Buyer's Guide
How to choose a metal roofing contractor in the Maritimes
Eight checks that work on any company in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island. Bring them to every estimate.
1. Check the direct-seller licence in your province
If a roofing company sells to you at your home rather than at its own place of business, ask whether it is licensed as a direct seller, then check. All three Maritime provinces license direct sellers. Nova Scotia's Direct Sellers' Regulation Act covers anyone who starts a sale away from a usual place of business, and the province publishes a list of Licensed Direct Selling Companies on its open data site. In New Brunswick, the Financial and Consumer Services Commission (FCNB) licenses direct sales companies and their salespeople under the Direct Sellers Act and has a Check Licence and Registration search. Prince Edward Island's Direct Sellers Act says no one may carry on the business of direct selling in the province without a licence issued under the Act. Search the legal name on the quote, not the website name.
2. Ask for a workers' compensation clearance and the insurance certificate
A clearance is the quickest proof that a roofer's crew is covered. In Nova Scotia, a WCB Nova Scotia clearance letter confirms that a business is covered, up to date with payroll reporting and has no outstanding balance. WorkSafeNB advises New Brunswick homeowners to download a clearance certificate, which confirms the employer is in good standing, before work starts. WCB PEI advises requesting a clearance letter whenever contractors with workers are hired. Ask too for an insurance certificate showing liability coverage, sent by the broker or insurer with current policy dates. A photo of last year's certificate proves nothing about the week your roof comes off.
3. Get the contract in writing, and know your cancellation rights
Insist on a written contract that describes the work and materials, the price and payment schedule, the warranty, and who gets any permit your municipality requires. If you sign at home, all three provinces give you 10 days to cancel. Nova Scotia gives a 10-day cooling-off period that starts when you receive the contract, and a sale of $100 or more needs a full written contract. In New Brunswick you can cancel for any reason within 10 days of receiving your copy, and for up to one year if the seller was not licensed or the work isn't provided within 30 days of the date in the contract; the contract must show the Buyers' Right to Cancel in both official languages. Prince Edward Island's regulations allow cancellation until 10 days after you receive your copy, and within one year if the goods or services aren't received within 30 days of the date stated. If a deposit is asked for, find out whether it's refundable and on what conditions.
4. Read the warranty as if the exclusions are the document
Ask four things: does the coverage reduce over time? Is there a wind figure written down, tied to installation to the manufacturer's specification? Does it transfer to the next owner, and on what terms? What is excluded? Then ask who issues it. On our roofs the material warranty comes from the manufacturer, Interlock Roofing Ltd., the labour warranty comes from us, and we'll hand you both documents before you sign. Ice damming, for example, is a stated exclusion of the material warranty, and our labour warranty excludes hurricane-force winds and wind storms; storm damage is a matter for your home insurance. A roofer who promises a roof will stop ice dams or ride out any hurricane is promising something the warranty doesn't.
5. Ask what the fasteners look like
Exposed gasketed screws through the weather surface are a leak point once the gaskets age, and a Maritime roof takes wind-driven rain, salt air, fog and freeze-thaw every year, with winter storms and post-tropical storms on top. Concealed-fastener, mechanically interlocked panels keep the fasteners out of the weather and leave no edge for a storm to get under. If the answer involves visible screws, ask what the maintenance looks like in year twelve.
6. Ask where the snow will go
A metal roof sheds snow. Before the roof is ordered, ask where heavy, wet snow will slide off, what it will land on (an entry, a deck, a walkway, the neighbour's driveway) and where snow guards go. Ask about attic ventilation and insulation too: ice dams come from heat loss, and a good roofer looks at the attic, not just the roof.
7. In a condo, get the board's approval before the contract
In most condominium corporations the roof is common property, so the board of directors decides on it, under your province's condominium legislation and the corporation's own by-laws, often with the reserve fund in mind. Ask the contractor to provide what the board needs, such as the profile, colour, specification sheets and warranty, and get the decision in writing before anyone signs.
