St. John's, NL repair guide
Roof Repair in St. John’s: The Windiest City in Canada, Its Row Houses, and What Igor and Larry Taught It
St. John’s has the strongest average winds of any major Canadian city, and its roofs are built, and rebuilt, for them. The downtown row houses climbing the hills from the harbour share party walls, have flat and low-slope roofs behind their parapets, and were re-roofed layer over layer for a century; the subdivisions out toward Mount Pearl and Paradise have shingle roofs that Hurricane Igor stripped in 2010 and post-tropical storm Larry stripped again in 2021. Between the storms, freezing rain, wet snow and salt fog do the slower work. This guide covers what fails on each kind of roof, what a replacement must specify for the wind, how to handle storm damage, and how to hire a roofer in the province.
By Michael, founder, fixmystuff.ca · Reviewed and updated 2026-09-11 · About 7–10 minutes
What the wind does
Sustained winds and gusts past 100 km/h arrive several times a winter and in the post-tropical storms of the fall. They lift shingle tabs whose sealant strips have aged, peel them back in rows from the eaves and the corners, blow ridge caps off entirely, and tear flat-roof membranes at the edges and the parapets where the wind gets under them. Igor in 2010 and Larry in 2021 did it to whole neighbourhoods at once, and the roofs that survived were the ones with a high wind rating, the enhanced nailing pattern and properly sealed edges.
Between storms, freezing rain and wet snow load the flat roofs downtown, and salt fog corrodes exposed fasteners and flashing faster than anywhere inland.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tabs lifted or missing in rows after a storm | Wind on aged sealant strips | Tarp, photograph, roofer |
| Ridge caps gone | Wind | Roofer; specify high-wind ridge caps |
| Flat-roof membrane torn at the edge or parapet | Wind under the edge | Flat-roof contractor |
| Leak at the party wall, row house | Neighbour’s roof or shared flashing | Roofer, with the neighbour |
| Rusted flashing and fasteners | Salt fog | Replace with corrosion-resistant metal |
Row houses: shared roofs and party walls
The downtown row houses share party walls, and their flat and low-slope roofs behind the parapets drain toward shared scuppers and downpipes; a blocked scupper on one house ponds water on the neighbour’s roof, and a leak at a party wall can start on either side. Repairs need the neighbour’s cooperation and sometimes a shared contractor, and a roofer with row-house experience knows to inspect both sides. Many downtown houses are in the heritage area, which can limit visible changes to roofing material and colour; the City’s heritage rules apply to the street-facing elevations.
Layer-over-layer re-roofing on these houses means weight and hidden decay; a roofer should inspect from inside before quoting.
Storm damage: the sequence
Tarp any open area if it is safe to reach, photograph everything, and open an insurance claim before agreeing to permanent work if the damage is more than a few tabs. After Igor and Larry, out-of-province crews arrived within days; some did good work and some took deposits and left. Get quotes from St. John’s companies with a permanent address and a history in the city, and be wary of anyone who knocks after a storm or asks you to sign an assignment of benefits, which gives them control of your claim. The insurer’s adjuster and your roofer should agree on the scope before work starts.
- Photos of the damage and the debris
- Tarp on any open area
- Insurance claim opened
- Quotes from local companies with a permanent address
- Liability certificate and WorkplaceNL clearance from the roofer
What a replacement must specify, and how to hire
A shingle replacement in St. John’s should specify shingles with the highest wind rating available, the manufacturer’s enhanced nailing pattern with six nails per shingle, sealed starter strips at the eaves and rakes, high-wind ridge caps, ice-and-water membrane at the eaves and in every valley, corrosion-resistant flashing and fasteners, and drip edge sized for the wind. A flat roof replacement should specify the membrane, mechanically fastened or fully adhered edges, the parapet flashing and the drainage. Roofing is unlicensed in the province, so ask for a certificate of liability insurance naming the company and a WorkplaceNL clearance letter, and verify both; a worker hurt on your roof without coverage can become your liability. Get the workmanship and material warranties in writing and separately, and hold back the final payment until the site is clean.
Questions to ask before booking
- Can I see your liability certificate and WorkplaceNL clearance letter?
- What wind rating, nailing pattern and starter strips will the replacement use?
- For a row house: will you inspect the neighbour’s side and the shared drainage?
- Will you inspect the deck from inside before quoting, given the layers?
- What are the workmanship and material warranties, and what is the payment schedule?
Frequently asked questions
Why do St. John’s roofs lose shingles so often?
The city has the strongest average winds of any major Canadian city, and gusts past 100 km/h arrive several times a winter. Shingles with a high wind rating, the enhanced nailing pattern and sealed edges are what survive.
My row-house roof leaks at the party wall. Whose problem is it?
Possibly both. Row-house roofs share drainage and party walls, and a leak can start on either side. A roofer with row-house experience inspects both, and repairs usually need the neighbour’s cooperation.
How do I check a roofer’s insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador?
Roofing is unlicensed in the province. Ask for a certificate of liability insurance naming the company and a WorkplaceNL clearance letter, and verify both with the issuer.
Someone knocked on my door after the storm offering to fix the roof. Should I sign?
Not on the spot. Get quotes from local companies with a permanent address, open your insurance claim first, and never sign an assignment of benefits. Out-of-province crews after Igor and Larry included some that took deposits and left.
Nearby communities
St. John’s roofers cover the whole northeast Avalon, from Mount Pearl and Paradise to Conception Bay South and Torbay, and the wind is the same across it. WorkplaceNL and the province’s consumer rules apply everywhere in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Browsing more broadly? Start from the St. John's repair hub for every local guide in one place.
Sources and further reading
- WorkplaceNL: clearance lettersConfirming a contractor’s workplace injury coverage.
- City of St. John’s: heritage and permitsHeritage area rules and when roofing work needs a permit.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada: wind climateWind data and storm warnings for the Avalon.
- Insurance Bureau of Canada: storm damage claimsHow to handle a claim after wind damage.
Prices, programs, and acceptance rules can change. Check each source and obtain a written local quote before deciding.