Detached, semi-detached or multi-family
The City's land use plan gives three markers for the area. Detached or semi-detached single-family homes dominate. Mid-rise multi-family buildings occupy the northern part. A small village core of heritage value runs along rue Principale.
The City describes homes, not roofs, and it says nothing about snow in Sainte-Dorothée either. The page roofing in Sainte-Dorothée covers the permit and heritage. This page is about winter, and the caution required applies to all of Laval, whatever the neighbourhood.
On a semi-detached house, talk to the neighbour first
Two semi-detached houses share a wall, and their roofs often meet. None of the sources on this page says how to clear snow from a roof shared this way. Practical common sense comes down to three steps.
- Let your neighbour know before requesting a quote. We will want to know whether the job covers one side or both.
- Ask where the snow will fall. The drop zone can extend onto the neighbour's driveway or lot.
- If you notice new cracks or doors that rub in your home, tell the neighbour. They will check their side.
The temporary carport
The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority) warns that a temporary carport can collapse under the weight of snow. The Régie asks that its roof not be cleared from the inside. If it gives way, the person would be crushed by the structure. The CNESST (Quebec's workplace health and safety board) says the same about the fabric cover, which must never be pushed from the inside.
If the cover sags or the structure leans, do not go in to take the car out. Keep children away from the carport and ask a company for help.
A contract signed before the snow
The Régie places the right time at the start of the winter season. That is when well-advised owners sign their roof snow removal contract, just like the one for their driveway. The Régie specifies that this work does not require a licence from it, and still asks owners to make sure the company has the experience and the equipment.
Your request reaches us through the form, and we answer it with a written quote. Before signing, check two things in that quote: whether it is a single visit or a season-long agreement, and how soon the crew comes out after your request.
What you watch for from inside
The Régie names cracks on interior walls, interior doors that stick, unusual creaking and a ceiling that deforms. If these signs are numerous, it asks that the building be evacuated and the snow removed, whatever the amount on the roof.
You do not need to measure the snow, and above all you must not climb up to do so. If the ceiling sags or the creaking keeps coming back, leave the building with your family, warn the neighbour in the semi-detached house and call 911.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have only my side of the semi-detached house cleared?
The sources on this page do not say. Ask us: we will see the shape of the roof and judge on site what can be done safely.
Does the roof need clearing after every snowfall?
The Régie du bâtiment gives no schedule. Its recommendation concerns accumulated snow, and its warning concerns exceptional accumulations. The signs indoors matter more than the number of snowfalls.
My carport is bending under the snow. What should I do?
Do not go under it. The Régie asks that the roof of a temporary shelter not be cleared from the inside, and the CNESST that its cover never be pushed from the inside. Keep everyone away and call a company.