Roof replacement in Laval

Repair again, or replace it all

As long as the defect is in one spot and the rest of the roofing is sound, a roof repair is enough. Replacement takes over when the whole roof has aged.

The first clue is age. The lifespans below are rough figures, depending on the manufacturers and the quality of installation.

• Asphalt shingles: 15 to 30 years.
• Elastomeric membrane: 25 to 35 years.
• Tar and gravel: 15 to 25 years.
• TPO and EPDM: 20 to 30 years.
• Metal: 40 years and more.

These figures do not decide on their own. Good ventilation and regular maintenance often make a roof last beyond them, and a sloppy installation wears it out well before. We also look at other signs.

• Water comes in at a new spot each time.
• Repair visits come closer together from one year to the next.
• Wear shows everywhere, not only on one slope or in one corner.
• The deck bends underfoot or forms waves.
• An insurer requires work, or the property will soon be put up for sale.

Whether the roof has simply reached the age of its material, an inspection report says it needs replacing or an insurer asks for it, the first step is the same: have it examined.

What the job removes and what it puts back

We strip the roof down to the wood. We inspect the deck, replace the damaged boards or panels, then install a complete system: the roofing, the flashing, the vents and the accessories that go with them.

Flat or sloped: two different jobs

Laval's Code de l'urbanisme (the City's urban planning code) sorts roofs into two groups. Up to a slope of 2:12, or 16.7%, the roof is flat. Above that, it is sloped.

Flat roof. The roofing is a membrane, or an old tar and gravel system. Everything comes down to the details: the membrane turned up against the parapets, the drain, the vents, and the joint with the building next door when two walls touch.

Sloped roof. The roofing is often asphalt shingles, sometimes metal. We watch the valleys, the rake edge, the chimney flashing and the attic ventilation. State your type of roof in your request, so the visit can be prepared accordingly.

The City of Laval's rules

The rules are the same across the whole city.

The permit. The City's page on exterior residential renovation sets a single criterion for a residence. Replacing the roofing with the same material, even when adding insulation, requires no permit. Replacing it with a new material requires one. The City does not define what it means by "same material." In a doubtful case, the question goes to the Service de l'urbanisme (the City's urban planning department).

Fees and timeline. When a permit is needed, the City lists a cost of $92 for the first $20,000, plus $2.50 per $1,000 or part of $1,000. It announces a timeline of about 30 days, counted from the moment the file is complete.

The instructions. The City asks owners to wait until they have received the permit before starting work. It also asks that the permit be posted for the whole duration of the work, visible from the street.

Flat roofs. Article 380 of the Code requires a flat roof to have one of the following coverings: a green roof, a material that is white, painted white or covered with a reflective coating or white ballast, a material with a solar reflectance index of at least 78, or a combination of the three. The Code does not specify what applies to an existing roof redone identically. Have the Service de l'urbanisme confirm it before choosing the membrane.

Heritage. In a territory of heritage interest, or on a building of heritage interest wherever it stands, changing the roofing materials of a principal building may require approval under a PIIA (site planning and architectural integration program). The Code exempts three cases: replacement with the same material in a similar colour, replacement with a material that keeps or restores the original or traditional features, and the renovation of a flat roof. The City makes the call. Its Info-règlements tool (the City's bylaw lookup), searched by address, flags the zones where special provisions apply.

Financial help. The City's list of programs and grants contains nothing for the roof of an ordinary residence.

What an open roof makes it easy to fix

Once the old roofing is gone, several corrections become simple.

• Insulation. On a flat roof, it is added or replaced from above, just before the membrane.
• Ventilation. On a sloped roof, vents are added or replaced at this stage, and we check that air moves properly through the attic.
• Drainage. Where water pools on a flat roof, tapered insulation redirects it toward the drain.
• Flashing. Chimney, wall and parapet flashing is best redone when the roofing that meets it is new.
• Skylights. An old skylight is best replaced during the roof replacement rather than after. Its edges are sealed along with the roof.

Bring these points up at the visit. Written into the quote, an addition can be compared between roofers. Decided in the middle of the job, it is paid as an extra.

A project's timeline

Most of the time passes before the job starts.

1. Visits and quotes. Each roofer needs to see the roof, and the documents reach you one at a time.
2. The permit, if one is needed. The City's timeline runs from the complete file.
3. A spot in the roofer's schedule. It is booked at signing. In high season, this is often the longest wait.
4. The job. It follows the weather, and each day of rain pushes back the rest.

A project started without a leak lets you choose the contractor and the date. After water damage, you take whoever is available.

Quotes that can be compared

Ask for three quotes. Each roofer should examine the roof closely, ideally by going up on it themselves, and price the same work as the others. Prepare for each one:

• The age of the roof, even approximate, and the year of the last work.
• The places where water has already shown up inside.
• How to reach the roof and the yard.
• The dates that suit you.

Insist on a detailed written document. An amount alone on one line compares to nothing, and the total says neither what will be installed nor by whom. The quote should name the materials, the layers installed, what happens to the flashing, how a deck found in poor condition will be handled, and who applies for the permit. The permit question is settled before the contract, not when the dumpster arrives.

Before signing

In Quebec, a construction contractor must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority). The register of licence holders is public on the RBQ website.

Get both warranties in writing: the manufacturer's on its materials, and the contractor's on the installation. Finally, reread the contract next to the quote, to check that nothing promised has disappeared.

Frequently asked questions