Verdun sets its own rules
Verdun is a Montreal borough. The broad lines match those for any roofing in Montreal, but each borough sets its own permit and material requirements.
The City publishes two separate procedures for Verdun, one for flat or low-slope roofs and one for sloped roofs.
The roofs you find in Verdun
Verdun has duplexes, triplexes and other plexes, often topped with a flat roof. It also has apartment buildings, condos, houses with sloped roofs, and mixed-use buildings with a business on the ground floor and dwellings above.
The sloped roof procedure also names one specific type of house, the veterans' house known as Wartime Housing. This type of house has its own rule. Only asphalt shingles of a uniform colour are allowed, on the main building and on any accessory building.
What you can repair without a permit
For a flat or low-slope roof, the City writes that you need no permit to maintain or repair your roof. Its two examples are replacing a few shingles and adding tar.
The same principle holds for a sloped roof. Repairing the covering or replacing a few shingles needs no permit. The City adds one condition, though. If the work touches the insulation or the roof structure, a permit is required.
That condition appears in the sloped roof procedure. Verdun's flat roof procedure does not repeat it. If your flat roof repair means opening down to the insulation or the deck, ask the permit counter before work starts.
Where a repair ends
The City draws no line in numbers between a repair and a replacement.
The other end is clear. In Verdun, a permit is required to:
- replace the covering of a flat or low-slope roof
- replace the covering of a sloped roof
- change the structure of a sloped roof
For anything in between, have the exact nature of the work written into the quote and show it to the permit counter.
What the permit costs when one is needed
Review fees depend on the estimated cost of the work. For Verdun, the City publishes the following rates.
- $9.80 per $1,000 of work
- a minimum of $167.40 for a strictly residential building
- a minimum of $491.70 for a commercial, industrial, institutional or mixed-use building
The fees are non-refundable.
The Verdun permit counter
The permit application is made online, on the City website. You need an account on montreal.ca, and payment is by credit card.
You can also go in person to the Verdun permit counter, 4555, rue de Verdun, office 104. For a green roof, the City requires going through the counter.
The pages consulted give neither opening hours nor processing times. They also do not say whether an appointment is needed. Check with the borough before going.
Before you ask for a quote
You do not need to go on the roof to describe the problem. What we want to know can be seen from the ground, a window or inside.
- where water shows up on the ceiling or a wall
- when it happens, during rain, a thaw or high winds
- the approximate age of the roofing, if you know it
Photograph the damage inside and protect what you can. For insurance, ask your insurer what your policy covers before having repairs done, if the situation allows.
You can ask us for a quote for a roof located in Verdun. Ask us for our RBQ licence number and check it with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, as with any contractor.
Four topics to look at more closely
The flat roof. For a replacement in Verdun, the City allows a green roof, a white material, a reflective coating, white ballast or a material with a solar reflectance index of at least 78.
The shingle roof. On a sloped roof, the new covering must have the same format, colour and texture as the original material, or as that of a comparable building on the same stretch of street. The City also publishes a list of permitted materials, and veterans' houses have a separate rule.
Commercial roofing. A commercial, industrial, institutional or mixed-use building pays a higher minimum permit fee.
Full replacement. The process in order, from gathering documents to filing the application.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a permit to fix a roof leak in Verdun?
No, according to the City, maintaining and repairing a roof in Verdun needs no permit, on a flat or sloped roof. On a sloped roof, a permit becomes necessary if the work touches the insulation or the structure.
Can you change the colour of a sloped roof in Verdun?
No, the colour of a sloped roof cannot be changed freely in Verdun. The City asks for a covering identical in format, colour and texture to the original material, or to that of a comparable building on the same stretch of street. Have your choice approved at the permit counter before ordering.
Where is the Verdun permit counter?
The Verdun permit counter is at 4555, rue de Verdun, office 104. The permit application can also be made online with an account on montreal.ca. For a green roof, the City requires going to the counter.
Official sources, consulted October 3, 2026: