There are hundreds of roofing companies in the GTA — and too many homeowners get burned every year. Here's a practical, no-nonsense checklist for finding someone you can trust.
Your roof is one of the most significant investments in your home. A proper replacement should last 25 years. A bad one — done by an unqualified contractor using inferior materials and shortcuts — might start causing problems within 5.
Every year in the GTA, homeowners lose thousands of dollars to contractors who disappear mid-job, leave work unfinished, or install shingles in ways that void the manufacturer warranty. Here's how to make sure it doesn't happen to you.
In Ontario, roofing contractors performing work over a certain value are required to be registered with the Ontario College of Trades or hold appropriate business licensing. Ask for their license number before they set foot on your property.
More important: ask for a Certificate of Insurance. You want to see two types of coverage:
Ask them to name you as an additional insured on the certificate. A legitimate contractor will do this without hesitation.
For Canadian contractors, the most reliable review platforms are:
Don't just look at the star rating. Look at the number of reviews (100+ is meaningful), and read the negative ones. How did the contractor respond? A company that handles complaints professionally is telling you something important about how they operate.
Be skeptical of contractors with only 10–15 reviews and a perfect rating. That's easy to fake.
Getting 2–3 quotes is standard. But here's the problem: quotes often aren't comparable because they cover different scopes of work. Before comparing prices, make sure each quote includes the same items:
A quote that's $2,000 lower might simply be cutting one or more of these items. Ask specifically.
How a contractor communicates before the job predicts how they'll communicate during and after it. Did they show up on time for the estimate? Did they answer your questions clearly and without pressure? Did they explain things without condescending or rushing you? A contractor who treats your questions as inconveniences before the job won't suddenly become responsive once they have your deposit.
Large roofing companies in the GTA often rely on subcontractor crews — meaning the team that shows up is not the company's employees, and the person who signed your contract may never set foot on your roof. Quality control is harder to maintain.
With an owner-operated company like Ultimate Home Services, the owner is on every job site. His name is on the van, his phone number is on the card, and his reputation depends on the quality of every roof he installs. That accountability is real — and it shows in the results.
We'll explain every line item, answer every question, and never pressure you into a decision. We've been doing this since we were 19 years old — our reputation is everything to us.
Call for a Free Quote 416-889-0629