Flat roof repair in Kingston

Flat roof services in Kingston

Kingston has many mid- and high-rise buildings, whose flat roofs are managed by condo boards and property managers. The usual work is drains, flashings at mechanical units and planned replacements. Kingston has one of the ten heaviest design snow loads of the 40 cities on this site, so drains and parapet flashings get extra attention. 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.

Limestone streets and institutions in Kingston

After a dock fire in 1840 much of downtown Kingston was rebuilt in stone or brick, and the city is still known as the Limestone City. Industry declined after the Second World War: the Canadian Locomotive Company closed in 1969 and the economy moved toward Queen's University, the military and corrections. Portsmouth was annexed in 1952. Census data shows about 53% of homes were built before 1981, and about a third of dwellings are in apartment buildings.

Thick stone walls with flat or low-slope roofs behind parapets are common on older downtown buildings, and drains and wall junctions need regular inspection. Queen's University and the nearby neighbourhoods add campus buildings and apartment blocks. Institutional sites such as hospitals, barracks and campus buildings add large low-slope roofs. Commercial plazas and newer townhouse blocks on the outer edges commonly have membrane roofs.

Kingston 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 Kingston has to handle.

• 2.1 kPaGround snow load (about 44 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 23 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 108 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -22 °CJanuary design temperature
• 4,000Heating degree-days per year
• 0.47 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year

That snow load is about 2.3 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 Kingston

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

• 53%Homes built before 1981
• 21%Homes built since 2001
• 55%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 7%Row houses and townhouses
• 17%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 44%Households that rent

17% of homes in Kingston 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.

44% of households in Kingston rent. Landlords and property managers can send photos and the tenant's description of the leak, and we reply with the scope and a quote by email. See apartment buildings.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile

Kingston: facts for property owners

• Population of Kingston: 132,485 (2021 Census). Source
• City: re-shingling the roof needs no permit as long as no structural work is involved. Source

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

Starting prices in Kingston

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.