The City of Calgary announced it will expand a hail-resistant roofing rebate to all city homeowners starting this month. The Calgary Resilient Roofing Rebate Program is a result of a collaborative effort between the City of Calgary, Alberta Roofing Associations and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“The City of Calgary program is unique in Canada, no one, no other municipality in Canada has done this,” said Rob Dupuis from the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Because of the leadership role that the City of Calgary has taken, many insurance companies are now looking into offering something very similar to a supplemental rebate and trying to lower insurance premiums for people that could be impacted by weather.
“Anything a homeowner can be doing to improve the resiliency of their home to prevent or mitigate or reduce the chance of loss or damage is absolutely applauded and welcomed by the insurance industry,” said Dupuis.
The rebate originated following a series of weather-related events that saw cases of hail damage skyrocket across Calgary and surrounding areas. At first, the program was only available to residents who lived in the heavily damaged communities in the Northeast.
City officials voted to expand the Calgary Resilient Roofing Rebate Program to focus on all homeowners in need, rather than just those who faced damage from the particularly severe 2018 and 2020 hailstorms.
Another intention of this program is to educate residents on how to hire a quality contractor. The Alberta Allied Roofing Association and the Alberta Roofing Contractors Association both worked with the City to educate residents on how to choose a good contractor.
“There’s a substantial amount of inspections that have been sent in for the rebate that have actually failed,” said Chelsea Broadbridge, executive director at the Alberta Allied Roofing Association.
“Alberta Roofing Contractors Association assisted in helping the City establish the best benchmark for what is a good, what makes a good roof, by using our standards as part of what they recommend to homeowners in the city,” said Karen Rutherford from the Alberta Roofing Contractors Association.
City Councillor Raj Dhaliwal is voicing his support for this program. His Ward 5 includes the following heavily hit communities: Castleridge, Cityscape, Cornerstone, Falconridge, Homestead, Martindale, Redstone, Saddle Ridge, Skyview Ranch, and Taradale.
Coun. Dhaliwal hopes that this program can extend into the future to promote better building materials and save his residents time and money.
The Resilient Roofing Rebate Program has been heavily debated with Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot proposing the end of the program in 2022. Previously, the hail rebate program was cancelled for some homes due to deliberations within the council. The program was reinstated by a 9-6 vote.
Eligible homeowners who install, or have installed, qualifying impact-resistant roofing can apply to receive $3,000 from the City.
The Resilient Roofing Rebate Program continues to make investments into affordable and durable materials by reducing the need for urgent repairs after severe weather events.
In addition to the usual requirements, homeowners who want to take advantage of this rebate must be in good standing on their property taxes. The program is a great opportunity for homeowners to start making small investments towards a more resilient future in Calgary.
These upgrades must meet UL2218 or FM4473 with a Class 4 rating from accredited laboratories, meaning that not even a ball drop from 25 feet has the capability to tear or cause any damage to the new shingle system.
“People are taking advantage of this program,” said Rutherford.
“Alberta Roofing Contractors Association assisted in helping the City establish the best benchmark for what is good, what makes a good roof, by using our standards as part of what they recommend to homeowners in the city,” said Karen Rutherford from the Alberta Roofing Contractors Association.
“People are taking advantage of this program,” said Rutherford.
The City of Calgary expects an increase since the expansion of their resilient roofing rebate program with 513 rebates issued as of December 15. Year one of the programs ends on May 31, 2022, or when funding is fully allocated, whichever occurs first.
