Roofing built for Milwaukee's lake-effect winters.
When lake-effect bands roll in off Lake Michigan, Milwaukee roofs take snow, wind and ice all at once, and the city's bungalows and duplexes feel it first on their low porch and dormer roofs. Buckshot General Contracting finds where the damage is, records it for your insurance company, and fixes it properly, from storm repairs and full reroofs to siding and seamless gutters, all with our own GAF Master Elite crews.
Free Milwaukee roof inspection
Ice, wind and leak check. Photo report, no charge.
Got it. We will call you.
A Buckshot project manager will reach out shortly to set your free inspection. Storm emergency? Call (608) 909-9109 now.
Bungalow porches, duplex flats and full tear-offs.
Milwaukee roofs rarely fail out in the open field of shingles. They fail at the edges, where wind off the lake lifts the first courses, where a porch roof meets brick, and where ice builds at the eaves of a story-and-a-half bungalow. Buckshot, a GAF Master Elite contractor, repairs and replaces the whole exterior, including GAF asphalt or standing seam metal roofs, James Hardie and vinyl siding, and seamless gutters, with one crew from inspection to final walkthrough.
Hail & Storm Damage
Gusts off the lake, spring hail, and heavy snow loads. We document the damage, coordinate the claim, and most covered storms come down to your deductible.
Start hereRoof Replacement
We strip everything down to the boards, which matters on older Milwaukee homes where an extra layer is often hiding, and install GAF Timberline HDZ or UHDZ with leak barrier along every eave.
Get a quoteRoof Repair
Bungalows, duplex flats, and Cream City brick homes leak where the roof meets masonry, at chimney and parapet flashing, porch tie-ins, and worn pipe boots. We follow the water back and fix where it enters.
Get a quoteSiding
Wind off the lake cracks brittle vinyl and loosens old siding on exposed walls. We repair or replace it with James Hardie fiber cement, insulated vinyl, or standard vinyl.
Get a quoteSeamless Gutters
Snowmelt and spring downpours overwhelm narrow gutters on tight city lots, sending water toward the basement. We install seamless 5 or 6 inch aluminum with guards, plus downspouts routed away from the foundation.
Get a quoteAttic Ventilation
Story-and-a-half homes with finished attics push heat into the roof deck, and that heat builds ice dams. We balance intake and exhaust so the deck stays cold all winter.
Get a quoteWhen the lake sends wind, ice and hail.
Free roof and attic inspection
We photograph lifted tabs, cracked flashing at brick walls, dented vents, and any ice-dam staining in the attic, all before any claim is opened.
Claim filed together
Your carrier gets our photos, measurements and a written scope in one package, so nothing is missing on day one.
Adjuster meeting on site
We are there when the adjuster inspects, pointing out porch roofs, dormers and flashing that are easy to miss on a quick visit.
Build it, then collect the balance
After the install, our final invoice goes to your insurer so any withheld depreciation can be paid out to you.
Two terms every Milwaukee claim uses
Actual Cash Value
What your current roof is worth once age is subtracted. Most carriers send this amount first.
Replacement Cost Value
The cost of a comparable new roof. The gap between the two is usually held back until the job is complete.
Carrier and TPA programs Buckshot participates in
A Milwaukee roofer that is still here next winter.
Out-of-town crews tend to arrive after a big Milwaukee storm, sign as many contracts as they can, and leave before the first lake-effect winter tests their work. Buckshot has grown by referral across southeastern Wisconsin since 1979, so our roofs have to keep performing long after the job is paid for.
- GAF Master Elite certified. Only about one in fifty US roofing contractors qualifies, and what allows us to offer the 50-year System Plus warranty.
- Adjuster meetings, handled. We are enrolled in five carrier programs and show up in person when the adjuster inspects your roof.
- No subcontracted crews. The people who measure your roof are the ones who install it and answer for it later.
- Credentials you can check. FORTIFIED, BBB A+, NRCA, WRCA, UASRC, InterNACHI, IICRC, and WI license DC-080900045.
What a reroof costs on a Milwaukee bungalow.
A warranty that holds on a low-slope porch roof.
| Warranty | What it covers | Term | Who can register it |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAF System PlusBest | GAF shingles and system components | 50 yrs, non-prorated | Master Elite contractors |
| GAF Standard | Manufacturing defects | 30 yrs, prorated | Most contractors |
| Buckshot Workmanship | Our installation labor | In writing | Buckshot |
| Storm-chaser default | Usually nothing after they leave town | None | Out-of-area crews |
Living in a Milwaukee historic district?
Re-roofing in a Milwaukee historic district can need city approval that other homes skip. We check what applies to your address, inspect the roof for free, and give you a straight answer on repair, replacement, or a claim.
Book your free inspection
You will hear from a Milwaukee project manager, not a call center.
Got it. We will call you.
A Buckshot project manager will reach out shortly to set your free inspection.
Two layers already up there? That changes things.
Many older Milwaukee homes already carry two layers of shingles, and building codes generally do not allow a third. That means a full tear-off, which is the right moment to get the system underneath right.
- Class 4 shingles earn the top UL 2218 impact score, worth pricing if your roof takes storms head-on.
- GAF Timberline HDZ & UHDZ with LayerLock nailing that holds shingles down against gusts coming off Lake Michigan.
- Ice barrier at the eaves, synthetic underlayment, and new flashing run past the heated wall line at the eaves, where Milwaukee ice dams form.
- Bare-deck inspection so boards soaked by years of ice dams, or hidden under an old second layer, are replaced before the new roof goes on.
