Roof Repair in Ottawa: Built for Snow, Ice and Wind
Ottawa winters are hard on roofs, and the region has seen some of Ontario’s most destructive storms. We connect Ottawa homeowners with a local roofing contractor, and the inspection is free. Urgent requests are prioritised.
Call 1 (833) 435-4261 Book a free roof inspection
Ottawa’s climate, by the numbers
Environment Canada’s normals for the Ottawa airport show why roofs work hard here:
- 223 cm of snow a year. That’s the most of any city we cover, tied with Barrie.
- About 16 days a year with freezing rain or drizzle, the most of any Ontario station we track.
- 77 days a year when the temperature crosses freezing.
Heavy snow plus freezing rain is the classic setup for ice dams: meltwater refreezes at the eaves and backs up under the shingles. If you get winter leaks near exterior walls, that’s the likely cause. Roof leak repair · Ice dams
When storms hit Ottawa
On September 21, 2018, an EF-3 tornado tore a path of roughly 40 km from Dunrobin into Gatineau, destroying or severely damaging more than 50 homes and leaving about 430,000 people without power. A second tornado, an EF-2, struck Ottawa the same evening. After any major storm, a roof can be damaged without leaking yet. A free inspection is the easy way to know.
If your roof is open to the weather now: Call 1 (833) 435-4261 · Emergency roof repair
Ottawa homes
About 27% of Ottawa households live in semi-detached or row houses, well above the Ontario average of 15%, and 42% in single-detached homes (Statistics Canada, 2021). Townhouse roofs often share a continuous surface across units, so a repair on one unit can involve the edge of the next.
Permits in Ottawa, including the heritage exception
The City of Ottawa lists “installing asphalt shingles on a roof” among projects that don’t need a building permit. There’s an important exception: designated heritage buildings, and buildings in a Heritage District Overlay, are not covered by the exemptions. If your home is in one, contact the City’s Building Code Client Service Centre before any roofing work. City of Ottawa: projects not requiring permits
Roofing services in Ottawa
Roof repair · Roof leak repair · Emergency roof repair · Flat roof repair · Roof replacement · Free roof inspection
We also cover Kanata, Orléans, Barrhaven, Nepean and the rest of the city.
Ottawa roofing questions
Does my heritage-district home need a permit to re-shingle? Possibly. Ottawa’s permit exemptions don’t apply to designated heritage buildings or properties in a Heritage District Overlay. Check with the City first.
What causes ice dams after freezing rain? Heat escaping into the attic melts roof snow, which refreezes at the colder eaves. Freezing rain adds to the ice. The lasting fix is usually attic air-sealing and insulation, plus ice-and-water protection at the eaves.
What should I do first after storm or tornado damage? Stay safe and off the roof, photograph the damage, limit further damage if you safely can, and call your insurer. Full checklist.