what past customers say about the work.
The limit of that distance is a storm emergency. If a limb is through the roof tonight, a Berrien County roofer may get a tarp on it before we could. Call us afterward, and we will check whether the patch held and tell you what the roof needs.
On the Estimate Visit
Whether you called about one leak or a roof you think is finished, the visit covers the same ground:
- On the roof: brittle or creased shingles, nail pops, granule loss, and how many layers are at the edge.
- At every penetration: chimney flashing, pipe boots, valleys, and walls that meet the roof.
- In the attic: the underside of the deck, staining, and whether air moves from soffit to ridge.
- At the eave: gutters, fascia, and drip edge.
- On any flat section: seams, edges, and marks left by standing water.
You get a written estimate that says what is included. Deciding is up to you and there is no deadline on it.
Around the Install
The six photos near the top of this page show the roof going on. This is what happens on either side of it:
- Permit. We work out whether the address is city or township and pull the permit when one is required.
- Start date. The job goes on the calendar, and the date moves only for weather.
- Protection. Tarps cover plantings and the ground below the eaves before the first shingle comes off.
- Cleanup and walkthrough. The crew runs a magnet over the lawn and driveway for nails, then walks the finished roof line with you.
The longer version is on our full process page.
The rest of the exterior
Siding, Windows, Doors, and Decks
Siding
Vinyl and fiber cement siding over house wrap, with trim, soffit, and fascia finished as part of the job.
Siding →Windows
Replacement and new-construction windows, flashed and sealed so the west wind stays outside.
Window replacement →Questions
Roofing in Benton Harbor, MI: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see photos of your roof installations?
Yes. The six photos near the top of this page follow a replacement from tear-off to finished roof, and the project gallery has more completed roofing, siding, and gutter work by our employee crews.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Benton Harbor, and who gets it?
When a permit is needed, Lyster Exteriors pulls it as part of the job. Which office issues it depends on the address: the City of Benton Harbor Building Official at (269) 204-2478 inside the city limits, or the Benton Charter Township Building Department at (269) 925-7284 in the township.
A storm just hit Benton Harbor. What should I do about my roof?
From the ground, photograph anything you can see: missing shingles, lifted ridge caps, bent gutters, limbs on the roof. Check the attic for fresh stains, and keep receipts for any emergency tarping. Be careful with anyone who knocks on the door selling urgency. Then have the roof walked. The claim itself is yours to file.
Can you put new shingles over my old ones?
We tear off to the deck. Michigan’s residential code requires a roof replacement to remove the existing layers, and it does not allow a new layer over a roof that already has two or more.
My house is one of the older ones in town. Does that change the job?
Usually, yes. Many pre-1960 houses have board decking and more than one shingle layer, and both change how a tear-off is planned. We count layers during the estimate visit, replace soft boards once the roof is open, and flash chimneys and original rooflines with metal instead of relying on caulk.
Can you replace my gutters and my roof together?
Yes, and in that order. The roof goes on first, then we inspect and repair the fascia, then seamless aluminum gutters are hung on wood that can hold them.
Do you work on flat roofs and commercial buildings in Benton Harbor?
Yes. We have installed TPO, EPDM, and modified bitumen membranes since 1998, on storefronts, additions, and porch roofs. Our flat roof work is membrane repair and replacement.
Is Lyster Exteriors local to Benton Harbor?
Our shop is in Kalamazoo, at 2211 Miller Rd, about 50 miles east on I-94. We do not have an office in Berrien County. Our own employees make the drive for estimates and scheduled work, and the 10-year workmanship warranty on a roof is the same one a Kalamazoo roof gets.
Service area
Benton Harbor and the Towns Around It
From Benton Harbor we work this corner of Berrien County, including Benton Heights, Fair Plain, Millburg, Coloma, Watervliet, Eau Claire, and Berrien Springs. Nearby pages: siding and roofing in St. Joseph across the river, South Haven up the shoreline, Niles to the south, and Paw Paw on the way back toward Kalamazoo.
Free estimate
Tell Us About Your Benton Harbor Roof
Send the form or call. Tell us roughly how old the house is and where the trouble shows, and we will schedule a visit to look at the roof and gutters in person.
- Free roof and gutter estimate
- Layers counted and attic checked
- City or township permit handled by us
- Lyster Exteriors employees on the roof
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Our Services
Roofing and Exterior Services
Asphalt shingle roofing is the core of what we do, backed by full exterior services for Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan homes.
Roof Replacement
Full tear-off and replacement with architectural shingles.
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Roof Repair
Leaks, storm damage, and missing shingles fixed fast.
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New Roof Installation
New construction roofs installed to manufacturer spec.
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Roof Maintenance
Inspections and upkeep that add years to your roof.
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Siding
Vinyl and fiber cement siding built for Michigan weather.
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Windows
Replacement and new-construction windows.
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Gutters
Seamless gutters and downspouts that protect your home.
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Doors
Entry and exterior doors that make a first impression.
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Decks
Custom decks that add outdoor living space.
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Insulation
Attic insulation that cuts energy bills.
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Certified Installers for the Brands on Your Home
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