Standard vs Class 4 on a Milwaukee home
| Factor | Standard architectural | Class 4 impact-resistant |
|---|---|---|
| Impact rating | Below Class 4 | Class 4, the highest UL 2218 grade |
| Hail resistance | Fair to good | Highest available |
| Possible insurance credit | Uncommon | Possible, varies by insurer |
| Added cost | Baseline | Typically 10 to 20% higher |
| Best for | Mid-block homes shielded by neighbors | Lakefront blocks and exposed corner lots |
Reflash the porch, or reroof the whole thing?
- Leak traced to a porch tie-in or dormer
- Main roof still has years left
- Only one layer of shingles on the house
- Shingles elsewhere lie flat and hold granules
- Deck is firm around the problem
- Wind or hail damage on several slopes
- Two layers already on the roof
- New leaks after each winter
- Rotted boards from past ice dams
- Close to 20 years old, or you want a fresh 50-year GAF warranty
What lake wind and winter leave behind
Lifted edge shingles
The first courses at eaves and rakes take the strongest gusts off the lake and lift first.
Ice-dam stains
Brown marks along an outside wall or ceiling edge after a thaw point to water backing up at the eaves.
Dented vents and gutters
Soft metal shows hail impact first and helps prove a claim.
Loose flashing at brick
Chimneys and parapets on Cream City brick homes pull flashing loose as the mortar ages.
Leaky porch roofs
Low-slope porch sections hold snowmelt and fail long before the main roof.
Frost on attic nails
Winter frost on nail tips means warm, damp air is reaching the roof deck.
From Bay View to the North Shore.
Milwaukee sits right on Lake Michigan where three rivers meet, and that water shapes its roofs. Lake-effect snow loads them in winter, gusts off the water peel back shingle edges, and thaw-refreeze cycles push ice under the eaves of the city's older bungalows and flats. Buckshot answers with a complete system, including ice barrier at the eaves, properly balanced attic airflow, and new step and valley flashing.
Milwaukee neighborhoods
Milwaukee County & nearby
Lake wind, then lake-effect winter.
Homes near the shore take gusts straight off Lake Michigan, and spring and summer storms add hail and wind-driven rain that find any weak flashing.
Then winter takes its turn, as snowmelt refreezes at cold eaves and ice dams force water back under the shingles. We build for both, with wind-rated nailing, sealed eaves, and ventilation that keeps the deck cold.
Ice dam or wind damage in Milwaukee? Call now.
Water coming through the ceiling during a thaw, shingles blown off by lake wind, or a limb through the roof. Someone picks up, and our crew tarps the damage and photographs it so your claim is on record from the start.
What Buckshot customers tell their neighbors.
"We used Buckshot for a new roof. Very responsive, communicated well, and did a phenomenal job. You could not even tell they had been there, except that I had a new roof."
"Jeremy was great to work with. His crew did an excellent job and finished in one day. The entire team was professional and always willing to answer questions."
"My contact Steve fixed an error a previous contractor made on my soffit, and he did not charge extra. Made the whole project run quickly and smoothly. Thank you, Buckshot team."
Roofing all of Milwaukee County.
Ice dams, permits & storm claims.
Reach the Milwaukee team directly.
Calls go straight to the project managers who handle Milwaukee County roofs. Ryan, Jayce, Jeremy, and Chad all take calls.
Call (608) 909-9109Q.01Why does my ceiling leak only when the snow melts?
Q.02Does insurance cover ice dam damage?
Q.03Which Milwaukee neighborhoods and suburbs do you cover?
Q.04Is Class 4 worth it on a Milwaukee home?
Q.05Why does GAF Master Elite matter on a Milwaukee roof?
Q.06What should I budget for a Milwaukee reroof?
Q.07Do I need a permit to reroof in Milwaukee?
Q.08Can you fix just the porch roof?
Q.09How fast can you respond to a leak in Milwaukee?
Q.10Can you replace siding and gutters at the same time?
Q.11What happens on install day on a tight city lot?
Services, credentials & nearby areas.
Services
Hail & Storm DamageWind, hail and ice claims Roof Replacement
Tear-off to sound decking Roof Repair
Porch, dormer and chimney leaks Siding
Siding that stands up to lake wind Seamless Gutters
Built for snowmelt and downpours
Get your roof checked before winter in Milwaukee.
We look at the eaves, flashing, porch roof and attic, show you what the last storm or freeze did, and tell you whether it needs a claim, a repair, or simply a watchful eye. GAF Master Elite, family-owned since 1979.
Buckshot General Contracting (BGC) · 621 N Sherman Ave, Suite B5, Madison, WI 53704 · serving Milwaukee and all of Milwaukee County · WI Lic. DC-080900045 · GAF Master Elite Certified · Family-Owned Since 1979 · Mon to Sat 8AM to 5PM, Emergency 24/7 · (608) 909-9109. Pricing ranges are estimates and vary by roof size, pitch, access, material selection, and decking condition; your written estimate governs. Insurance coverage, deductibles, ACV and RCV settlements, recoverable depreciation, and any impact-resistant-shingle premium credit are determined solely by your carrier and policy; we do not guarantee any claim outcome or discount. Material lifespans are typical ranges for the local climate, not warranties. Repair and replacement guidance here is general, not a coverage determination. Financing provided through Service Finance Company, LLC, subject to credit approval. GAF System Plus and manufacturer warranty terms are governed by GAF's published documents and require a registered, qualifying installation.