Roofing in St. John's
St. John’s roofing rules: permits, heritage areas and the street
The City of St. John’s issues building and repair permits under its own Building By-Law, and its heritage areas set roofing material standards. These are the points a roofing crew meets on an ordinary St. John’s job, from stjohns.ca and Newfoundland and Labrador legislation.
A permit before the roof comes off
Under the City’s Building By-Law, a building permit is required for new construction, additions and structural changes affecting loadbearing members, and a repair permit is required for all repairs or renovations that do not need a building permit. A permit must be obtained before the work starts, and the City says that even if a contractor is doing the job, the property owner is responsible for obtaining it.
Source: City of St. John’s: Building By-Law 1438 · City of St. John’s: Building permits
Metal roofing in the heritage areas
Owners in a heritage area must meet the City’s Heritage Design Standards. For houses, modern roofing materials including shingle-style metal roofing are permitted (in Heritage Area 1, provided the appearance replicates the building’s period style), while standing seam metal roofs are not permitted. Re-roofing in a material like the existing one needs no heritage review but still needs a permit; altering the roofline does need review.
Source: City of St. John’s: Heritage By-Law 1642 · City of St. John’s: Heritage building permits
Materials on the street, and parking
The City of St. John’s Act forbids placing or leaving building material in a street without a permit from the city engineer. In residential parking permit areas, a contractor’s permit is available for each work vehicle, only for the construction period.
Source: Newfoundland and Labrador: City of St. John’s Act · City of St. John’s: Parking permits
No construction equipment overnight
The City’s noise by-law prohibits operating construction equipment between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. daily in, or within 100 metres of, a residential zone.
Source: City of St. John’s: Noise By-Law 1405
Roof work rules by slope
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulations set roof-work measures by slope, from control zones on low-slope roofs up to roof brackets with planks and a fall arrest system on the steepest, and say an eavestrough shall not be used to support a crawl board or ladder on a roof.
Source: Newfoundland and Labrador: Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012
General information for contractors, checked October 13, 2026; it is not legal advice. Confirm with the City before you rely on it. Roof Manager does not obtain permits or licences for you. Province-wide rules: roofing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
