Vetted, currently-operating roofing contractors serving Oshawa and the Durham Region, ranked by longevity, manufacturer certifications and verified BBB standing.
Family-owned and now run across three generations, Wilson's Roofing has served Durham Region since 1954, making it one of the longest-operating roofing specialists in Oshawa. It is BBB accredited with an A+ rating (accredited since 2006) and installs IKO, BP, CertainTeed and Owens Corning shingles, plus low-slope Polyglass systems. Alongside re-roofing it handles flashing, eavestroughs, gutter guards, skylights, sun tunnels, soffit, fascia, siding and AttiCat blown-in attic insulation, backed by a 10-year guarantee.
Founded in 1999 and serving 50+ communities across Southern Ontario including Oshawa, Custom Contracting is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor and a GAF Certified Contractor that uses in-house installation crews rather than subcontractors. The company installs Owens Corning, GAF and CertainTeed shingle systems and also handles siding, windows, doors, eavestroughs and attic insulation, and states it is fully licensed, insured and WSIB-covered, backing residential roofs with a workmanship warranty.
Family-owned and operated since 1958, Goreski Roofing & Insulation has worked on Oshawa-area homes for more than six decades, giving it one of the deepest local track records in Durham Region. The company carries full liability insurance and handles shingle, metal and flat roofing along with gutter and flashing repairs, siding, fascia, soffit, custom metal work and insulation for both residential and commercial buildings.
Established in 1994, C.D. Roofing & Construction serves Oshawa and the wider Durham Region with both residential and commercial work. It offers an unusually broad shingle lineup, working with BP as its preferred Canadian supplier alongside GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, IKO and Malarkey. Flat-roof systems include TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen and tar-and-gravel, and the company also handles standing-seam metal, skylights, siding, eavestroughs and emergency repairs. Its BBB profile shows an A+ rating, though the business is not BBB accredited.
With over 25 years of experience, John McLellan Contracting is a GAF Master Elite contractor, a designation held by a small fraction of roofers that allows it to offer GAF's 50-year limited lifetime warranty coverage. Based in the Durham/east-GTA corridor and serving Oshawa, the company states it is fully licensed and insured and meets Ontario safety and building-code standards. It handles shingle and metal roof installation and repair, commercial flat-roof repairs, plus siding, windows, doors and renovations.
A family-run business spanning three generations with 33 years of experience, Smith & Sons Roofing serves Oshawa and Durham Region and is a certified installer of both IKO and GAF shingles. The company works with residential, commercial and industrial customers, offering shingle installation, metal roofing, and flat-roof repair, maintenance and installation, with emergency service available.
Founded in 1986 by Gary and Karen Berkhof, this Oshawa-based residential contractor focuses on asphalt-shingle installations and repairs, and is an IKO RoofPro Preferred Contractor. It also installs Velux skylights and sun tunnels, eavestroughs, soffit, fascia board and vinyl siding, and offers financing. The company is listed on BBB but does not currently carry a BBB rating.
Oshawa-based Logik Roofing & Insulation pairs roofing with attic and spray-foam insulation services and states it is WSIB insured, bonded and licensed. It installs shingle, flat, metal, cedar and slate roofs and also offers insulation removal, fibreglass and spray-foam insulation, mould remediation and Celebright exterior lighting for residential and commercial clients across Durham and the GTA, backed by a satisfaction warranty.
Operating from Oshawa, Mint Roofing is a GAF Master Elite and Master Commercial contractor serving Durham Region and the eastern GTA. Beyond standard asphalt shingles it installs cedar, flat, Euroshield and Enviroshake specialty roofing, plus skylights, siding, eavestroughs, soffit and fascia. The company offers a 10-year workmanship warranty on residential full roof replacements alongside manufacturer-backed GAF coverage.