8. Ask who manufactures the panels, and what they're made of
Many metal roofs are re-branded panels from commodity mills. Ask for the manufacturer by name, the metal, and its published test reports. Near the ocean, the metal matters: salt air is highly corrosive to steel once its coating is scratched or cut, while aluminum cannot rust because it forms its own protective oxide layer. The system we install is made in Canada by Interlock Roofing Ltd. at its plant in Delta, BC: heavy-gauge aluminum, roughly 2 to 3.5 kg per square metre depending on profile, four-way interlocking with concealed fasteners, minimum 3/12 slope on every profile, with wind resistance warranted to 193 km/h (120 mph) installed to manufacturer specification. If your home backs onto woods, ask which assembly a fire rating applies to. Ours is Class A Fire Rated Available, as a complete assembly; under ASTM E108 and CAN/ULC-S107 the rating belongs to the assembly, not the panel.
Contractor-vetting questions, answered
What licence should a roofer have in the Maritimes?
If the company sells to you at your home, it should be licensed as a direct seller in your province: under Nova Scotia's Direct Sellers' Regulation Act, New Brunswick's Direct Sellers Act (through FCNB) or Prince Edward Island's Direct Sellers Act. Also ask for a current workers' compensation clearance, a liability insurance certificate, a written contract and a warranty you can read in full.
How do I check a roofer's direct-seller licence?
In Nova Scotia, look the company up in the Licensed Direct Selling Companies list on the province's open data site, data.novascotia.ca. In New Brunswick, use the Check Licence and Registration search at fcnb.ca. In Prince Edward Island, ask the company for its licence under the Direct Sellers Act and confirm it with the province. Use the legal name on the quote or contract, not the website name.
Can I cancel a roofing contract I signed at home?
Yes, within 10 days, in all three provinces. Nova Scotia's cooling-off period is 10 days from when you receive the contract. New Brunswick allows cancellation for any reason within 10 days of receiving your copy, and up to one year if the seller wasn't licensed or the work isn't provided within 30 days of the contract date. Prince Edward Island allows 10 days after you receive your copy, and one year if the goods or services aren't received within 30 days of the date stated. Read the cancellation terms in the contract before you sign.
What questions should I ask a metal roofing company in the Maritimes?
Five with the highest signal: Are you licensed as a direct seller in my province? Can I see your workers' compensation clearance and insurance certificate? Who issues the warranty, does it transfer, and what does it exclude? Are the fasteners exposed or concealed? Who manufactures the panels, what metal are they, and what wind and fire ratings apply? Confident answers to all five are rare, and telling.
Is a metal roof a good choice near the ocean?
The metal decides it. Salt air is highly corrosive to steel once its protective coating is scratched or cut. Aluminum cannot rust: it forms a thin oxide layer that seals the surface and re-forms if scratched. Interlock® roofs are heavy-gauge aluminum with concealed fasteners.
Does my condo board need to approve a new roof?
Usually. In most condominium corporations the roof is common property, so the board of directors decides, under your province's condominium legislation and the corporation's by-laws. Talk to your property manager first; your contractor should give you the specifications the board asks for.
What is the difference between an installer and a certified installer?
Certification means the manufacturer trained the crews and stands behind the installation. Maritime Metal Roofing Ltd. is the certified Interlock® roofing contractor for the Maritimes.
Should I get multiple metal roofing quotes?
Yes, and compare them like for like. A cheaper quote with exposed fasteners and a prorated warranty is not the same roof at a lower price. Compare the system, warranty terms, licensing, workers' compensation and insurance, then compare price.
Which parts of the Maritimes do you cover?
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, from one office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia: the Halifax Region, Annapolis Valley, South Shore, North Shore, Cape Breton, Eastern Shore and Western Nova Scotia. In New Brunswick: Greater Moncton and the Southeast, Greater Saint John, the Fredericton Capital Region, the Fundy Coast, the Southwest, the Upper Saint John River and Woodstock corridor, and Miramichi. On Prince Edward Island: Charlottetown and Central PEI, Summerside and West PEI, the North Shore and Cavendish, and Eastern PEI. Newfoundland and Labrador is not part of our service area.
Ready when you are — bring this checklist to the estimate.
