Help paying for a new roof in Royal Oak

Published October 23, 2026

City of Royal Oak Housing Rehabilitation Program

The city's program, funded by its federal Community Development Block Grant, "offers financial and technical assistance to all low- and moderate-income single-family homeowners." Roofing, gutters and downspouts are on its list of eligible exterior work, and the application's list of improvements starts with the roof.

City of Royal Oak home repair loans

From the City of Royal Oak's program pages, checked October 23, 2026. The forgivable loan uses the same income limits as the installment loan. The city places a mortgage or lien on the property.

2026 income limits for the city's loans

Maximum household income as the City of Royal Oak publishes it for 2026, checked October 23, 2026. Income counts everyone in the home over 18. The program also has a liquid asset limit of $327,992.

Who qualifies for the city program, and how to apply

Who qualifies

You must own and live in a single-family home in the City of Royal Oak. Land contracts and reverse mortgages aren't eligible, and taxes, water bills and mortgage payments must be up to date.

How the work is done

The city works out what's needed and bids the job to "a list of qualified general contractors", then lends up to "the amount of the lowest, viable bid". So you can't bring your own roofer's quote to be funded. The program must also address lead-based paint hazards.

How to apply

Fill in the city's application without signing it and call the Planning Division at 248-246-3280 to book an interview. Bring recent tax returns and pay stubs for everyone over 18, benefit letters, bank and investment statements, your mortgage statement, homeowner's insurance declarations page, deed and driver's licenses. The city says "Limited funds are available"; its latest plan we found, for July 2025 to June 2026, budgeted $400,000 with a goal of 15 homes, so ask about funding and any wait when you call.

Oakland County Home Improvement Program

Oakland County's program is open to Royal Oak homeowners: the city is one of 52 participating communities in the county's 2026 loan packet. It offers "interest-free loans of up to $23,000 to make needed home repairs", and "Roof" is on its list.

• Terms: "All loans are 100% Deferred", with no payments or interest; you repay the principal when you sell, move or lease the home. It's secured by a mortgage
• Job size: it's for major repairs, so the total contract must be at least $7,000. It isn't an emergency repair program
• Not covered: additions, condos, mobile homes, rentals and "accessory buildings", so a detached garage roof likely doesn't qualify; ask the county
• Eligibility: you own the home and live in it, mortgage and taxes are current, any bankruptcy is discharged, and there's enough equity: the county takes the state equalized value × 2.5 and subtracts all liens
• Income: the same 2026 limits as the city's 0% loan, from $58,700 for one person to $97,300 for six ($104,000 for seven, $110,700 for eight)
• The work: a county field technician writes the specifications, takes bids only from the county's pre-approved contractor list, and pays the contractor when the work is done
• One loan in five years, with exceptions for urgent health and safety repairs, which the county says include failing roofs
• To apply: Oakland County Neighborhood & Housing Development, 248-858-0493, nhd@oaklandcountymi.gov. Applications are processed in the order they're complete

Programs that don't cover a Royal Oak re-roof

Michigan Saves

Its list of eligible improvements says roofing is "Only available when installed with Solar Photovoltaic (PV)". Attic insulation and air sealing qualify on their own, which can help if they're being done at the same time.

MSHDA

We found no MSHDA repair loan you can apply for directly. MSHDA said its MI-HOPE energy repair portal was closed to the general public, with all funds to be spent by April 30, 2026, and MI Neighborhood says its CDBG funds "cannot be used in communities that already receive their own CDBG funding", which Royal Oak does.

USDA home repair loans and grants

USDA's Section 504 program, with loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and over, is for eligible rural areas. USDA's eligibility tool returned "ineligible" for the Royal Oak addresses we checked.

Weatherization

OLHSA runs weatherization for Oakland County. It covers insulation, furnace and water heater work, but roofs aren't on its list, and a home is eligible only "if it does not require repairs outside of the scope of Weatherization", so a failing roof may need fixing first.

Senior and nonprofit help

The city's ROSES program helps residents 62 and over with chores and small repairs, but says "No roofing." Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County's critical home repair program, which covers roofs, showed its application as closed in October 2026.

Financing a roof through your mortgage

HUD's Limited 203(k) lets homeowners "finance up to $75,000 into their mortgage to repair, improve, or upgrade their home" through an FHA-approved lender. For someone who already owns, that means refinancing into an FHA mortgage, so compare it with other loans before you choose.

Financing through the roofer: your rights

If you agree to pay the roofer in installments, Michigan's Home Improvement Finance Act applies. It doesn't cover a loan you take out directly with a lender, even one the roofer suggests, so check whether the contract is with the roofer or with a lender. It also doesn't cover a job of $300 or less. Under it:

• The contract must be in writing, say "home improvement installment contract" at the top or above your signature, and carry a notice telling you not to sign before you read it
• You can cancel until 5 p.m. on the next business day after signing, by written notice delivered to the contractor's place of business in the contract or by certified letter to that address. The Attorney General says the notice must go by certified mail, so sending it that way before the deadline meets both
• The contractor must give you a completed copy when you sign; until they do, you don't have to pay
• The contract can't make you give up claims or defenses about the work, or charge you liquidated damages for cancelling, and a finance company that buys the contract takes it subject to your claims, up to what you've paid it
• Late charges are capped at 5% of the installment or $5, whichever is less

The Attorney General's advice: "These laws can be tricky. Read the contract carefully. Know when the cancellation period expires." If the roofer sold you the job at your door, you may also be able to cancel under the Home Solicitation Sales Act; see cancelling a roofing contract signed at home.

Storm damage and property taxes

If a storm caused the damage, check your homeowner's policy and talk to your insurer before you sign with a roofer; see the roof insurance claim guide. And a straight roof replacement won't raise your assessment while you own the home: see does a new roof raise property taxes.

Questions about help paying for a roof