Roofing in Burlington
Straight Arrow Roofing & Siding replaces and repairs roofs across Burlington and has a second office at 5035 North Service Road. Burlington lets you replace shingles with the same material without a building permit, as long as the roof has fewer than three layers. 47% of Burlington homes were built before 1981, and a third between 1961 and 1980.
Updated by Straight Arrow Roofing & Siding
Do you need a permit to re-roof in Burlington?
Not for like-for-like shingles on a roof that is not already layered up. The City of Burlington lists "Replacing shingles with the same material as long as the roof has less than three layers of shingles" among work that needs no building permit.[1] The same list covers siding: "Replacing exterior wall cladding, such as siding, with the same material and if there is no increase in thickness".[1]
The three-layer rule is the one to know. If your roof already has two layers of shingles, putting a third on top of them is not a permit-free job. It is also a bad idea on its own terms, because the deck underneath never gets looked at. Ask any roofer who quotes you how many layers are on your roof now.
City of Burlington building permits: phone 905-335-7731, email buildingpermits@burlington.ca.
How old are Burlington's houses?
Burlington grew fast in the 1960s and 1970s. 33% of its 73,180 homes were built between 1961 and 1980, the biggest share of any period, and 47% before 1981 in all.[2] Half of its homes, 50%, are single-detached houses.
| Built | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 or earlier | 10,220 | 14% |
| 1961 to 1980 | 24,485 | 33% |
| 1981 to 1990 | 10,035 | 14% |
| 1991 to 2000 | 10,595 | 14% |
| 2001 to 2005 | 6,475 | 9% |
| 2006 to 2010 | 5,105 | 7% |
| 2011 to 2015 | 3,420 | 5% |
| 2016 to 2021 | 2,855 | 4% |
| All occupied homes | 73,180 | 100% |
A house built in the early 1970s has usually had its roof replaced at least once already, sometimes over the top of the original. So the question on a Burlington roof is often what is underneath: how many layers, what shape the deck is in, and whether the attic venting was ever brought up to date. We check all three at the inspection.
Where is the Burlington office?
5035 North Service Road, Unit C3, Burlington, L7L 5V2. Call 647-686-7663 before you come by, since most of the team is out on roofs during the day.
What do we do in Burlington?
- Roof replacement Full tear-off to the deck and a complete new roof system, often in a single day.
- Roof repair Leaks, lifted or missing shingles, flashing, vents and storm damage.
- Roof inspections and maintenance A proper look at the roof and the attic before anyone quotes a price.
- Flat roofing Membrane roofs for garages, additions, porches and commercial buildings.
- Metal roofing Long-life metal roofs and cosmetic metal capping.
- Skylights New skylights, replacements in the same opening, and leak repairs.
- Eavestroughs, soffit and fascia Eavestroughs and downpipes, cleaning and repairs, soffit and fascia.
- Siding Vinyl, aluminum, fibre cement and engineered wood siding.
How far is Burlington from Brantford?
Which nearby towns do we also cover?
Sources
- Do I need a building permit?, City of Burlington, read 16 October 2026.
- Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population: Burlington, City (CY), Statistics Canada (table 98-316-X2021001), read 16 October 2026.