Calhoun-Isles Roofing Around the Lakes and Uptown
Calhoun-Isles roofing ranges from the most elaborate residential roofs in Minneapolis to the flat roofs of Uptown storefronts and apartment buildings. The community, officially renamed Bde Maka Ska-Isles, surrounds Lake of the Isles and the east and north shores of Bde Maka Ska, with Cedar Lake and Theodore Wirth Park on its western side.
Here you will find late 19th-century mansions in Kenwood and Lowry Hill, Prairie School landmarks near Lake of the Isles, large early 20th-century homes and apartment buildings in the Wedge, and dense commercial blocks around Hennepin and Lake. We help owners of all of these find roofers suited to the job, whether that is slate and copper work on a historic house or a membrane replacement on a mixed-use building.
Call (888) 657-0348 or request a free estimate. We respond within 24–48 hours.
The Community
About Bde Maka Ska-Isles (Calhoun-Isles)
Bde Maka Ska-Isles is one of Minneapolis’s eleven official communities. It was long known as Calhoun-Isles, after Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles; the lake’s Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska, became official at the state level in 2018, and the community and several neighborhoods were renamed to match. Many people still search for and say “Calhoun-Isles,” and others loosely call the whole area “Uptown,” though Uptown is really the commercial district around Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street.
The lakes define the community. Bde Maka Ska is the largest lake in Minneapolis at about 424 acres. Lake of the Isles, reshaped by dredging in the 1880s, is ringed by stately homes in Kenwood, Lowry Hill and East Isles. Both connect to Cedar Lake through channels completed in 1911, and all are part of the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway.
The Lakes Area became popular in the 1880s once streetcars made it reachable, and wealthy milling and lumber families built some of the city’s grandest homes here. That history explains why the community has such a concentration of large, complex and often irreplaceable roofs.
Neighborhoods
Bde Maka Ska-Isles Neighborhoods We Serve
The community includes nine official neighborhoods. Several were renamed in recent years, so we list former names too:
- Bryn Mawr
- Cedar-Isles-Dean
- East Bde Maka Ska (formerly East Calhoun, renamed in 2021)
- East Isles
- Kenwood
- Lowry Hill
- Lowry Hill East (often called the Wedge)
- South Uptown (formerly CARAG, renamed in 2018)
- West Maka Ska (formerly West Calhoun, renamed in 2020)
We arrange roofing work in all nine and throughout the rest of the city. See our service area for other neighborhoods.
Housing Stock
Homes and Roofs Across the Community
Lowry Hill: Victorian and revival-style homes
Lowry Hill, on the moraine between Hennepin Avenue and Lake of the Isles, became a preferred address for Minneapolis’s wealthiest residents in the late 1800s, and its appearance has changed little in more than a century. Many homes date from before 1900 and are Victorian, with others in Colonial, Mediterranean, English Tudor, Richardsonian Romanesque, Prairie and rambler styles. Some large homes have been converted into condominiums. Roofs here may include steep slopes, towers, hips, multiple dormers, built-in gutters, and premium materials such as slate, clay tile or copper.
Kenwood: mansions along the parkways
Kenwood was established in the late 1880s after a rail line along Cedar Lake improved access. It is known for historic mansions along the parkways overlooking Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. On houses like these, roof decisions are often about preserving original materials and details as much as stopping leaks.
East Isles: mansions, Prairie School and apartments
East Isles, between Hennepin Avenue and the lake, was originally part of the more affluent Kenwood and Lowry Hill areas, but has become more urban since the 1940s with many apartment buildings. Older mansions still remain. The neighborhood is home to the Purcell-Cutts House, now run by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Catherine Gray House, early examples of Prairie School architecture by Purcell and Elmslie. Prairie School designs often use low-pitched roofs with broad overhangs, which handle snow and drainage differently from steep Victorian roofs.
Lowry Hill East (the Wedge) and South Uptown
The Wedge, the triangle between Hennepin and Lyndale south of I-94, has large early 20th-century homes and multi-unit apartment buildings in its interior, with businesses along its edges. Most housing is renter-occupied. Its residential core includes the Lowry Hill East Residential Historic District. South Uptown, between Lake Street, Lyndale, 36th Street and Hennepin, forms the southern part of Uptown.
East Bde Maka Ska, West Maka Ska, Cedar-Isles-Dean and Bryn Mawr
East Bde Maka Ska, between Hennepin and the lake, is known for luxury homes near the shore and includes part of the Uptown business district at its north end. West Maka Ska, between the lake and France Avenue, mixes homes, apartment buildings and strip malls. Cedar-Isles-Dean sits between Lake of the Isles, Kenilworth Lagoon and France Avenue. Bryn Mawr, wrapped by Theodore Wirth Park and Cedar Lake park, is entirely residential with about 85% owner-occupied housing.
