Flat roof repair in Newmarket

Flat roof services in Newmarket

Townhouses and row houses are common in Newmarket, 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.

Main Street, Davis Drive and the 404 corridor: Newmarket

Newmarket started as a mill settlement on the Holland River. By 1846 it had two grist mills, two breweries, a distillery, a tannery and a foundry, and the railway arrived in 1853. A suburban building boom followed in the 1950s through 1970s, Upper Canada Mall opened in 1974 and pulled commerce away from Main Street, and Highway 404 later drew growth east. Census data show about 30% of homes were built before 1981 and about 30% in 2001 or later.

Main Street, a provincially recognized heritage conservation district since 2013, has early commercial buildings and houses where flat roofs over rear additions and shop backs are typical. The Davis Drive axis and the Yonge Street and Davis Drive area, around Upper Canada Mall, hold plazas and stores from the postwar and mall eras, with large low-slope roofs. Southlake Regional Health Centre adds a healthcare cluster. Employers such as Celestica, Magna International and Mars Canada work in commercial and industrial buildings, and the east side toward Highway 404 is mostly newer subdivisions.

Newmarket 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 Newmarket has to handle.

• 2 kPaGround snow load (about 42 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 28 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 108 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -22 °CJanuary design temperature
• 4,260Heating degree-days per year
• 0.38 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year

That snow load is about 2.2 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.

A design storm can drop 28 mm of rain in 15 minutes. On a flat roof that water has to reach a drain or scupper quickly, so clear drains and sound drain flashings matter as much as the membrane.

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

Homes and buildings in Newmarket

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

• 30%Homes built before 1981
• 30%Homes built since 2001
• 67%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 13%Row houses and townhouses
• 5%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 24%Households that rent

13% of homes in Newmarket 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.

30% of homes in Newmarket were built since 2001, one of the higher shares among the cities we cover. Newer flat roofs rarely fail across the whole membrane; they leak at details first: flashings at rooftop units and terraces, drains and dried-out sealants. A maintenance visit catches those early.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile

Storms that hit Newmarket

• 20 August 2009: A tornado on 20 August 2009 damaged buildings and flipped vehicles in Newmarket. Source

Storms like these are when blocked drains, loose flashings and open seams show up. After a big storm, check the ceilings under the roof and send us photos of any new stain.

Newmarket: facts for property owners

• Population of Newmarket: 87,942 (2021 Census). Source
• Newmarket is part of the Regional Municipality of York.
• Town of Newmarket list of work not needing a permit: 'repairs to chimneys, porches, decks or roofs'. Contact building.permits@newmarket.ca if unsure. Source
• Stormwater charge and credit / recognition programs: Town page lists stormwater charge, LID guidance and Stormwater Credit and Recognition Programs; 2026 rate schedule published. Source

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

Starting prices in Newmarket

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.