Roofing in Ottawa: questions people ask first

The form goes to one independent roofing company that covers your part of Ottawa. The company calls, asks about the roof and the water, books a look at the roof and quotes the job. The Desk does no roofing; the company sets its own price and terms.

The form is free. Charges begin with the company that calls, and it names its price for a visit or a quote on the phone. Ask whether an inspection is billed or free before you book, and get the answer in the written quote.

Describe the roof (shingles, metal, flat), roughly how old it is, where water shows inside and since when. Add your postal code and the hours you can pick up the phone. Photos from the ground help the company judge urgency.

CAA-Quebec advises staying off the roof when ice sits along the edge, since falls and damage to the roofing membrane are the risk. Photograph from the ground or from a window, and leave the close look to the crew that has fall protection.

The Desk picks one company that covers your area and takes that kind of job. If it cannot take yours, we ask you before passing the request to another one. You are free to compare its quote with quotes from firms you find yourself.

HomeStars gives asphalt shingles a 20-to-50-year life and names three kinds: 3-tab, dimensional and luxury. The spread comes from the shingle grade, ventilation, sun exposure and how well the roof was installed. A roofer reading your roof gives a better estimate than the range.

HomeStars says a roof can take a new layer over old shingles or be stripped to the deck, and that the choice changes the cost a lot. Ask the company what it sees under the top layer and whether the price includes tear-off and disposal.

HomeStars lists the drivers: over-layer or full replacement, roof pitch, the state of rafters or trusses, and the material. Its Ottawa asphalt jobs run from $4,000 to $20,500. Quotes compare only when they describe the same scope in writing.

It can. The City exempts asphalt shingles everywhere except on designated heritage houses and inside a Heritage District Overlay. Call 3-1-1 or buildingpermits@ottawa.ca before you sign.

Ontario puts permits on the customer, and the province’s roofing guide notes that many contractors offer to take them on. Get the name of whoever applies, and the fee, written into the contract.

Ontario’s guide says changes to the scope must be documented in writing, and both sides sign the changed contract. An estimate in a contract cannot be exceeded by more than 10% unless you required extra or different work and signed the change.

Ontario’s guide says most contracts can be cancelled within one year if the customer did not receive a copy that meets the Consumer Protection Act. Keep the signed copy, with the dates and the itemized scope.

The Ontario government keeps a searchable Consumer Beware List of businesses that broke consumer law or ignored complaints. A business stays on it for 21 to 27 months. A clean search shows no listing and says nothing about workmanship, so ask for references too.

Write to the company first and keep the contract, photos and invoices. Ontario’s Consumer Protection office takes questions at 1-800-889-9768 toll-free, per the province’s guide. Tell us as well, so the Desk knows how the request went.

CAA-Quebec, citing CMHC, says heat escapes into the attic, melts snow, and the water refreezes at the cold eaves, so a dam forms and water backs up behind it. Poor attic and soffit ventilation is named as the main cause. See the ice dams page.

CAA-Quebec says heating cables manage ice along the edge and do not replace ventilation and insulation, which are the source of the problem. A roofer who sees your attic can say which one is short. Salt de-icers can damage roofing materials.

CAA-Quebec says no axe, pick or hammer, because they damage the roof, and no sodium chloride de-icers. Large sheets of ice can also slide off metal roofs. Keep people and cars away from the edge below and book a roofer for the cause.

Requests come from the City of Ottawa, including Kanata, Orléans, Barrhaven, Nepean, Stittsville, Gloucester, Riverside South and Manotick. Each has a page with local notes, such as Kanata and Orléans.

They go to one company for this request. We add nobody to mailing lists, keep requests for 24 months, then delete them. Ask for a copy or deletion by sending a request with the word privacy. Full terms are on the privacy page.