Choosing a roofer in Laval

A job that comes down to the joints

Top-quality roofing lets water through if it is poorly joined. Leaks often start around a chimney, at the base of a parapet or around a drain, and these joints depend on the crew's care.

During a roof replacement, no other decision will stay with you as long as the choice of contractor. Make it while nothing is leaking.

Before the visit: two papers

The licence. In Quebec, a construction contractor must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority), and the register of licence holders is public on the RBQ website. Check it before setting the appointment. A company missing from the register, or listed under a different name than the one on the quote, is ruled out from the start.

Insurance. A roof being replaced exposes your building, the one next door and the people walking below. Ask for a civil liability insurance certificate issued in the company's name, and check whether its dates cover the whole period of your work.

During the visit: watch them work

The way the contractor examines your roof shows the way they will redo it.

• They go look at the top of the roof instead of estimating it from the street.
• They take time over the flashing, the drains and the attic, not only the surface.
• They measure, they take photos, then they describe to you what they saw.

A price called out from the sidewalk is for a roof nobody has examined.

Also ask who will be there on the day of the work. Some companies employ their own installers, others use subcontractors, and both approaches exist. Note the name of the person responsible for the job and how to reach them.

The right trade for your roof

Nailing shingles on a slope and welding a membrane on a flat roof are two specialties. Someone who excels at one does not necessarily have the touch for the other.

• What kind of roof do you spend most of your season on?
• Can you describe a recent job that looks like mine?
• Have you ever redone the roof of a heritage building?
• Have you ever submitted a permit application to the City of Laval?

The last question matters if you are changing roofing. For a residence, the City of Laval requires no permit when the roofing is replaced with the same material, and requires one when the material is new. It does not define what it means by "same material."

After the visit: roofs that have aged

Ask for addresses of jobs that are already a few years old. A roof installed last month often looks good. Winters show what an installation is worth.

If the contractor puts you in touch with past customers, call them. Were the dates kept? Did the invoice match the quote? Did the contractor come back when called?

What should slow you down

• Someone rings your doorbell the day after a storm to offer a new roof.
• You are pressured to sign before the end of the day.
• A price comes in far below the others, and nobody says why.
• Payment must be made in cash, without an invoice.
• The contractor refuses to put anything in writing.
• The company's address cannot be found anywhere.

Frequently asked questions