We use cookies to keep you signed in and to see what's working and what breaks. No advertising cookies, nothing sold. Details in our Cookie Policy.

Trade Playbook

Flat & Commercial Roofing

No provincial trade licence required

Flat/low-slope commercial roofing is a different business from residential shingles: membrane systems (TPO, EPDM, mod-bit), manufacturer-certified warranties, property-manager clients, and service contracts that recur — with a much higher barrier and ceiling than steep-slope.

Flat & Commercial Roofing at a glance

Licence to do the work
Not required — Working at Heights + torch safety mandatory; manufacturer certs gate the work
Path in
Flat-roof crews — torch/heat-weld skills, then manufacturer certification
Regulated by
MOL (heights, hot work); manufacturers (warranty programs)
Insurance baseline
High CGL — fire from torch work is the defining exposure
Union route
Roofers locals on ICI work

Where are you right now?

Learn it. Earn it. Own it. Pick the door that matches where you are.

Getting inBecome a commercial rooferHow people actually enter this trade: sponsors, registration, hours, and school.Open Getting certifiedFinish your ticketAlready an apprentice? The Last Mile guide: closing out hours, booking the exam, exam day.Open Going out on your ownStart a commercial roofing businessThe step-by-step from qualified tradesperson to incorporated, insured, bid-ready owner.Open Just lookingCommon questionsLicences, costs, timelines: the questions everyone asks, answered straight.Open

The licensing layer, explained

No provincial trade licence (449A is voluntary); Working at Heights is mandatory. The real gates are manufacturer certification (Carlisle, Soprema, Firestone, Sika Sarnafil approve the contractors whose installs they warranty), torch-safety certification for mod-bit work, and the insurance/bonding to satisfy commercial owners.

Certifications in this trade

Insurance to expect

Torch work makes fire the headline exposure — insurers scrutinize hot-work procedures, and one membrane fire can end a company. High CGL limits, strict hot-work permits, and fire-watch discipline are non-negotiable.

Go to the source

The official pages that govern this trade. Bookmark these, they are the final word on requirements and fees.

Keep reading

449A RooferIncorporationCRA RegistrationWSIB & ProvincialTrade LicensingInsuranceSafety ComplianceOperational SetupBid Readiness

Ready to build a commercial roofing business?

AEC Stack handles incorporation, licensing, insurance, compliance, and operations, so you can focus on the work.

Start your business