Roof Repair in Barrie: Snowbelt Roofs and Barrie’s Weight Rule
We connect Barrie homeowners with a local roofing contractor, and the inspection is free. Urgent requests are prioritised.
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Barrie’s permit rule: it’s about weight
The City of Barrie’s residential permit page lists two roofing items worth knowing:
- No permit needed to “re-shingle a roof, provided there is no increase in weight of the roofing material.”
- A permit is needed for “roof alterations (e.g. adding dormers, skylights, solar panels, etc.).”
So a like-for-like asphalt re-shingle is usually permit-free, but moving to a heavier roofing material, or adding a skylight or solar panels, is not. Your roofer should check with the City before quoting that kind of work. City of Barrie residential building permits
Snowbelt winters
Barrie is snowbelt country. Environment Canada’s normals for Barrie record about 223 cm of snow a year, tied with Ottawa for the most of any city we cover, and 91 days when temperatures cross freezing. Heavy, repeated snow cover plus frequent thaws is a recipe for ice dams at the eaves. The fix usually starts in the attic, with air-sealing, insulation and ventilation. Roof leak repair · Ice dams
The 2021 tornado
On July 15, 2021, an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 210 km/h cut a 12.5 km path through Barrie, damaging about 150 homes and removing at least 10 roofs. It’s a reminder that roofs here face summer storms as well as winter snow. If a storm damages your roof: emergency roof repair.
Barrie homes
Barrie’s housing is relatively young: 47% of homes were built between 1991 and 2010, and only 29% before 1981 (Statistics Canada, 2021). Many of those roofs are now 15 to 35 years old, so for a lot of Barrie owners the question is repair or replace.
Roofing services in Barrie
Roof leak repair · Roof replacement · Roof repair · Emergency roof repair · Free roof inspection
Nearby
Vaughan · Toronto. We also cover Innisfil, Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Essa (Angus) and Orillia.
Barrie roofing questions
Can I switch to a heavier roofing material without a permit? No. Barrie’s re-shingling exemption only applies if there’s no increase in the weight of the roofing material.
Do I need a permit for a skylight or solar panels? Yes. Barrie lists dormers, skylights and solar panels as roof alterations that need a permit.
How much snow can my roof take? Houses are designed for local snow loads, but ice buildup at the eaves is the more common problem. If you see large icicles or ice ridges, get the attic and eaves checked.