Roofing in Cambridge
Straight Arrow Roofing & Siding replaces and repairs roofs in Cambridge, about 25 km north of our Brantford base. The City of Cambridge lists roof shingling, eavestroughs and siding replacement among common projects that need no building permit, though the work must still meet the zoning by-law and the Ontario Building Code. Almost half of Cambridge homes were built before 1981.
Updated by Straight Arrow Roofing & Siding

Do you need a permit to re-roof in Cambridge?
No, for shingling. The City of Cambridge says "Common projects that do not require a building permit include" roof shingling, eaves troughs and "Replacement of siding".[1] It adds a condition that applies to all of them: the work "must still comply with the Zoning By-law and the Ontario Building Code".[1] No permit does not mean no rules. A new roof still has to be built to code, which is our job either way.
City of Cambridge building division: phone 519-623-1340, email building@cambridge.ca.
How old are the houses in Cambridge?
Cambridge is three old towns, Galt, Preston and Hespeler, grown together, and its housing shows it. 23% of its 51,270 homes were built in 1960 or earlier and 48% before 1981, while 24% are from after 2000.[2]
| Built | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 or earlier | 11,650 | 23% |
| 1961 to 1980 | 13,155 | 26% |
| 1981 to 1990 | 6,730 | 13% |
| 1991 to 2000 | 7,500 | 15% |
| 2001 to 2005 | 4,170 | 8% |
| 2006 to 2010 | 3,090 | 6% |
| 2011 to 2015 | 2,140 | 4% |
| 2016 to 2021 | 2,825 | 6% |
| All occupied homes | 51,270 | 100% |
On the older streets that means steep roofs, chimneys and board decking. On the newer ones it means first replacements on houses from the 1990s and 2000s. We see both, and the inspection tells us which job yours is before we price it.
What do we do in Cambridge?
- 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 Cambridge from Brantford?
Which nearby towns do we also cover?
Sources
- Building permits, City of Cambridge, read 16 October 2026.
- Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population: Cambridge, City (CY), Statistics Canada (table 98-316-X2021001), read 16 October 2026.
