Roofing is not a compulsory trade in Ontario. There is no provincial certificate, no register to look up, and nothing legally stopping anyone from buying a ladder and calling themselves a roofer. That is not a reason to panic - plenty of excellent roofers operate here - but it does mean the checks that protect you are different from the ones that protect you when you hire an electrician.
Roofing is also the residential trade with the highest rate of serious workplace injury, which makes WSIB coverage the single most important thing to confirm. If an uninsured worker falls on your property, you are exposed in a way that no amount of good workmanship offsets.
What roofers do
- Asphalt shingle replacement and repair
- Metal roofing and standing seam
- Flat and low-slope roofing - EPDM, TPO, modified bitumen
- Eavestrough, downspouts, fascia and soffit
- Roof ventilation, ridge vents and intake
- Ice and water shield, flashing and valley detail
- Skylight installation and re-flashing
Does a roofer need a licence in Ontario?
No. Roofing is not a compulsory trade in Ontario, so there is no licence to verify - which makes insurance and WSIB coverage the checks that matter.
WSIB clearance certificate
The most important document in this trade. Ask for a current certificate and confirm it names the company doing your work, not a subcontractor you have never met. It should be dated within the last 90 days.
Verify with: WSIB clearance certificates can be validated online by the account number.
Open the official lookupGeneral liability insurance
Two million dollars minimum for residential roofing. Request the certificate of insurance directly from the broker rather than a photocopy, and confirm the policy is current.
Manufacturer shingle certification
Optional but meaningful. Manufacturers certify installers, and certification is what unlocks the extended system warranty. Without it you have a material warranty only, which covers far less than most homeowners assume.
Municipal business licence
Some Ontario municipalities require one. Not universal, but easy to ask about.
What it costs in Ontario
Roofing is quoted per square - one square is 100 square feet of roof surface, not floor area. A steep or complex roof with multiple valleys and dormers can cost half again as much as a simple gable of the same footprint. When two quotes differ sharply, the usual causes are shingle grade, whether the old layers are being torn off, and how much ice-and-water shield is included.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle replacement, per squareIncludes tear-off and disposal. Architectural shingles sit above three-tab. | $450 – $800 |
| Typical full roof, average detached homeRoughly 18 to 25 squares. Complexity moves this more than size does. | $8,000 – $16,000 |
| Metal roofTwo to three times asphalt, with a service life to match. | $18,000 – $40,000 |
| Flat roof, per square footEPDM and TPO. Access and insulation thickness drive the range. | $10 – $18 |
| Localised repairFlashing, a small leak, a handful of blown-off shingles. | $400 – $1,500 |
| Eavestrough replacement, per linear footSeamless aluminum. Oversized six-inch trough costs more and clogs less. | $12 – $25 |
| Skylight installationRe-flashing an existing skylight during a re-roof is far cheaper than a new opening. | $2,000 – $4,500 |
These are planning estimates for Ontario, not quotes, and they move with material prices and demand. Use them to sanity-check a quote, not to argue one down.
Questions to ask before you hire
- 1Can I see a current WSIB clearance certificate and your liability certificate of insurance?
- 2Is this a full tear-off, or shingling over the existing layer? (Overlays are cheaper and shorten roof life.)
- 3How much ice and water shield is included, and how far up from the eave?
- 4Are you certified by the shingle manufacturer, and does this quote include the system warranty or only the material warranty?
- 5What happens if you find rotten decking? What is the per-sheet price, and will you show me before replacing it?
- 6Who is on site supervising, and are any parts of this subcontracted?
- 7How is the site protected and cleaned - magnet sweep for nails, plants covered?
Warning signs
- Door-to-door solicitation after a storm, especially from a company with out-of-province plates.
- A quote that does not specify shingle brand, line and colour.
- Any request for a large cash deposit before materials are delivered.
- No written scope describing tear-off, underlayment, flashing and ventilation. "Replace roof" is not a scope.
- Reluctance to provide WSIB documentation. There is no acceptable reason for this.
- A price that only stands if you sign today.
How to read reviews for this trade
Roofing reviews are written the week the job finishes, which is exactly when nobody knows whether the roof leaks. Look specifically for reviews written a year or more later, and for any review describing how the company responded to a callback. Also check whether reviews cluster in one short burst, which can indicate solicited reviews rather than steady work.