"which the inspector said may help for preventing ice damming."

No shingle manufacturer I am aware of will warranty a roof pitch under I believe 3 1/2" for a shingle roof. That should be EPDM or the like today.

I agree, the pitch is much too shallow.

How old is the cottage?

Built in 1940s. Been recently redone.

What climate are you in? How much does it rain and snow? I'm guessing it had a steeper roof and then some porches were incorporated, resulting in the current roof. Looks like it could be trouble.

West Michigan. So there is a bit of snow.

Do you know whatnthe roof was covered with before the shingle?

As far as it be a deal breaker, to me that would depend more on he cost of replacing the roof if it becomes an issue. If youre not heating it in the winter, then you *might* be ok as ling as you can live with shovelling.

Is this near Lake Michigan? If so, we had 52” of snow on ground by October 10 the one winter we lived there! I think this roof would give me serious concerns. No accident it has been reworked. Deal breaker for me unless great location and big discount for roof design. But your choice. We were in North Muskegon and about a mile from The Lake.

On an inland lake not too far from Muskegon and Lake MI! I’m from the area. Yeah, some years can get a lot of snow. Good thing is it would just be a cottage and we don’t live too far a away. I guess, long term plan would be to to make the roof have a better slope. It comes to if we can accept the roof as is for now.

Can you get insurance without a new roof?

I wouldn't do it unless you can afford repairs when (not if) it fails and a while roof redesign.

Code requires a minimum of 2/12 pitch for asphalt shingles, but many manufacturers require 3/12 or 3.5/12 for proper installation. Shallower installs increase the risk of wind-driven rain getting between the shingles and possibly high winds ripping shingles off not to mention any issues with snow and ice.

I also see something that might look like a dip in the roof, although it could just be the angle of the picture.

Yes, the roof is bowed or shallow in those regions. Kind of a bummer. Need to figure out how big of deal it is to us. We don’t really know how much a roof redesign will cost.

That would be a number I would have to have a ballpark on before I could buy it unless I had a lot of disposable income. If this is a screaming hot deal, you now know why.

I have no idea how much it would cost for new rafters, but you could probably estimate the cost of new drywall, new plywood sheathing, new insulation, new ice and water shield, new shingles, etc. Then you have disposal and the labor for all that stuff plus probably relocating (even temporarily) whatever goes through the attic space. (Electrical? Plumbing? HVAC?)

Are you sure that when they redid the shingles, the top plates and studs the walls were free from water damage? Because they redid the roof for a reason and it was probably leaking.

If at all possible, I would talk to an experienced GC or at least roofing contractor for some very rough ideas/estimates before you proceed. It may be worth it if this is an amazing deal AND you have the budget to redo that roof. Good luck!

My suspicious self would suspect they "redid" the roof to conceal problems. Unless you can afford to reframe and redo the roof, to code, I wouldn't buy it.

I have a small house, with a low pitch roof. I live up near Canada. Also people around here have low-pitched shingle roofs, but now that I think about it, they might be manufactured (not modular, which is a different thing). Manufactured homes must comply with Federal Mobile Home regulations (maybe HUD?), not regular code.

Maybe the home you’re interested in is manufactured? I didn’t see a photo.

My roof is covered in solar panels, so I don’t really have issues with snow sticking. I also have 10” thick exterior walls, so they’re engineered for heavy snow loads.

Later

Now I see the photo. That’s one cute little cottage. That roof deep would make me queasy without engineer’s input.

Supposedly he had a permit when he shingled and replaced the roof a few months ago. Doesn't this mean it would have had to pass inspection? It seems that the roof is too flat and shouldn't have been shingled though.

You should be able to look up the permit and verify it was inspected and passed. It is possible to pull a permit and not have it inspected, although I don't know how often that happens.