Get a Roofer for Your Lake-Area or Uptown Property
From a slate roof in Lowry Hill to a flat roof on an Uptown storefront, tell us what you need. Call (888) 657-0348.
Common Problems
Roofing Concerns on Lake-Area and Uptown Properties
Complex roofs and specialty materials
Towers, turrets, steep cross gables, eyebrow dormers and built-in box gutters require experienced detail work. If your home has slate, clay tile or copper, look for a roofer who repairs those materials rather than one who recommends replacing everything with asphalt by default. Repairing a sound slate roof is often worth considering before replacement.
Ice dams on large, older homes
Big houses with finished third floors, knee walls and built-in gutters are prone to ice dams in a Minneapolis winter. Heat escaping into the roof melts snow that refreezes at the eaves. Air sealing, insulation and ventilation reduce the problem, and ice barrier at the eaves limits damage during replacement.
Trees and lakeside exposure
Mature trees along the parkways and around the lakes drop leaves and needles into valleys and gutters and can shade roofs enough to hold moisture. Homes facing open water may also see stronger winds during storms.
Flat roofs in Uptown
Storefronts along Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street and many apartment buildings have flat or low-slope membranes, where ponding, seam failure and parapet flashing are the usual problems. See our flat roofing page for system options.
Our Services
Roofing Services We Arrange in Calhoun-Isles
- Roof repair: leaks, flashing, valleys, chimneys and storm damage, including on older and specialty roofs. Start with our roof repair page.
- Roof replacement: full replacement for houses, condos and apartment buildings. See roof replacement services.
- Residential roofing: asphalt, metal and premium systems for single-family homes. Explore residential roofing.
- Metal roofing: standing seam for low-slope sections, porches and some whole-house projects. Learn about metal roofing.
- Commercial and flat roofing: Uptown storefronts, mixed-use buildings and apartment buildings.
- Roof inspections: condition assessments before buying, selling or planning work.
Historic Homes
Historic Districts and Heritage Review
The City of Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission designates local landmarks and historic districts, and its list includes the Lowry Hill East Residential Historic District in the Wedge. The community also has individually significant houses, such as the Purcell-Cutts House.
If your property is a designated landmark or within a local historic district, exterior changes can require heritage preservation review before work begins. A visible material change, such as replacing slate or clay tile with asphalt shingles, removing a chimney, or changing dormers or trim, is the kind of work most likely to need approval. Requirements depend on the property, so check with the city’s heritage preservation staff before signing a contract and share any conditions with your roofer.
Even outside a district, many owners in Kenwood, Lowry Hill and East Isles choose to keep original materials because they suit the house and can last for generations when maintained.
Planning
Planning a Roof Project in Bde Maka Ska-Isles
- Match the roofer to the roof. Slate, tile and copper work is a specialty; ask for examples of similar work and how they source matching materials.
- Get repair and replacement options. On a historic roof, a targeted repair may be the better value.
- Ask about gutters and drainage. Built-in gutters and box gutters are common leak sources and should be part of the conversation.
- For condos and apartments, start with the association or owner records. Converted mansions and apartment buildings often have shared roofs and a board decision process.
- Plan for parking and access. Narrow streets near Uptown and the parkways can make staging materials harder.
Nearby Minneapolis communities
We also arrange roofing work in neighboring parts of the city, including Near North Roofing, Downtown Minneapolis Roofing, Southwest Minneapolis Roofing, Powderhorn Roofing. See every community we cover on our Minneapolis roofing service area page.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common roofing questions from homeowners and property owners in Calhoun-Isles.
Is Calhoun-Isles the same as Bde Maka Ska-Isles?
Yes. The community was long called Calhoun-Isles and is now officially Bde Maka Ska-Isles, matching the Dakota name of the lake formerly called Lake Calhoun.
Which neighborhoods are in Bde Maka Ska-Isles?
Bryn Mawr, Cedar-Isles-Dean, East Bde Maka Ska, East Isles, Kenwood, Lowry Hill, Lowry Hill East, South Uptown and West Maka Ska.
Should I replace a slate roof with asphalt shingles?
Not necessarily. A sound slate roof can often be repaired, and on a designated historic property a material change may need heritage preservation review. Get an assessment from a roofer experienced with slate first.
Do you work on flat roofs in Uptown?
Yes. We arrange flat and low-slope roofing for storefronts, mixed-use buildings and apartment buildings around Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street.
Why do large older homes near the lakes get ice dams?
Finished upper floors, knee walls and built-in gutters let heat reach the roof and trap meltwater at the eaves. Better air sealing, insulation and ventilation reduce ice dams.
How soon will someone respond?
We respond within 24–48 hours. If water is coming in, mention it when you call.
Request a Free Roofing Estimate in Calhoun-Isles
Whether you own a historic home in Kenwood or Lowry Hill, an apartment building in the Wedge or a storefront in Uptown, we can connect you with the right roofer. Call (888) 657-0348 or request a free estimate.
