Leak, lost shingles or a new roof? Describe it, a local roofer calls with a quote.
Write what the roof is, what you see and where the house is. We pass the work order to one local roofing company, and it calls you to look at the roof and price the job.
In short
- 01Ottawa roof repairs average about $1,800 on HomeStars, with reported jobs from $300 to $10,000.
- 02A new asphalt shingle roof averages about $7,200 in Ottawa; a metal roof about $22,500 (HomeStars Ottawa guide).
- 03The City of Ottawa lists installing asphalt shingles among projects that need no building permit; structural repairs do need one.
- 04Ontario requires a written agreement for home renovation and roofing work worth more than $50.
- 05Roofers who use fall protection on a construction project must hold approved Ontario working at heights training.
Typical ranges
Source Prices: HomeStars, Roofing Cost Guide for Ottawa, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026; hourly rate: HomeStars, roofing companies in Ottawa, seen 29.10.2026; eavestrough repair: HomeStars, gutter and eavestrough companies in Ottawa, seen 29.10.2026. Permits: City of Ottawa, projects not requiring building permits and building permit projects, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, guide for home renovation and roofing businesses, seen 29.10.2026. Training: Ontario, training for working at heights, seen 29.10.2026. Ice dams: CAA-Quebec, ice dams along the roof edge (citing CMHC), updated 02.02.2026, seen 29.10.2026. The company that calls you quotes its own price.
What to ask before you book
- Q1Will you go up on the roof, or into the attic, before you give me a price?
- Q2Does the quote say how much of the roof you will open, and what happens if the deck under it is rotten?
- Q3Who takes the old shingles away, and is disposal in the price?
- Q4Do your crews on the roof hold Ontario working at heights training, and do you have WSIB coverage?
- Q5What written warranty do I get on the materials, and what on your workmanship?
Before the visit
- Photos from the ground of every slope you can see, plus any shingles found in the yard.
- Inside photos: ceiling stains, wet insulation, drips in the attic, with the room named.
- House type and storeys: bungalow, two-storey, townhouse end unit, flat roof over an addition.
- Roof age if you know it, and any paperwork or warranty from the last re-roof.
- Where a ladder and a disposal bin can go: driveway, side yard, shared lane.
Describe the roof in five lines
A roofer prices a job from the shape of the roof, the material on it and the damage. Give those in plain words:
- The house. Bungalow, two-storey, semi, townhouse end unit. Add the area or postal code.
- The roof. Asphalt shingles, metal, or a flat roof over a garage or addition. Steep or gentle.
- What you see. Shingles in the yard, a bare patch, a stain on a bedroom ceiling, water at the chimney.
- When it shows up. In heavy rain, in wind, during a thaw.
- Its age. “Re-shingled around 2010” helps more than “old”.
Example: “Two-storey in Barrhaven, asphalt roof, re-shingled around 2011. After the last windstorm, shingles on the lawn and a brown stain in the back bedroom ceiling.”
Repair, new roof or metal
Pick the service in the work order that matches what you want priced:
- Roof repair: leaks, blown-off shingles, flashing at chimneys, vents and skylights.
- Roof replacement: a full tear-off and new shingles. The cost guide shows the Ottawa ranges and what drives them.
- Metal roofing: standing seam or metal shingles, over the old roof or after a tear-off.
- Eavestroughs: cleaning, leaks, sagging runs, new troughs and downspouts.
- Other roofing: flat roofs, skylights, soffit and fascia. Describe it in a line.
Unsure whether a leak needs a patch or a new roof? Choose Roof repair and say so. The roofer tells you after looking.
Permits and paperwork in Ottawa
The City of Ottawa lists installing asphalt shingles on a roof among projects that need no building permit. The work still has to meet the Ontario Building Code. Structural repairs and alterations need a permit, so a job that turns into new rafters or new sheathing on rotten framing may change the paperwork. Rooftop stormwater retention systems and solar collectors are on the City’s permit list too.
Heritage homes are a separate case. Designated heritage buildings and properties in a Heritage District Overlay get none of the exemptions, so call 3-1-1 or the Building Code Client Service Centre before the crew books a date.
Ontario treats permits as the homeowner’s responsibility, though contractors often offer to get them. Write down in the contract who applies.
Who climbs your roof
A roof is a construction site. In Ontario, workers on a construction project who use fall protection, such as a fall arrest system or travel restraint, must first complete working at heights training from a provider approved by the province. The training is valid for three years. Ask the company whether its crew holds it.
Ask about WSIB coverage too. Construction businesses in Ontario must carry it, with a narrow exemption for self-employed renovators hired and paid directly by the homeowner.
Winter on an Ottawa roof
Ice dams cause many winter leaks. Heat escaping from the house warms the roof, snow melts from below, and the water freezes again at the colder eaves. The ridge of ice holds back the next melt, which finds its way under the shingles and into the house. CAA-Quebec, citing CMHC, puts most of the blame on poor attic ventilation and heat loss.
So a winter leak is often an attic problem as much as a shingle problem. Mention the season of the leak in the work order. The roofer may want to see the attic as well as the roof.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Roofing Desk takes your work order and passes it to one independent local roofing company. That company calls you, looks at the roof, quotes the job and does the work. The price and the contract are between you and them.
Questions
01Do I need a building permit to re-roof in Ottawa?
The City lists installing asphalt shingles on a roof among projects that need no building permit. Structural repairs and alterations, such as replacing rafters, need one. Designated heritage buildings and homes in a Heritage District Overlay get no exemptions, so call 3-1-1 or the Building Code Client Service Centre first.
02What should be in the roofing contract?
Ontario requires a written agreement for work worth more than $50, with the work schedule, start and finish dates, the total with taxes and the payment terms, and any subcontractors. An estimate can go up by 10% at most unless you sign a change for extra work.
03Can I cancel after signing at my kitchen table?
A contract signed at your home comes with a 10-day cooling-off period in Ontario. You can cancel for any reason in that time, and the business must refund deposits within 15 days of your notice.
04Water is coming in during a thaw. Is that the shingles?
Often it is an ice dam. Heat from the house melts snow on the roof, the water refreezes at the cold eaves and backs up under the shingles. Say in the work order that the leak shows up in winter, so the roofer checks the attic too.
05How many roofing companies get my details?
One. If that company cannot take the job, we ask you before passing it to another.