Northern Ontario
Flat roof repair in Sault Ste. Marie
We repair, replace and maintain flat roofs in Sault Ste. Marie: houses, garages and additions, condo and apartment buildings, plazas, offices and warehouses. Send photos and a few details for a written quote.
Flat roof services in Sault Ste. Marie
Much of Sault Ste. Marie's housing is older, and older houses often have flat roofs over rear additions, porches and garages. Typical signs are a stain on the kitchen ceiling, water at a skylight or a roof with several worn layers. Sault Ste. Marie has one of the five 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.
Steelton and the Algoma steel works in Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie's canal was completed in 1895, and the community became a city in 1912. Steelton, with about 7,000 residents, was amalgamated in 1918, and steel-making has been the main industry before and since the Second World War. Algoma employs about 3,500 at its main plant. Census data shows about 75% of homes were built before 1981, and only about 8% from 2001 on.
In older neighbourhoods such as Steelton, flat roofs over rear additions are common on workers' houses. The steel plant, tube mill and related shops are large industrial buildings with low-slope roofs. Station Mall and the east-end commercial strips carry wide flat roofs, and downtown has brick commercial blocks near the waterfront. With such an old housing stock, roof repair often means dealing with several layers of previous roofing.
Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie has to handle.
- 3.1 kPaGround snow load (about 65 lb per sq ft)
- 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
- 23 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
- 97 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
- -25 °CJanuary design temperature
- 4,960Heating degree-days per year
- 0.44 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year
That snow load is about 3.4 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.
Environment and Climate Change Canada climate normals (1991–2020) record about 325 cm of snowfall a year at the Sault Ste. Marie A station.
Source: Ontario Building Code, Supplementary Standard SB-1, Table 1.2
Homes and buildings in Sault Ste. Marie
The age and type of buildings shape the flat roofs we see. These are the 2021 Census figures for Sault Ste. Marie.
- 75%Homes built before 1981
- 8%Homes built since 2001
- 71%Detached and semi-detached houses
- 3%Row houses and townhouses
- 6%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
- 32%Households that rent
About 75% of homes in Sault Ste. Marie were built before 1981, more than in 39 of the 40 Ontario cities on this site. Older houses often have flat roofs over rear additions, kitchens and porches, sometimes with two or three layers of old roofing on top of each other. Replacing one usually starts with a full tear-off and a look at the wood deck underneath.
Sault Ste. Marie: facts for property owners
- Population of Sault Ste. Marie: 72,051 (2021 Census). Source
- City lists 'Installing new shingles or metal roofing' among work that typically needs a permit. Source
Rules and programs change. Confirm current details with the municipality before you start work.
Starting prices in Sault Ste. Marie
| Item | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Small leak repair (patch, seam or puncture) | from $350 per repair |
| Small flat roof replacement (garage, porch or addition) | from $4,000 per roof |
| House flat roof replacement (about 1,000 sq ft) | from $8,000 per roof |
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.
Roofs we work on in Sault Ste. Marie
Nearby cities
Flat roofs in Sault Ste. Marie: questions
How much does flat roof repair cost in Sault Ste. Marie?
A small leak repair starts from $350 per repair and a new house flat roof starts from $8,000 per roof. Prices in Sault Ste. Marie depend on access, layers to remove and the membrane. See pricing.
Should I clear snow off a flat roof in Sault Ste. Marie?
Only if the snow is deep and wet, drifts are building against walls or units, or the building shows signs of stress. Use a plastic shovel, leave a layer on the membrane and never use picks or salt. If in doubt, ask a professional.
Do I need a permit to replace a flat roof in Sault Ste. Marie?
City lists 'Installing new shingles or metal roofing' among work that typically needs a permit. That wording is about shingles, so ask how it applies to a flat roof membrane. Rules can change, so confirm with the building department before you start. See re-roofing permits in Ontario.
My Sault Ste. Marie house is older. Can the flat roof go on over the old one?
Sometimes one new layer can go over one old layer, but on older houses we often find two or three layers already, wet insulation or soft deck boards. Then a full tear-off is the safer choice. See repair or replace.
Do you also work near Sault Ste. Marie?
Yes, including Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay and the rest of northern Ontario. See Northern Ontario.
Leak, damage or an old flat roof?
Send a few details and photos. We reply by email with next steps and a written quote.