In short
- The Insurance Bureau of Canada says damage caused by wind is typically covered by home, commercial property and comprehensive auto insurance policies.
- One Ottawa firm's guide prices a small shingle patch at $300–$700 and major repairs at $2,000–$3,000 or more.
- Edges, ridges and corners lose shingles first; the rest of the roof can look fine from the street.
- Swapping wind-torn shingles needs no City of Ottawa permit; a tree that cracked the framing makes the job structural, and that needs one.
- Photos and receipts taken before and after the temporary cover are what an insurer asks for.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A few missing or damaged shingles | $300–$700 | One Ottawa firm’s guide |
| Flashing or vent repair after wind lifts it | $400–$1,000 | Same guide |
| Deck or underlayment repair | $1,000–$3,000 | Where wind opened the roof and rain followed; same guide |
| Major repair, widespread or structural | $2,000–$3,000+ | Same guide |
| Roofer labour | $60–$120/h | Ottawa contractors, same guide |
Sources. JDM Roofing, Roof Repair Cost: What Homeowners Need to Know, an Ottawa firm’s list dated 16.10.2025, seen 29.10.2026. Insurance: Insurance Bureau of Canada, derecho storm ranks 6th largest, seen 29.10.2026. Permits: City of Ottawa, projects not requiring building permits and building permit projects, archived copies seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, guide for home renovation and roofing businesses, seen 29.10.2026. The company that calls you sets its own price after it has seen the roof.
What a storm does to a roof
Wind pulls on the places air can get under: eaves, rakes, ridges, hips and corners. A shingle whose sealant strip has aged curls and tears, and the next gust takes the tab. Trees add a second kind of damage. A limb can puncture the deck, and a fallen trunk can crack rafters.
Look from the ground for shingles in the yard, a darker bare patch, a lifted ridge cap, a bent vent hood or a loose metal edge. Take photos before you tidy up.
The first steps
Keep off the roof. If water is coming in, follow the safe steps on the emergency page and ask the company for a temporary cover. Then phone your insurer straight away.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada states that damage caused by wind is typically covered by home, commercial property and comprehensive auto insurance. After the storm of 21 May 2022 it counted over $875 million of damage covered by insurance across Ontario and Quebec, with Ontario at more than $720 million. Your policy sets the deductible and the limits. A written damage report from the roofer, with photos and measurements, helps your claim.
What the repair involves
- Replacing torn or lifted shingles. The roofer removes the damaged tabs, checks the nails and sealant, and fits matching shingles. Colour match is the sticking point on older roofs.
- Re-seating flashing and vents. Wind lifts metal edges and rubber collars. Water then runs behind them, as the flashing and chimney page explains.
- Decking. Where bare deck sat in the rain, boards soften. Sheets that fail the roofer’s inspection get cut out and replaced.
- Debris and disposal. Removal of a branch, torn shingles and old underlayment may be priced as an extra.
If shingles keep blowing off an aging roof, the roofer may suggest replacement in place of another patch. The repair or replace guide sets out how to weigh it.
What it costs
One Ottawa firm’s published guide prices a patch of missing or damaged shingles at $300–$700 and flashing or vent repair at $400–$1,000. Deck or underlayment repair runs $1,000–$3,000, and major repairs reach $2,000–$3,000 or more. Its hourly range for Ottawa roofers is $60–$120. These are one firm’s numbers; the company that calls sets its own after seeing the roof.
For the insurer, a quote that lists the area, the materials, disposal and HST, and the price for decking found rotten, makes the claim easier to settle.
Permits and paperwork
Replacing blown-off shingles needs no City of Ottawa building permit, since the City exempts asphalt shingle installs, and the Ontario Building Code still applies to the work. Heritage-designated homes and those in a Heritage District Overlay lose that exemption. A tree that cracked trusses turns the job into a structural repair, and structural repairs need a permit. See the roofing permit guide.
Ontario’s guide for roofing businesses puts any contract over $50 in writing. A written estimate may grow by a tenth at most before you must sign a change, and the guide advises against deposits above 10%. After a big storm, check roofing contracts in Ontario before signing anything at your door.
Who you are dealing with
The storm photos go to one independent Ottawa roofer, which inspects the damage, quotes the repair and does the work. You decide whether to go ahead; your insurer decides what it pays.
Questions to ask the company
- Will you walk the whole roof and report every slope, or only the area I can see damage?
- Can you match my shingle colour and profile, or is a patch going to show?
- Will you write up the damage with photos and measurements for my insurer?
- How do you handle the tree or branch: is removal part of your quote?
- If I want to wait for the adjuster, what temporary protection do you put on meanwhile?
Have this ready for the call
- Photos from the ground, taken before anything is moved, including shingles and debris on the lawn
- A list of the other damage you see: fence, siding, eavestroughs, vents, soffit
- Your insurer's claim number once you have it, and the adjuster's date if one is booked
- Any leftover bundles of shingles from the last re-roof, with the brand on the wrapper
- Where the water showed inside, if it did
Questions people ask
Why do shingles go at the edges first?
Wind lifts the roof’s edges, corners and ridge first, because air pushes up under them. Old sealant strips weaken with age and cold, so a tab that no longer sticks flaps and tears. The roofer checks the field of the roof too, since damage there hides until the next rain.
My neighbour's roof looks fine and mine lost shingles. Why?
Roofs differ by age, orientation, tree cover and how well the shingles were sealed and nailed. A newer roof with a sound sealant strip resists lifting. A slope facing the wind, a gap in the tree line or an older roof takes more of a gust.
Will the insurer replace the whole roof or a patch?
That depends on your policy and the adjuster’s report. A few missing tabs normally mean a repair. Widespread damage, or shingles that cannot be matched, can be argued for a larger scope. Ask the roofer for a written damage report with photos to support it.
What if the tree that fell was my neighbour's?
Tell your insurer whose tree it was and send photos of the tree and the roof. Your insurer decides how the claim is handled. Who pays for the tree and for any claim between neighbours belongs with the insurers.
Is a chimney that shifted in the wind a roofing job?
The flashing and the roof around it are roofing work. A leaning or cracked chimney is masonry and may involve the structure, which the City of Ottawa treats as a permit matter. Tell the company about it in the request so the right crew comes.