In short
- The City of Ottawa lists installing asphalt shingles on a roof among projects exempt from a building permit.
- Exempt projects must still meet the Ontario Building Code and any other applicable law.
- Heritage-designated houses and properties in a Heritage District Overlay lose every exemption.
- Metal roofing is missing from the City's exempt list; 3-1-1 or buildingpermits@ottawa.ca answers for your job.
- In Ontario permits are the customer's responsibility, and many contractors offer to apply; the contract should say who.
The short answer for Ottawa
The City of Ottawa publishes the work it lets you do without a building permit. “Installing asphalt shingles on a roof” is on it, next to replacing doors and windows in the same opening and new flooring. For a house that is getting new asphalt shingles on its existing roof, the City does not ask for a building permit.
The same page attaches two conditions. Exempt work still has to meet the Ontario Building Code and whatever other law applies, the Zoning By-law among them. And a designated heritage building, or anything inside a Heritage District Overlay, loses every exemption, so owners there ask a Building Client Service Centre representative.
What takes a roof job past the exemption
The exemption covers one thing: shingles. Other roof work lands in different categories.
- Structural repair or alteration. The City lists permit projects that include structural repairs and alterations. Replacing rafters or trusses, raising the roofline or adding a dormer sits here.
- New openings. A skylight that needs new framing changes the structure. One Ottawa roofer’s blog says such work generally needs a permit. See skylights for the roof side.
- Rooftop stormwater. The City’s permit list includes rooftop stormwater retention systems.
- Other materials. Metal, slate, flat membranes and cedar are missing from the exempt list. The page does not say they need a permit, so the answer comes from the City for your address.
The company that calls will describe the work in these terms. If any item above is part of it, ask who applies.
Who applies and who pays
Ontario’s guide for home renovation and roofing businesses says contractors should clarify who will get and pay for any permits required by the city or town. It states that permits are the customer’s responsibility, and that many contractors offer to handle them. A roofer who does so should still show it in the contract: the line, the amount, and the date the permit is expected.
Fill that line in. The guide lists a written agreement as required for contracts over $50 and lists the total cost with taxes, payment terms, a schedule and any sub-trades as contents, so a permit fee that appears later would be a change to price. Under Ontario rules the bill can go at most 10% over the estimate unless you sign a change.
The code applies with or without a permit
The permit exemption leaves the Ontario Building Code in force. Ventilation, eave protection, flashing and fastening are code matters, and the roofer is the person who has to meet them. The roof ventilation page has the venting ratios from the code text. The roofing contract page lists what the written agreement should say about permits and warranties.
Heritage homes
Parts of Ottawa sit inside Heritage Conservation Districts, and individual houses carry designation. For these, the City page says no exemptions apply. Changing the shingle type or colour is the kind of change to raise with the City first. Call 3-1-1 or write to buildingpermits@ottawa.ca with the address, and keep the answer for the contract file.
People on the roof
A permit or not, roof work is work at height. In Ontario, anyone on a construction project who relies on fall protection needs approved working at heights training, renewed every three years. Ask the company how its crew is trained.
Who you are dealing with
The independent roofer we forward your request to tells you on the call whether the job needs a permit or a heritage check. The City has the last word on your address. For prices, see roof replacement cost; for the job itself, roof replacement.
Questions to ask the company
- Is a permit needed for my job, and who applies for it?
- Is the permit fee in your total, or added after?
- Will you change any framing, add a skylight or raise the roofline?
- Is my house in a Heritage District Overlay or designated, and have you checked?
- Which parts of the Ontario Building Code apply to the new roof, and how will you show it?
Have this ready for the call
- Your street address, to check for heritage status with the City
- A short description of what changes: material, framing, skylights, dormers
- Photos of the roof edges, the chimney and any structural sagging
- Any earlier permit or heritage papers from the house file
- Your question list for the company, from the box above
Questions people ask
Does a metal re-roof need a City permit?
The City’s exempt list names asphalt shingles and is silent on metal, so the page gives no answer for metal. The same page directs doubtful cases to the Building Code Client Service Centre, 3-1-1, or buildingpermits@ottawa.ca. Ask before the contract is signed.
Who applies for the permit, me or the roofer?
Ontario’s guide for roofing businesses says permits are the customer’s responsibility, and many contractors offer to apply for them. The guide tells contractors to clarify who gets and pays for permits, so the contract should name the person and the fee.
My house is in a heritage district. What changes?
Every exemption falls away for a designated building or one inside a Heritage District Overlay. The City tells owners to contact a Building Code Client Service Centre representative for specific information. Do this before you sign for a different material or colour.
Does replacing the plywood deck need a permit?
The City requires a permit for structural repairs and alterations. One Ottawa roofer’s blog treats a few patched boards as maintenance and widespread decking replacement as possibly structural, and advises confirming with Building Code Services. Ask the company to describe the decking scope in writing.
If no permit is needed, can the roofer skip the building code?
The City says exempt projects must still comply with the Ontario Building Code and other applicable law. The exemption removes the application and the fee, and leaves the code in force. Ask the company which code items apply to ventilation, flashing and eaves, and how it will show them on the finished roof.
