Forest Lake has grown into a city of 20,729 people with a median household income of $92,944, which means most homeowners here have real equity to protect and aren't looking to gamble on a fly-by-night crew (Data source: U.S. Census Bureau / Data Commons). The lake community draws a lot of year-round residents, not just seasonal cabins, so roofs take a beating across every season. Ice dams form along the north-facing slopes through January and February. Summer storms roll through fast and drop hail that punches through aging shingles before most people even know a storm hit.
The city spreads out around Forest Lake itself, with established neighborhoods pushing east toward Scandia and newer builds filling in along the highway corridors. Older homes near the lakeshore often have steep-pitched roofs with multiple valleys, which takes more time and more skill to do right. Newer subdivisions further out tend to run simpler gable designs, but even those need proper attic ventilation to handle the temperature swings Minnesota throws at them from October through April.