The best roofers in Ottawa are the insured, WSIB-covered companies that install a full system — ice and water shield extended well past the exterior wall line, synthetic underlayment, proper intake and exhaust ventilation, and new flashing — rather than just stripping and re-shingling. Ottawa has no licensing body that ranks roofers, so the dependable approach is to shortlist three or four screened local companies and compare their written scopes side by side. For 2026 budgeting, a full asphalt shingle roof replacement in Ottawa runs roughly $6.50–$11 per square foot of roof area, which puts m...
Roofing quality is largely invisible once the last shingle is nailed down, which is why the vetting has to happen before the truck arrives. Start with paperwork: a permanent Ottawa business address, an active WSIB clearance certificate, and general liability coverage — roofing is a high-risk trade and an uninsured fall on your property can become your problem. Then look at the scope. A strong quote names the shingle line and manufacturer, states how many courses of ice and water shield go along eaves and in valleys, specifies synthetic underlayment rather than felt, includes new drip edge and step flashing rather than reusing old metal, and addresses ventilation with a calculated intake-to-exhaust balance. It also states how many layers are being removed, whether the deck will be inspected and rotten sheathing replaced (with a per-sheet price), and how the property will be protected and cleaned, including magnetic nail sweeps. Companies that install as certified contractors for a major shingle manufacturer can often register extended system warranties, which is a meaningful advantage.
Every roof has a manufacturer's material warranty and a contractor's workmanship warranty. The material warranty is largely irrelevant if the installation is faulty, since most leaks trace to workmanship. Ask for the workmanship warranty in writing — five to ten years is common in Ottawa — and confirm the company has been in business long enough to honour it.
In 2026 Canadian dollars, a complete tear-off and asphalt shingle replacement in Ottawa typically costs $6.50–$11 per square foot of actual roof surface. A modest bungalow with a simple gable roof often lands around $9,000–$13,000, a typical two-storey suburban home in Barrhaven or Orléans runs roughly $13,000–$18,000, and a larger or steeply pitched home with multiple valleys, dormers, and skylights can exceed $22,000. Steep pitch (above 8:12) adds 15–30 percent because of the safety equipment and slower pace required, and every additional layer of old shingles removed adds roughly $0.75–$1.50 per square foot in labour and disposal. Replacing rotten sheathing is usually billed per sheet at about $95–$160 installed. Premium architectural or designer shingles add a few dollars per square foot over three-tab, and standing-seam metal — increasingly popular on Ottawa's rural and Rockcliffe-area properties for its 50-year lifespan and snow shedding — runs about $16–$28 per square foot installed.
When one roofing quote is 30 percent below the others, the difference is usually felt paper instead of synthetic underlayment, minimum ice and water coverage, reused flashing, and no ventilation correction. Those omissions are invisible on install day and expensive during a February thaw.
Most Ottawa roof failures are not shingle failures — they are water failures caused by ice damming. Heat escaping into the attic melts the snowpack on the roof, that meltwater runs down and refreezes at the cold eaves, and the resulting ice ridge forces water backwards under the shingles. Ontario Building Code requires an eave protection membrane, and good Ottawa roofers go beyond the minimum, running ice and water shield far enough up the slope that it extends well past the interior face of the exterior wall — often two courses on lower-pitch roofs and full coverage in valleys and around chimneys and skylights. Equally important is the attic itself: balanced soffit intake and ridge or roof-vent exhaust keeps the deck cold so snow does not melt unevenly, and adequate attic insulation stops the heat loss that starts the cycle. A roofer who inspects your soffits and attic before quoting understands Ottawa; one who only measures the shingle area does not. If you are already improving attic insulation, federal retrofit incentives may apply to that portion of the work.
