Specialized roofing services for Lake Ozark

Roofing in Lake Ozark: what local homeowners should know

Lake Ozark sits where the Lake of the Ozarks begins, at Bagnell Dam. It’s home to the Bagnell Dam Strip, Horseshoe Bend and the Community Bridge on Highway MM. It’s also a town where nearly half the homes are second homes. Census estimates put about 870 of Lake Ozark’s roughly 1,860 housing units in seasonal or occasional use. That changes how you should look after a roof.

If you’re not here full-time, you probably won’t see storm damage when it happens. A few habits help:

• Schedule a spring and a fall roof check around when you open and close the house. That catches problems before a summer of storms or a winter of freeze-thaw.
• Watch the NWS Springfield warnings for Miller and Camden counties. If hail or high wind is reported near the dam or the bridge, have someone look at the roof before your next trip.
• Keep gutters clear before you leave for the season. Lake Ozark averages about 42½ inches of precipitation a year, and clogged gutters back water up under the roof edge.

Wind is the main local storm risk. NOAA records several wind events that tore boat docks loose on this end of the lake. On July 8, 2008, an 80–90 mph microburst near the Grand Glaize Bridge, a few miles south, damaged or flipped about 30 docks. On Sept. 1, 2013, storms tore docks loose from marinas across the lake. Wind that strong lifts shingle tabs and pulls at flashing. On a house facing open water, the windward edges of the roof take the most stress.

Lake Ozark homes are fairly young. The median was built around 1993, so many houses are on their first or second roof. A roof that went on in the 1990s and has never been replaced is now 25 to 30 years old.

Midwest Roofing has been in business since 2008. Our headquarters is 12 miles up US-54 in Eldon, we’re an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, and our work carries a 10-year workmanship warranty.

Local facts

Lake Ozark FAQs

I’m only at my Lake Ozark house in the summer. When should I have the roof checked? Twice a year works well: once in spring when you open the house, and again in fall before you close it. Also get it checked after any hail or high-wind report near Bagnell Dam, since damage can sit unnoticed until your next visit.

How old is my roof likely to be? The median Lake Ozark home was built around 1993. If yours is from that era and the roof has never been replaced, or was last replaced more than 20 years ago, it’s worth an inspection.