Oshawa-based and family-owned, Dryhome Roofing is GAF Master Elite and an IKO partner, and states its crews are qualified, insured and WSIB-protected. It serves Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Courtice, Bowmanville and the wider Durham Region with flat roofing, roof repairs, leak fixes, metal roofs, cedar shakes, ridge vents, eavestroughs, siding, soffit, fascia and spray-foam insulation, guaranteeing its work in writing. Its BBB profile shows an A- rating and the business is not BBB accredited.
Ontario does not issue a provincial roofing trade licence, so a contractor's most important credential is a valid WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) clearance certificate. Roofing is one of the highest-risk trades, and if an uninsured worker is hurt on your Oshawa property you could be held liable. Ask any contractor for a current WSIB clearance number and verify it free on the WSIB website, and confirm they carry at least $2 million in general liability insurance.
Make sure permits are pulled with the City of Oshawa
Simply re-shingling over an existing single layer usually does not need a permit, but structural changes, adding a second layer, sheathing replacement, or altering the roof line do require a building permit from the City of Oshawa's Building Services. A reputable local roofer will know when a permit is required and handle the application. Be wary of any contractor who tells you to skip permits to save money, as unpermitted work can complicate insurance claims and home resale.
Prioritize manufacturer certifications
Certifications such as GAF Master Elite, IKO RoofPro / ShieldPro and Owens Corning Platinum Preferred are awarded only to vetted, insured contractors and unlock enhanced material-and-labour warranties (often 25 to 50 years) that ordinary installers cannot offer. Several Oshawa roofers, including Custom Contracting (Owens Corning Platinum), McLellan and Mint (GAF Master Elite), carry these designations. They signal both manufacturer trust and proper installation training.
Choose proven cold-climate experience
Oshawa's Lake Ontario climate brings heavy lake-effect snow, ice dams and dozens of freeze-thaw cycles each winter. The single biggest defence is correct ice-and-water shield membrane at the eaves and valleys, proper attic ventilation and adequate insulation. Ask prospective roofers exactly how they detail eaves and ventilation, and favour established firms like Wilson's (since 1954) or Goreski (since 1958) that have decades of local cold-weather installs behind them.
Get a detailed written quote and warranty
A trustworthy Oshawa quote should specify the shingle brand and line, underlayment, ice-and-water shield coverage, ventilation work, flashing, the number of layers being removed, cleanup and disposal, and both the manufacturer warranty and a separate workmanship warranty (commonly 10 years locally). Compare quotes line by line rather than on headline price alone, and be cautious of deposits larger than is typical or pressure to sign on the spot.
Check local reputation and BBB standing
Cross-reference reviews on Google, HomeStars and the Better Business Bureau, which operates fully in Canada and lists Oshawa contractors. Note that 'BBB Accredited' means a business has applied and paid for accreditation, while a separate letter rating (A+ to F) reflects complaint history. Wilson's Roofing, for example, is A+ accredited, while others such as C.D. Roofing carry an A+ letter rating without accreditation and Dryhome carries an A- rating without accreditation. Ask for references from recent Oshawa or Durham Region jobs you can verify.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a typical Oshawa detached home, a full asphalt-shingle roof replacement generally runs about $6,000 to $14,000 CAD, with most mid-size homes landing in the $8,000 to $12,000 range. Pricing depends on roof size and pitch, the number of old layers to be torn off, shingle grade, and any plywood or ventilation repairs. Premium architectural or designer shingles, steep or complex roofs, and metal or flat-membrane systems push costs higher, with standing-seam metal often double the price of asphalt.
Asphalt shingles remain the most popular and cost-effective choice for Oshawa homes, and architectural (laminate) shingles offer better wind and snow-load performance than basic 3-tab. For longevity, standing-seam metal sheds heavy lake-effect snow well and resists ice dams, though it costs more upfront. Low-slope and flat sections, common on additions and commercial buildings, are best served by EPDM, TPO or modified-bitumen membranes. Whatever the material, proper attic ventilation and ice-and-water shield matter as much as the shingle itself.