In Ottawa, a straightforward like-for-like shingle replacement generally does not require a building permit, but structural work does — replacing roof trusses or rafters, altering the roof line, adding a dormer, or making structural repairs to the deck all trigger a permit through the City of Ottawa. Skylight installations that involve cutting new openings can as well. Regardless of permit status, the work must comply with the Ontario Building Code, including eave protection, fastening patterns, and ventilation area requirements. Separately, check your home insurance: many insurers now ask the age of the roof at renewal, and some limit coverage on roofs over 20 years old, so keeping the invoice and warranty documentation is worth doing. If your roof was damaged by a storm — Ottawa has had several severe wind events in recent years — document the damage photographically before any repair and involve your insurer early, because retroactive claims are far harder to support.
A reasonable deposit is 10–25 percent, with the balance due on completion after your walkthrough. Requests for most or all of the money before materials arrive on site are a warning sign, as is any pressure to pay in cash without a formal invoice.
Ottawa roofers work from roughly April through November, and shingles need a reasonable temperature to seal properly — asphalt shingles rely on a heat-activated adhesive strip, so late-season installs in cold weather may require hand-sealing and can leave tabs vulnerable to wind uplift over the first winter. Mid-summer is peak season, which means the busiest schedules and the least negotiating room. Many homeowners find late spring and early fall the sweet spot: temperatures are still warm enough for proper sealing, and crews have more schedule flexibility. If your roof is leaking actively, do not wait for ideal weather — arrange an emergency tarp or temporary repair and schedule the full replacement as soon as conditions allow. Planning your project around the local trade calendar also affects pricing and availability across other renovation work, so if the roof is part of a bigger exterior plan, sequencing matters.
Get three or four written quotes and insist that each one covers the same specification so the comparison is meaningful. Ask every roofer to state: shingle brand and line, underlayment type, ice and water shield coverage in courses and location, new flashing versus reused, ventilation plan with intake and exhaust, per-sheet price for replacing rotten sheathing, number of existing layers being removed, disposal, workmanship warranty length, and start and completion dates. Verify WSIB clearance and liability insurance rather than taking a verbal assurance, and call at least two references from jobs completed several winters ago — a roof that has survived three Ottawa winters tells you far more than one installed last month. You can browse screened roofing companies in our /directory and request free, no-obligation quotes through the quote form to get comparable bids quickly. Taking an extra hour on verification is the single best protection against the most costly renovation mistakes homeowners make.
How far up the slope does your ice and water shield run? Are you installing new drip edge and step flashing? What is my current attic ventilation and does it meet code? What is the per-sheet cost if you find rotten deck? Who from your company will be on site supervising the crew?
No official body ranks Ottawa roofers, so the best ones are identified by verifiable standards: active WSIB clearance and liability insurance, a written scope specifying shingle line, synthetic underlayment, extended ice and water shield, new flashing and a ventilation plan, manufacturer certification where applicable, a written workmanship warranty, and references from roofs installed several winters ago. Compare three or four screened companies on identical scope before choosing.
A full tear-off and asphalt shingle replacement typically costs $6.50–$11 per square foot of roof area in 2026. Most bungalows land around $9,000–$13,000, typical two-storey suburban homes run $13,000–$18,000, and large or complex roofs can exceed $22,000. Standing-seam metal runs about $16–$28 per square foot installed.
A like-for-like shingle replacement generally does not require a City of Ottawa building permit, but structural work does — replacing trusses or rafters, changing the roof line, adding a dormer, or structural deck repairs. All roofing work must still meet the Ontario Building Code, including eave protection and ventilation requirements.
Heat escaping from the living space warms the attic and melts the snowpack on the roof. The meltwater runs to the cold eaves and refreezes, forming an ice ridge that pushes water back under the shingles. The fixes are proper attic insulation, balanced soffit intake and ridge exhaust ventilation, and ice and water shield extending well past the exterior wall line.
Late spring and early fall are usually ideal — temperatures are warm enough for shingle adhesive strips to seal properly, and crews have more schedule flexibility than during the mid-summer peak. Cold late-season installs may require hand-sealing and can leave tabs more vulnerable to winter wind uplift.
Architectural asphalt shingles generally last 20–30 years in Ottawa when the attic is properly ventilated and insulated, though poor ventilation can cut that significantly. Standing-seam metal roofs commonly last 50 years or more and shed snow well, which is why they are popular on rural properties around the region.