Flat roof repair in Peterborough

Flat roof services in Peterborough

Much of Peterborough'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. 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.

Hydro power, canoes and a historic downtown in Peterborough

Peterborough became a city in 1905, a year after the Lift Lock opened. Cheap hydro-electric power drew General Electric, which operated from 1892 to 2018, and Quaker Oats, which is still downtown. Neighbourhoods include East City, the South End, which was built on an old lake bed and is prone to flooding, and the north end around Trent University. Census data shows about 64% of homes were built before 1981, and about 36% before 1961.

Large factory buildings, like the former General Electric complex on Park Street North, were built with big flat or low-slope roofs. Houses in older neighbourhoods often have flat roofs over rear additions and porches, and the downtown has brick commercial blocks with parapets. The malls, including Lansdowne Place and Peterborough Square, which opened in the 1970s, carry wide low-slope roofs. In flood-prone areas, keeping roof drainage in working order matters.

Peterborough 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 Peterborough has to handle.

• 2 kPaGround snow load (about 42 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 25 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 92 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -23 °CJanuary design temperature
• 4,400Heating degree-days per year
• 0.41 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 25 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.

Environment and Climate Change Canada climate normals (1991–2020) record about 158 cm of snowfall a year at the Peterborough A station.

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

Homes and buildings in Peterborough

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

• 64%Homes built before 1981
• 15%Homes built since 2001
• 59%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 8%Row houses and townhouses
• 7%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 41%Households that rent

About 64% of homes in Peterborough were built before 1981, more than in 29 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.

41% of households in Peterborough 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

Storms that hit Peterborough

• 21 May 2022: The derecho brought down hydro poles and lines in Peterborough and the city declared a state of emergency on May 25. Source
• March 2025: A multi-day ice storm coated Peterborough with over 20 mm of ice, bringing down trees and power lines and leaving some residents without power for a week or more. 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.

Peterborough: facts for property owners

• Population of Peterborough: 83,651 (2021 Census). Source
• City: re-shingling a roof needs no permit if there is no structural modification. Source
• Stormwater Management Fee: Interim fee based on assessed property value; City is conducting a Stormwater Rate Study to move to a runoff-based fee. Source

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

Starting prices in Peterborough

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.