Ontario has no provincial roofing trade licence, unlike Quebec, which requires an RBQ licence. Instead, Ontario roofers must carry WSIB coverage and adequate liability insurance, and that is the credential you should verify. For the work itself, a City of Oshawa building permit is required for structural roof changes, sheathing replacement, adding a second shingle layer or altering the roof line, though a straightforward single-layer re-shingle usually does not need one. A good local contractor will confirm and handle any permit.
In Oshawa's freeze-thaw, snow-load and lake-effect climate, a standard 3-tab asphalt roof typically lasts about 15 to 20 years, while higher-grade architectural shingles often reach 25 to 30 years. Metal roofs can last 40 to 50 years or more, and EPDM/TPO flat membranes around 20 to 30 years. Lifespan is shortened by poor attic ventilation, ice damming and inadequate insulation, so annual inspections and prompt repairs of lifted shingles or failed flashing are key to reaching the upper end of those ranges.
Look for a valid WSIB clearance certificate and at least $2 million in liability insurance, a verifiable local track record in Durham Region, and manufacturer certification such as GAF Master Elite, IKO RoofPro or Owens Corning Platinum. Favour contractors who provide a detailed written quote covering ice-and-water shield, ventilation and a separate workmanship warranty, and who handle City of Oshawa permits when required. Checking Google, HomeStars and BBB reviews together gives a fuller reputation picture than any single source.
Ice dams are a major winter concern in Oshawa: heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the upper roof, which refreezes at the cold eaves, forming a ridge of ice that backs water up under the shingles and into the home. Prevention comes from a well-sealed, well-insulated and properly ventilated attic that keeps the roof deck cold, combined with ice-and-water shield membrane along the eaves and valleys. Many Oshawa contractors offer attic insulation and ventilation upgrades alongside re-roofing to address the root cause.
Roofing in Oshawa
Oshawa sits on the north shore of Lake Ontario at the eastern edge of the Greater Toronto Area, and its roofs take a beating from a classic southern-Ontario continental climate sharpened by the lake. Winters bring heavy snow, including lake-effect bursts off Lake Ontario, with snow loads that roofs must carry for weeks at a time. Most punishing of all is the freeze-thaw cycle: temperatures swing above and below zero dozens of times each winter, repeatedly melting and refreezing snow. That cycle drives ice damming at the eaves, water infiltration under shingles, and the gradual cracking and granule loss that ages an Oshawa roof faster than the climate of a milder region would.
Asphalt shingles dominate the residential roofscape across Oshawa's older neighbourhoods and newer Durham subdivisions alike, with architectural (laminated) shingles increasingly preferred over basic 3-tab for their better wind and snow performance. Standing-seam and ribbed metal roofing is a growing premium choice because it sheds heavy snow and resists ice dams, while cedar and specialty products such as Euroshield appear on character homes. Low-slope and flat sections, common on additions, bungalows and Oshawa's commercial and industrial buildings, rely on EPDM rubber, TPO or modified-bitumen membranes rather than shingles.
On the regulatory side, Ontario takes a different approach than some other provinces. There is no provincial roofing trade licence here, unlike Quebec, where contractors must hold an RBQ licence, or British Columbia, where a municipal business licence is required, or Alberta, which mandates a prepaid contractor licence for door-to-door sales. In Ontario the key requirements are mandatory WSIB coverage for roofing crews and proper liability insurance, plus a building permit from the City of Oshawa for structural roof work, sheathing replacement, adding a second shingle layer or roof-line changes. A simple single-layer re-shingle generally does not require a permit, but all roofing must meet the Ontario Building Code.
Because there is no licence gatekeeping the trade, the burden of vetting falls on the homeowner, which is exactly why choosing an experienced local contractor matters in Oshawa. A roofer who has worked through many Durham Region winters understands how to detail eaves with ice-and-water shield, balance attic ventilation, and specify materials that handle lake-effect snow and freeze-thaw stress. The established firms profiled below, several operating locally for 25 to 70 years and many carrying GAF, IKO or Owens Corning certifications, combine that climate know-how with verifiable insurance and warranties that protect your home long after the job is done.
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