In short
- Under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, any roofing deal over $50 has to be written down.
- Keep the deposit at 10% of the total or less, Ontario advises, and pay the balance only once the work is done.
- When the contract includes an estimate, the final price may top it by 10% at most unless you both sign a change.
- Sign at home and you have 10 days to change your mind; the roofer then has 15 days from your notice to refund everything, deposit included.
- Roofers do not hold a government licence in Ontario. Permits are the homeowner's responsibility unless the contract says the roofer applies.
What the law asks of a roofing contract
Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act covers roofing. Any agreement worth more than $50 must be in writing. A contract signed in your home is a direct agreement, and the province lists the details it should carry:
- the roofer’s name, business name, address and contact information
- a description of the work with the materials and an itemized list of products and services
- a clear description of warranties on goods and on labour
- the total cost with taxes and the terms of payment
- a work schedule with start and completion dates
- any sub-trades, who they are and who pays them
- a payment schedule with the deposit amount
- who prepares the work area and who cleans up
The “Hiring a roofer” page adds three lines worth writing in: how gardens and landscaping are protected, who answers for damage to driveways, eaves and siding, and how delays are handled.
Deposit: how much and when
Ontario’s figure for a deposit is 10% of the total project cost at most. The consumer page adds that the full amount waits until the work is done, which protects you if the company folds before finishing. The province lists a large down payment “to pay for materials” as a known scam pattern.
Ontario advises avoiding cash deals. A cash payment needs a detailed signed receipt, and a “no tax” discount removes your proof of payment.
The estimate cap and changes mid-job
When an estimate sits inside the contract, the roofer cannot charge more than 10% above it unless you require additional or different work and both of you sign a change. That is why the estimate belongs inside the contract itself. On a roof, the usual change is decking: the crew strips the shingles and finds soft plywood. Ask for the price per sheet in the first quote, and the change form is a one-line job. What else moves a roof price is in the roofing cost guide.
Cooling-off and cancelling
A contract worth $50 or more signed at home gives you 10 calendar days to cancel for any reason without cancellation fees. The roofer must refund everything, deposit included, within 15 days of your notice. If the work started in those days at your request, you owe reasonable payment for what was done and could not be returned.
Cancellation also reaches further. Within one year you can cancel most contracts if you never received a copy that meets the Act’s requirements. You can also cancel and be refunded after unfair practices, such as claiming a service was needed when it was not.
Permits, safety and insurance on the paperwork
Ontario states that building permits are the customer’s responsibility. Many contractors offer to apply, and the province asks you to put that into the contract and not let construction begin until you have seen the permit. For which roof jobs need one in Ottawa, read roofing permits in Ottawa.
Roofers work above three metres, and Ontario’s page says each worker up there should be trained and wearing fall protection. The province asks you to confirm the crew’s working at heights training and WSIB coverage.
Before you sign: the checks in order
Collect at least three written quotes, and refuse an estimate by phone or without an inspection of the roof. Call three references: one current job, one recently finished, one older, since roofing problems often show after a year or more. Search the Consumer Beware List by business name and by owner. If the question is patching or a new roof, start with repair or replace. The same checks apply to a roof replacement and to metal roofing.
Who you are dealing with
The quote and the contract come from the independent Ottawa roofer that gets your request. Everything in this guide is a question to put to that firm on the call.
Questions to ask the company
- Does the written estimate become part of the contract, with the itemized list of materials and labour?
- What is the deposit in dollars, what is it for, and when is the balance due?
- Who applies for the building permit, if the job needs one, and is that written in the contract?
- Which start date is in the contract, and does it fall after my 10-day cooling-off period?
- Who stands behind the shingle or metal warranty, and can I have a copy before I sign?
Have this ready for the call
- Photos of the roof from the ground and the attic, plus the roof's age if you know it
- The Consumer Beware List open in a tab, to search the company's name and the owner's name
Questions people ask
Do roofers need a licence in Ontario?
Ontario’s consumer pages say roofing contractors hold no government licence. That puts the checking on you: search the company and the owner’s name on the Consumer Beware List, ask for three references and read the contract line by line before you sign.
Can a roofer ask for the full payment before starting?
Ontario’s guidance says to hold back full payment until the roof is finished and to keep the down payment small, with 10% recommended. A request for a large deposit to pay for materials is listed on the province’s page among common renovation scams.
What happens if the crew starts during my cooling-off period?
You can still cancel for any reason, but you owe reasonable payment for the work and materials already provided at your request. Ontario’s roofing page suggests the contract’s start date fall after the 10 days.
What counts as a change to the contract?
Extra or different work, such as rotten decking found after tear-off. The roofer documents it in writing with the effect on price, schedule and completion date, and both of you sign.
Where do I check a roofer for complaints?
Ontario points to the Consumer Beware List and the postings of charges and convictions under the Consumer Protection Act, plus the Better Business Bureau and the city. Search the business name and the owner’s name, since one person may run several.
A salesperson at my door says my roof is damaged. What now?
Ontario’s roofing page says to ask for photos proving the damage, shingles or holes. It lists the free roof inspection followed by an urgent repair contract as a known scam pattern. You are free to wait, and a home contract you did sign still carries the 10-day right to cancel.
