Calgary Elite Roofing Inc.

TL;DR Calgary Elite Roofing did an excellent job re-shingling my roof at a reasonable price.

Very detailed review:
My roof got re-shingled in April 2024. It was 18 years old at the time. My insurance company would not even cover the full value of the roof (look up "roof depreciation").
Since replacing the roof is a relatively expensive purchase, I wanted to make my research into this so that I can understand the lingo that roofers use and also make good decisions and be able to reason about it. Once I felt like I can hold a basic conversation with a roofer, I started writing my own questions that I wanted to ask.
I then went through HomeStars and picked 5 contractors that I thought had excellent reviews.

I collected all of the quotes and met with each contractor.

I found that Greg/Calgary Elite Roofing was head and shoulders above others. Don't get me wrong, others were good, but Greg was much MUCH better.
Here are some of the things that I really liked:
- I emailed my requirements (more on that later) on Monday morning. Soon after, I received a call from the very nice assistant who informed me that Greg will be able to stop by the next morning with a quote.
- Greg stopped by the next morning and he brought a very nice folder with various quotes (depending on shingles chosen + any upgrades) + information about different singles and brands.
- Greg's quote was not the cheapest nor was it the most expensive. It was somewhere in the middle of the 5 that I've gotten. It was very specific and outlined very clearly the materials and services that will be provided. I was able to add a few clarifications there as well.
- Greg and I talked for probably 1.5 hours as I had a LOT of questions. Greg was very patient with me and answered majority of them. Unfortunately, we ran out of time, BUT I was able to meet with Greg the next afternoon again and
ask the remainder of my questions (there was no guarantee that I would even go with Greg at that time). I really appreciated the time and the knowledge that I was able to get from Greg. I was able to ask questions about what other roofers
told me, to cross-compare.
- Greg also wanted to check the attic. Most of the roofers actually said that they don't go into the attic. One of them just went up to the attic and looked in. Greg got in there and literally traversed the whole attic "spiderman-style" without disturbing the loose fill insulation that I have.
Looking at the attic can tell a LOT about the condition of the roof and any problems with ventilation, condensation, vents, etc. I believe that your roofers SHOULD go into the attic to see if there are any problems and check the condition of the roof from the inside as well as outside.
Greg was able to see a couple of holes that the original builders left and did not cover.
- Greg pointed that I have 3" (diameter) insulated hoses that go from bathroom vents up to the roof "goosenecks" and today they should be 4", so they replaced them.
- Greg provides great workmanship warranty.
- Calgary Elite Roofing take their time and make it right.
If a contractor tells you that your roof will be replaced in 4 hours, I would be cautious. Good work takes time.
- He used high quality materials, some of them that I specifically asked:
- W-style flashing for open valley (26 gauge)
- drip edge (26 gauge)
- Malarkey Vista (Impact Resistant) shingles
- 6 nails as opposed to just 4 (this is super important!)
- good quality/volume exhaust roofing vents
- good quality metal flashings throughout the roof
- using screws on flashings and vents, because nails will pop up in a year or two (due to frequent freeze/thaw cycles)
- extending downpipe extensions to reduce "waterfalls" on specific spots on shingles (I had two leaky spots on each side of my garage roof
because rainwater from the downspout would just beat down on the same spot. Drip edge + downspout extension to the gutters would eliminate the original root cause of the leaks.)

Once you familiarized yourself with the high level process of roofing, then decide:

- Shingle brand and model
I would recommend Class 3 or Class 4 (hail resistant). If you use Class 4 shingles, your insurance company will most likely give you a decent discount
on your premium. Call them ahead of time and find out what that would be. I decided to go with Malarkey Vista Class 4 shingles. My insurance gave me a decent discount.

- Decide on Ridge Profile.
- Standard shingle or high profile "look"
- Specify the Underlayment type
- default synthetic underlayment might be good enough for you
- Ice/Water shield type
- default might be good enough for you
- Drip edge (it is now code, but that was not always the case. Make sure you have it installed)
- Flashings
- replaced or retrofitted, depending on the situation
- Colour
Colour should be the LAST thing for you to choose (not the first). Don't worry about the colour until the very end. When it comes to colours, don't pick based off of a computer screen or a brochure. Ask your chosen roofing contractor for 3 of your top colours and then get on the garage roof and place them side by side. Then take your time and decide which colour you want.

Calgary Elite Roofing has actual addresses of their clients. You can find some addresses in your area and then stop by and talked to the people about their experience.

Hope your roofing/re-roofing experience is a good one. Good luck!