Roof repair in Cochrane: a roofer for repairs, new roofs and gutters

The Town of Cochrane's Safety Codes Permit Information sheet lists replacing roofing or siding under common projects where permits are not required. So a straight roof or siding replacement in Cochrane does not need a building permit.

The same sheet lists a roof over a deck and structural renovations among the projects that do need a permit. It also says the list is only an overview, and gives safety.codes@cochrane.ca and 403-851-2572 for anything not on it.

The provincial rule behind this is Alberta's Permit Regulation. It exempts re-roofing and re-siding from a building permit when the work is for appearance or maintenance, the new material is of a similar type, health and safety are not at risk and there is no structural change. If you are changing to a different roofing material, ask the Town first.

Acreages around Cochrane are in Rocky View County. Its building permits page says re-roofing does not need a building permit except where structural work is involved, and lists minor exterior repairs and siding as exempt as well.

Sources, checked 7 October 2026: Town of Cochrane, Safety Codes Permit Information; Alberta Permit Regulation, AR 204/2007, section 6(3)(c); Rocky View County, building permits.

Two recent hailstorms that went on to damage Calgary started over or to the west of Cochrane, and the federal weather station at Springbank Airport has recorded gusts above 100 km/h from the west and southwest.

5 August 2024

The storm that went on to cause $3.25 billion in insured losses in Calgary formed to the west of Cochrane at about 5:15 pm, according to the Northern Hail Project at Western University. That evening the project's field team logged hail of about 10 mm at two points 9 to 10 km north of town, and later a 36 mm stone about 11 km to the northeast.

15 July 2023

A storm cell developed over Cochrane just before 7:30 pm, strengthened as it moved southeast and caused an estimated $115 million in losses in Calgary, according to the project's event database.

Wind gusts

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Springbank Airport station, about 12 km southeast of Cochrane, has recorded gusts of 105 km/h (25 October 2019) and 102 km/h (10 November 2025) in daily records that begin in October 2018. An earlier station at the same airport, with records from 1984 to 2012, recorded 120 km/h on 1 January 1997. All three came from the west or southwest.

In both of those hailstorms the heaviest damage was in Calgary, after the storm had moved on from the Cochrane area. That is no promise for the next one, and a hail inspection is free if you are not sure what a storm did.

After a strong west wind, look from the ground for lifted, creased or missing shingles on west-facing slopes and along the ridge. Missing shingles on one slope are usually a roof repair, not a new roof, and that is where we start.

Sources, checked 7 October 2026: Western University news, Northern Hail Project on the 5 August 2024 storm; Northern Hail Project open data, Western University: field surveys, event database and radar hail-swath maps; Insurance Bureau of Canada, cost of the August 2024 Calgary hailstorm; Environment and Climate Change Canada, daily climate data, Calgary Springbank A; Environment and Climate Change Canada, daily climate data, Springbank A (1984 to 2012).

Cochrane grew by 24.5% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, to 32,199 people and 12,096 occupied private dwellings.

About 45% of homes were built in 2011 or later, so their first roofs are 15 years old or less. Another 2,560, about 21%, were built from 2001 to 2010, and 2,350, about 19%, from 1991 to 2000: if one of that last group still has its original shingles, the roof is now 26 to 35 years old. About 1,200 homes, roughly 10%, were built before 1981.

Nearly 3 in 10 Cochrane homes are semi-detached or row houses (3,540 of 12,095). On those the roof is often shared, so check with your condo board or your neighbour who is responsible before you book a repair.

Not sure which side of the line your roof is on? Our guide to repairing or replacing a roof sets out how to decide.

Sources, checked 7 October 2026: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile, Cochrane (Town).

Cochrane climbs out of the Bow River valley. Natural Resources Canada's elevation data puts Riverview at about 1,128 m, Fireside at about 1,207 m and Sunset Ridge at about 1,257 m: a difference of roughly 130 m inside one town.

If your house is on one of the upper benches, or is a walkout with a tall rear wall, tell us when you call. It changes the ladders and fall protection we bring.

From our base at 3016 Morley Trail NW in Calgary the drive to the centre of Cochrane is about 30 km, and our crews travel from Calgary for every Cochrane job.

Sources, checked 7 October 2026: Natural Resources Canada, elevation at Riverview; Natural Resources Canada, elevation at Fireside; Natural Resources Canada, elevation at Sunset Ridge; OpenStreetMap routing, 3016 Morley Trail NW to Cochrane.