What a roofing or siding contract should include in Canada

A roofing or siding contract should say who is doing the work (full legal business name, address, licence and tax numbers), what exactly will be done (area, products, layers removed, underlayment, ice and water protection, flashing, ventilation, decking unit price, disposal, permit), when (start and completion dates and how weather delays are handled), how much and when you pay (total with tax, deposit, stage payments and the lien act holdback), what is guaranteed (written workmanship warranty and manufacturer warranty registration) and what happens if things go wrong (changes, deficiencies, abandonment, cancellation). If the contract was signed at your home after a door-to-door visit, provincial consumer protection laws generally give you a cooling-off period to cancel.

This guide is part of how to compare roofing quotes. It is general information, not legal advice.

Contract clauses, one by one

Clause	What it should say	Why it matters
Parties	Legal business name, address, phone, email; your name and property address	You need to know who to hold responsible
Licences and numbers	RBQ licence number in Quebec, Alberta prepaid contracting licence where required, GST/HST and QST numbers	Lets you verify the business
Scope	Squares or wall area, products by line name and colour, layers removed, underlayment, membranes, flashing, vents	Prevents "that wasn't included"
Unknowns	Unit price per sheet of decking or sheathing, per extra layer, per chimney or skylight	Keeps surprises priced
Permit	Who applies, who pays, inspections	Avoids unpermitted work
Price and tax	Total, tax shown separately	Budget certainty
Payment schedule	Deposit, stage payments tied to completed work, holdback	Limits money at risk
Dates	Start, expected completion, weather and material delays	Lets you act if the job stalls
Site	Bin location, landscaping protection, nail sweep, daily clean-up, working hours	Neighbour and property damage
Insurance and safety	Liability insurance, workers' compensation, fall protection	Injury and damage claims
Subcontractors	Whether subcontractors are used, and that the contractor remains responsible	Warranty and lien risk
Changes	Written change orders with price before extra work	Avoids disputes over extras
Warranty	Workmanship warranty length and scope; manufacturer warranty level and registration	What you can claim later
Deficiencies and completion	How deficiencies are listed and fixed; what "complete" means	Triggers final payment and holdback timing
Termination	What happens if either side ends the contract	Abandoned jobs

Tick these off with the roofing contract checklist.

Deposits and payment schedules

A deposit is common so the contractor can order materials, but it is also the money most at risk if a business disappears. Practical steps:

Keep the deposit modest relative to the job and tied to material ordering. Ontario's ministry guide for home renovation and roofing businesses recommends deposits of no more than 10% of the total project cost (a recommendation, not a legal cap).
Pay by traceable means (cheque, e-transfer, credit card) and get a receipt.
Tie later payments to completed stages: tear-off and deck repairs done; roof covering complete; deficiencies fixed.
Keep the holdback your province's lien act requires. See holdbacks under provincial lien acts.

Paying by credit card can give you a chargeback route in some situations under the card network's rules; it is not guaranteed, but cash gives you nothing to fall back on.

Contracts signed at home: cooling-off rights

Roofing and siding are often sold door to door, especially after storms. Provincial consumer protection laws treat contracts negotiated at your home (called direct sales or direct agreements, or contracts with an itinerant merchant in Quebec) differently from contracts signed at a business.

Province	Law and general rule (check the official source)
Ontario	Consumer Protection Act, 2002: direct agreements must be in writing and can generally be cancelled within a 10-day cooling-off period; the Act also limits how far a final price can exceed an estimate. Ontario has passed a replacement Consumer Protection Act, 2023, but as of October 2026 e-Laws still shows it as not yet in force (it starts on a day to be named by proclamation), so the 2002 Act applies; check ontario.ca for any change.
Quebec	Consumer Protection Act: contracts with an itinerant merchant can generally be cancelled within 10 days of receiving a copy of the contract; the Office de la protection du consommateur explains the rules. Construction contractors must also hold an RBQ licence.
British Columbia	Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act: direct sales contracts can generally be cancelled within 10 days of receiving a copy. Consumer Protection BC administers it.
Alberta	Consumer Protection Act: direct sales contracts have cancellation rights, and prepaid contracting businesses selling away from their premises need a licence.

Cancellation periods can be longer if the contract is missing required information or the seller fails to deliver; in Ontario, for example, a customer who did not receive a compliant copy of a direct agreement can generally cancel within one year. Cancel in writing in a way you can prove, and keep a copy. Rules for other provinces are on their consumer affairs pages.

Change orders

Most roofing disputes over money come from extras: more rotten decking, a third layer, a rotted fascia board, a chimney that needs rebuilding. A good contract says:

the contractor must stop and tell you before doing unpriced extra work, except emergency tarping;
extras are priced in writing (a text or email can do) before the work;
unit prices already in the contract apply.

Illustrative example: contract says decking at $95 a sheet, eight-sheet allowance included. The crew finds 14 bad sheets. The extra cost is (14 − 8) × $95 = $570, plus tax. Without a unit price, you would be negotiating on the roof with the deck open.

Warranties in the contract

Write down:

Workmanship warranty: how many years, what it covers (leaks caused by installation), how to make a claim, response time.
Manufacturer warranty: which level (standard or enhanced), who registers it and by when, and that installation will follow the manufacturer's instructions so the warranty is not void.
Transferability: whether the warranties pass to a buyer if you sell.

See manufacturer versus workmanship warranties.

Quebec specifics

Quebec contracts are governed by the Civil Code of Québec, which sets rules for contracts of enterprise, including the client's right to retain amounts to cover claims that could give rise to a legal hypothec for subcontractors and suppliers, and the contractor's liability for loss of the work for five years after completion in certain cases. Contracts must be available in French. The RBQ and the Office de la protection du consommateur publish guidance for homeowners. See contractor licensing by province.

FAQ

Is a quote the same as a contract?

A signed quote with clear terms can be a contract. Many quotes are too thin to protect you; ask for the missing terms in writing before signing.

Can a contractor charge more than the quote?

Under a fixed-price contract, only for agreed changes. Under an estimate, provincial rules may limit how much the final price can exceed the estimate; Ontario's 2002 Act is an example.

What if the contractor wants to start before signing?

Do not let work start without a signed contract and, where required, a permit. It is much harder to resolve disputes about verbal deals.

Sources

Consumer Protection Ontario — your rights under the Consumer Protection Act
Office de la protection du consommateur — Quebec contracts and itinerant merchants
Consumer Protection BC — direct sales and home renovation contracts
Government of Alberta — prepaid contracting licence and direct sales rules
Régie du bâtiment du Québec — hiring a licensed contractor