Flat roof repair in Burlington

Flat roof services in Burlington

Townhouses and row houses are common in Burlington, and their flat roof sections often span several units. A leak can start on one unit's section and show up in the home next door. We find where the water gets in, fix that spot and tell you how much life the rest of the roof has.

When a roof is past repair, we replace it with EPDM, TPO, PVC or modified bitumen, and fix the drainage so water does not sit on the new membrane. Owners and property managers also book inspections and maintenance visits.

Lakeside villages and QEW-era growth in Burlington

Burlington grew from lakeside villages. Wellington Square and Port Nelson merged into the Village of Burlington in 1873, and it became a town in 1914. After the Second World War, cheap electricity and the Queen Elizabeth Way drew light industry and families. In 1958 the town annexed most of Nelson Township and Aldershot, and it became a city in 1974. Census figures show about 47% of homes were built before 1981 and about 14% before 1961.

That postwar wave still shapes the roof stock. Aldershot and the older parts of Burlington grew in that period, and on houses and low-rise buildings from those decades you often find flat roofs over additions and garages. Burlington Centre opened in 1968 and Mapleview Centre in 1990, and the plazas and stores around them are examples of retail buildings with low-slope roofs. The city's economic base includes food processing, packaging, electronics and pharmaceuticals, so industrial buildings with big flat roofs are part of the mix.

Burlington weather and your flat roof

Ontario's Building Code sets the climate values used to design roofs in each municipality. They show what a flat roof in Burlington has to handle.

• 1.1 kPaGround snow load (about 23 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 23 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 103 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -17 °CJanuary design temperature
• 3,740Heating degree-days per year
• 0.46 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year

That snow load is about 1.2 times the Toronto figure. Snow drifts against parapets, walls and rooftop units, and the weight sits on the roof for weeks. Drains that freeze shut leave meltwater nowhere to go.

Short summer storms can still drop 23 mm of rain in 15 minutes, so drains and scuppers have to be clear and sealed.

Source: Ontario Building Code, Supplementary Standard SB-1, Table 1.2

Homes and buildings in Burlington

The age and type of buildings shape the flat roofs we see. These are the 2021 Census figures for Burlington.

• 47%Homes built before 1981
• 24%Homes built since 2001
• 55%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 19%Row houses and townhouses
• 18%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 25%Households that rent

19% of homes in Burlington are row houses or townhouses. Flat sections often run across several units, so a leak can start on a neighbour's part of the roof or at the joint between two units. See townhouses and row houses.

18% of homes in Burlington are apartments in buildings of five or more storeys. Those roofs are looked after by condo boards and property managers, who need a written scope, photos and a plan that fits the reserve fund. See condo buildings and apartment buildings.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile

Burlington: facts for property owners

• Population of Burlington: 186,948 (2021 Census). Source
• Burlington is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton.
• City of Burlington: replacing shingles with the same material needs no permit as long as the roof has fewer than three layers of shingles. Source
• Home flood prevention programs: City page on flood-prevention programs for homeowners, including a building-permit fee subsidy for interior flood renovations. Source

Rules and programs change. Confirm current details with the municipality before you start work.

Starting prices in Burlington

Starting prices in CAD before 13% HST, based on typical Ontario contractor rates (mostly Toronto and the GTA). The final price depends on roof size, access, the layers to remove, the membrane, drains and flashings, and is confirmed in your written quote.

See all prices.