Commercial roofing in Chomedey

The area's commercial buildings

The City's land use plan places commercial buildings and multi-family housing at the heart of the area. Parking is in the front yard: truck access is easy, while customers' daily life during the work is less so.

A manager preparing a project for roofing in Chomedey has two questions to settle: what the Code requires of the covering, and how to carry out the work without closing the business or disturbing the tenants.

Article 380 also covers businesses

Article 380 of the Code de l'urbanisme (Laval's urban planning code) applies to main and accessory buildings with a flat roof. It does not distinguish homes from businesses. The roof must have a green roof, a material that is 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 these coverings.

Equipment that the Code allows on a roof is among the article's exceptions. The reflectance index is shown by the manufacturer's specifications or a professional's specifications. On a large roof, have the membrane's technical data sheet listed among the documents provided with the quote.

As for homes, the text does not say what applies to an existing roof redone with the same material. The Service de l'urbanisme (the City's planning department) can answer before the call for tenders.

Buildings over three storeys

In its chapter on sustainable buildings, the Code de l'urbanisme requires that the roof structure be designed to carry an extensive green roof when three conditions are met: the building has more than three storeys, the roof area of the building or its extension is over 250 m², and the roof is flat. This requirement is in article 141, which has exceptions.

The article is about how the structure is designed. It does not require installing a green roof, and it does not say what applies to an existing building where only the covering is redone. If you want a green roof, the same chapter asks the owner to have a watertightness test done at their own expense before installation.

What the City publishes about the permit

The City of Laval has no procedure page dedicated to the roof of a commercial building. Its page on renovating and fitting out a commercial space states that a permit is needed before altering or fitting out a unit, and posts fees of $172 for the first $5,000 of work, plus $6.10 per $1,000 or part of $1,000.

This page does not mention roofing. Before launching a roofing project on a commercial building in Chomedey, ask the Service de l'urbanisme whether a permit applies to your case and at what rate. The counter is at 1333, boulevard Chomedey, by appointment.

Working on an occupied building

A commercial roof is rarely redone in an empty building. Have the quote specify:

• how materials go up and where the container is placed
• working hours, especially for tear-off and noisy work
• protection of entrances, storefronts and the parking lot
• who disconnects and reconnects the ventilation units on the roof
• what is planned if rain comes while the roof is open

Notify your tenants in writing of the dates and the affected access points. In an apartment building, top-floor tenants will hear the work.

What a manager can prepare

Without climbing onto the roof, gather the year of the last roof replacement, repair invoices, inspection reports and the list of reported leaks with their locations. These documents let roofers quote on the same basis.

Frequently asked questions