Write down what changed and when
Note where it's happening, when you noticed it, whether storms seem to trigger it, and any prior repairs. A couple of photos and rough measurements help the first call go faster.
Read the local context
Flat prairie and an exposed position are what age roofs here. The ground the Illinois Central built across in 1855 offers no terrain shelter at all, so wind arrives at full strength, and east-central Illinois sits in an active severe-storm corridor where hail is a routine rather than exceptional event. That has a practical consequence: damage is frequently partial and hard to judge from the ground, which makes documented inspection more valuable than a visual impression, and makes the line between storm damage and ordinary wear the thing an insurer will focus on. The city's age spreads its roofs across many eras, but the large rental stock near the university tends to have been maintained to a different standard than owner-occupied housing nearby.
Ask what gets covered up
Once shingles go down, the deck condition and flashing work underneath are hidden again — the scope should say exactly how those get checked and verified.
Read the whole scope, not the total
Check what's protected during the job, which materials are specified, how testing and cleanup are handled, and what's explicitly excluded.
What official local sources add
Roofing sits largely outside this framework, with one connection worth understanding. A roof generates the runoff that eventually reaches the municipal stormwater system, so where a project changes roof area or relocates drainage points enough to require a new or modified stormwater connection, the city's permit applies to that connection — not to the roof. Land-disturbing permitting does not reach work carried out at roof level. The permits that matter for the roof itself are building permits, reviewed by the city or by whichever adjacent authority covers the address.
City and county stormwater pages were checked July 26, 2026; permit fees and MS4 program details are revised periodically, so confirm current terms with the City of Champaign before applying.