In ten years, the number of roofing companies active in Greater Montreal has increased substantially, driven by a real estate boom which has put pressure on thousands of aging roofs. In this context, something has changed that few homeowners have yet fully integrated: the process of selecting a roofer has radically transformed. It is no longer an artisanal approach based on proximity or chance. It has become a structured market, where information circulates differently and where the tools available to owners have nothing to do with what existed before 2015.
The aging of the real estate stock is pushing the sector to adapt
Montreal has a well-documented structural problem: a significant portion of its residential stock — duplexes, triplexes, suburban homes — was built in the 1960s to 1990s. The roofs of this generation are reaching the end of their life, or are already there. Asphalt shingles have a useful lifespan of 20 to 25 years in the Quebec climate, but many are never replaced before the first major leaks. The result: sustained demand, pressure on deadlines, and owners often ill-prepared to manage a roofing tender.
This context has favored the emergence of players who did not exist ten years ago. Specialized platforms — including 123 Roofer — have filled a real void in the ecosystem: that of structured contact between owners and certified roofers, with prior verification of licenses and easy comparison of offers. This is not an anecdotal phenomenon. It is a direct response to the fragmentation of a market which sorely lacked transparency.
Materials Change — and Few Homeowners Know It
Until five years ago, the majority of Montreal homeowners only had to choose between two or three types of asphalt shingles. Today, the offer has expanded considerably. Architectural shingles — thicker, more durable, with a three-dimensional profile — have become accessible at prices comparable to the standard products of a decade ago. Elastomeric membranes for flat roofs have evolved, with formulations that better resist the freeze-thaw cycles specific to the Montreal climate. And metal roofs, long reserved for chalets and agricultural buildings, are gaining ground in residential areas.
These developments create an opportunity for owners who know how to take advantage of it, but they also add a layer of complexity. Choosing between a TPO membrane, an SBS elastomer or an EPDM for a flat roof is not a trivial decision. Roofers who master all of these technologies are rarer — and more valuable. Certifications issued by manufacturers like IKO or CertainTeed are starting to play a role in contractor selection, particularly for access to extended manufacturer warranties.
Regulations are tightening, and that’s good news
Over the years, the Régie du logement du Québec has strengthened the requirements applicable to roofing contractors. Compulsory security, minimum civil liability insurance, continuing training in certain specialties: all elements which gradually exclude the less serious players. The CNESST, for its part, has intensified inspections on roofing sites, a sector at high risk of falls and work accidents.
For the owner, these regulatory changes have a direct practical consequence: it becomes more risky to use an unregistered roofer or one operating without the required accreditations. In the event of a claim, insurers are increasingly scrutinizing the conformity of the work carried out. And a roof redone by a contractor without a valid license can invalidate certain protections in your home insurance policy.
Post-storm demand changes seasonal landscape
Another notable trend: extreme climatic episodes — ice storms, violent winds, winter milds followed by abrupt freezes — have increased in recent years in the Montreal region. Each of these events generates a wave of urgent demands that the market has difficulty absorbing. The most prominent roofers find themselves with waiting lists lasting several weeks, and owners caught off guard sometimes accept less favorable conditions due to lack of time to compare.
This reality has reinforced the interest in connection platforms equipped with an emergency service. When your roof leaks after a storm and you don’t have a trusted roofer in your repertoire, the ability to receive a response within hours from a verified professional changes everything.
What this evolution requires of owners
It would be tempting to conclude that all these transformations make choosing a roofer easier. This is partly true: the tools are better, the information more accessible, the less serious actors easier to identify. But there remains a responsibility on the owner’s side.
Understanding the basics – what a manufacturer’s warranty means, how the RBQ bond works, what the difference is between a flat roof and a sloped roof in terms of materials – is no longer an optional curiosity. This is what distinguishes an owner who obtains a good result from another who finds himself with a roof that needs to be redone in five years.
The Rénoclimat program illustrates this principle well: informed owners who use it combined with a roofing project with improved insulation can significantly reduce their bill. But this opportunity completely escapes those who do not know it exists.
The roofing market in Montreal is maturing. This is good news for everyone — as long as you understand the rules of the game.
The digitalization of the selection process is probably the most lasting transformation. Ten years from now, the idea of choosing a roofer based solely on a spoken recommendation or a quick Google search will seem as archaic as booking a hotel without reading reviews. Structured comparison, transparency on certifications and traceability of work will become the norm, not the exception.
For roofers themselves, this development is a beneficial pressure. Those who relied on the asymmetry of information between them and their customers to charge less transparent prices or neglect the quality of finish are finding it more and more difficult to prosper. The market today more clearly rewards those who do a good job, communicate with their customers and fulfill their contractual commitments. And it is precisely this type of entrepreneur that serious platforms seek to highlight in their partner networks.
Owners who understand this dynamic and use it to their advantage — by comparing systematically, asking the right questions, checking accreditations — will get better results, on better terms. Those who resist change will continue to play a lottery whose odds are not in their favor.