Roofer in Sainte-Dorothée: redoing a roof near the old village

From the 1869 municipality to a Laval area

Sainte-Dorothée was established in 1869. The municipality is one of the 14 that were merged in 1965 to form Laval. The City now places Sainte-Dorothée in the same planning sector as Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac.

A single Code de l'urbanisme (Laval's urban planning code) covers the whole city. For roofing in Laval by area, it is the buildings that change, not the rules.

What the City describes in Sainte-Dorothée

The land use plan says the area is dominated by detached or semi-detached single-family homes. The same plan notes mid-rise multi-family buildings in the northern part, and it describes a small village core of heritage value on rue Principale.

Sainte-Dorothée also has an agricultural zone, the Route des Fleurs and a train station that bears the area's name. Ice jams are reported on the Rivière des Prairies, near rue Jetté.

The heritage of rue Principale

The Code de l'urbanisme lists Sainte-Dorothée among its territories of heritage interest and gives it its own criteria. The aim of these criteria is to contribute to the landscape and the village atmosphere along rue Principale. The Code names four dominant architectural styles there:

• the French-Québécois house
• the American vernacular cottage
• the early 20th-century plex
• the walk-up

No criterion specific to Sainte-Dorothée names a roofing material.

The City's architectural heritage inventory, drawn up in 2018, lists 54 principal buildings in Sainte-Dorothée. It counts 18 gable roofs with flared eaves, 8 straight gable roofs, 7 mansard roofs and 4 flat roofs. Asphalt shingles cover 31 of these buildings. The inventory describes only heritage buildings, not the rest of the area.

Changing materials in the heritage territory

In a territory of heritage interest, changing the roofing materials of a principal building may require a PIIA (site planning and architectural integration program). The Code provides three exemptions.

• Replacing a material with the same material of a similar colour.
• Replacing it with a material that preserves or restores the original or traditional characteristics.
• Renovation work on a flat roof.

The City says whether a project is exempt from the PIIA. The same rule follows a building of heritage interest, wherever it is. The boundaries of the territory appear on the Code's maps.

A Victorian house cited by the City

In January 2026, the City published examples of work supported by its revitalization program for heritage buildings. One of them is in Sainte-Dorothée: a Victorian house from around 1895 whose roof was redone in batten seam metal. The City writes that it covered 65% of eligible costs.

The City presents this program as help of up to $35,000. Eligible buildings and work must be checked with the City.

The permit, depending on the material

For a residence, the City decides based on the material.

• Replacing the roof covering with the same material, including added insulation: no permit.
• Replacing the covering with a new material: permit required.

The City does not define what counts as the same material. When the permit applies, the City lists $92 for the first $20,000 of work, plus $2.50 per $1,000 or part of $1,000. The stated processing time is about 30 days, from the complete file.

The application is filed online in Mon Dossier (the City's online portal). Otherwise, the City receives people by appointment at the Service de l'urbanisme (urban planning department), 1333 boulevard Chomedey, ground floor.

The flat roof and article 380

Under the Code, a roof is flat when its slope does not exceed 16.7%, which is 2:12. For principal and accessory buildings with such a roof, article 380 requires one of these coverings:

• a green roof
• a white material, painted white, or covered with a reflective coating or white ballast
• a material with a solar reflectance index of at least 78, confirmed by the manufacturer's specifications or by a professional's specifications
• a combination of these coverings

The article exempts in particular agricultural buildings and small residential accessory buildings with a footprint under 40 m². The Code does not say what holds for an existing roof redone identically.

Before our visit

Keep your feet on the ground. Note whether the roof is sloped or flat, and whether it carries shingles, metal or a membrane. Two or three photos taken from the street round out these notes for our visit.

Request a quote from us for a Sainte-Dorothée roof through this site.

The register of the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority) is public. Check it to make sure the contractor you choose holds a licence there.

The five Sainte-Dorothée pages

Flat roof in Sainte-Dorothée. The buildings of the northern part and the PIIA exemption.

Shingle roofing in Sainte-Dorothée. The sloped roof and the heritage territory.

Commercial roofing in Sainte-Dorothée. The rules and running the job.

Roof replacement in Sainte-Dorothée. The heritage program and the order of the steps.

Roof snow removal in Sainte-Dorothée. The semi-detached home and the neighbour, the carport and the contract signed before winter.

Frequently asked questions