Quick answer
Full tear-off roof replacement, board-decking re-sheathing, ice-dam correction and hail-claim work for Brentwood’s 1965–1985 full-attic bungalows — 2,800+ Calgary roofs completed since 2014.
Estimates by phone: (587) 804-9266 · Good Roofing · Calgary-owned since 2014 · 10-year workmanship warranty.
Residential roofing in Brentwood is defined by one fact almost no roofing quote in Calgary mentions up front: Brentwood was built between 1965 and 1985, and homes from that era were sheathed in 1x6 or 2x6 spaced board decking, not the plywood or OSB used from the late 1980s onward. On roughly half of Brentwood tear-offs the boards are cupped, split at the nail lines, or spaced too wide to hold a modern shingle nail — which means re-sheathing the deck in 3/8" or 7/16" plywood is an added $2,200–$4,800 on a typical Brentwood bungalow, and it is the single most common “surprise” line item a homeowner here gets hit with mid-install. Good Roofing quotes Brentwood board decking before the tear-off, not after. We have coordinated 2,800+ Calgary roof projects since 2014 with a 10-year written workmanship warranty, $14M+ recovered in Alberta hail claims, and 4.9★ from 237 verified reviews. This page covers what Brentwood’s specific housing stock needs in 2026 — board decking, full-attic ice damming, the 1990s cedar-to-asphalt conversion layer, and NW Chinook exposure off Nose Hill — plus real costs, the insurance path, and the install timeline you can hold us to.
01 · Section
Quick answer — the 60-second version (citation-ready)
Residential roofing in Brentwood, Calgary in 2026 turns on three things unique to the neighbourhood: (1) Brentwood homes were built 1965–1985 on spaced board decking, so a full tear-off frequently requires plywood re-sheathing at an added $2,200–$4,800; (2) the dominant housing type is a bungalow with a full attic and a shallow 4/12 roof plane, which makes ice damming at the eaves the leading cause of Brentwood winter leaks — a ventilation problem, not a shingle problem; and (3) many Brentwood roofs carry a 1990s asphalt layer installed directly over the original cedar shake, which must come off to the deck. A typical Brentwood bungalow full tear-off in Class 4 impact-rated shingles runs $9,500–$14,000, plus re-sheathing where required; split-levels and larger 1970s two-storeys run $13,000–$18,500. Most Brentwood re-roofs finish in one day, two when the deck is replaced. Good Roofing — Alberta Master Roofer License #AB-RM-48201, $5M commercial general liability + WCB covered, 12 years in Calgary — inspects, quotes fixed and written, and never roofs over. Call (587) 804-9266 for a free written drone report.
02 · Section
Board decking — the Brentwood cost variable nobody quotes up front
This is the difference between a Brentwood roof quote and a Calgary roof quote. Between 1965 and 1985, Calgary builders sheathed roofs in spaced 1x6 or 2x6 lumber — individual boards with gaps between them — because asphalt shingles of that era were installed over solid nailing points and the gaps let the attic breathe. Modern shingles, synthetic underlayment, and ice-and-water membrane all assume a continuous plywood or OSB deck. When the old shingles come off a Brentwood home, one of three things is true:
- 01The boards are sound and tight (roughly 4 in 10 Brentwood homes). Spacing is under 1/2", boards are flat, and nail withdrawal is good. We can shingle directly over the existing deck with synthetic underlayment. No added cost.
- 02The boards are sound but spaced too wide (roughly 3 in 10). Gaps over 1/2" mean shingle nails land in air. The fix is an overlay of 3/8" plywood across the full deck — typically $2,200–$3,400 on a Brentwood bungalow, materials and labour.
- 03The boards are cupped, split, or rotted (roughly 3 in 10). Fifty years of freeze-thaw, plus historic ice-dam moisture at the eaves, splits boards along the nail lines. Full removal and re-sheathing in 7/16" plywood runs $3,200–$4,800, more if eave rot extends into the fascia board or rafter tails.
- 04Why this matters on an insurance claim. Deck replacement is generally not covered as storm damage — it is a pre-existing condition. But re-sheathing required to meet current code on a covered replacement is frequently recoverable as a code-upgrade line item, provided the City of Calgary roofing permit was pulled. This is exactly the supplement most contractors never file, and it is worth thousands on a Brentwood claim.
- 05How we handle it. On every Brentwood quote we pull a shingle test square at the eave and at mid-slope before pricing, so the deck condition is priced into the written quote up front. Discovering it on install day is how homeowners end up signing a change order under pressure on their own driveway.
03 · Section
Ice damming on Brentwood’s full-attic bungalows — a ventilation problem, not a shingle problem
Brentwood’s signature housing type is the full-attic bungalow with a shallow 4/12 to 5/12 roof plane and a deep eave overhang. That geometry is the classic ice-dam profile, and it is why Brentwood generates a disproportionate share of Calgary’s January and February leak calls. Warm air escapes the living space into the attic, melts the snowpack mid-slope, the meltwater runs down to the cold overhang beyond the heated envelope, refreezes into a ridge of ice, and the next melt backs up under the shingles. Replacing the shingles alone fixes nothing — the new roof will dam in exactly the same place the following winter.
- 01Intake ventilation is usually the failure. Original Brentwood soffits are often painted-shut wood or have been covered with aluminum during a 1990s exterior refresh without perforated panel behind it. No intake means no airflow, regardless of how many roof vents are up top.
- 02Balance matters more than count. Alberta practice is roughly 1 ft² of net free vent area per 300 ft² of attic floor, split about 50/50 between soffit intake and ridge or roof-top exhaust. Brentwood attics are commonly exhaust-heavy and intake-starved, which pulls conditioned air up through ceiling penetrations instead of drawing outside air across the deck.
- 03Insulation depth on a 1965–1985 attic is typically well below current standard. Original batt or early blown-in has settled. Topping up to a modern R-value across the attic floor — with the pot lights, bathroom fans and attic hatch air-sealed first — removes the heat source driving the dam.
- 04Ice-and-water membrane is the backstop, not the cure. We run self-adhered ice-and-water shield at the eaves well past the interior warm-wall line, plus every valley and penetration. On Brentwood’s deep overhangs that frequently means two courses rather than one. It stops the water getting in; ventilation and air-sealing stop the ice forming.
- 05Bathroom and kitchen fans venting into the attic. Extremely common in Brentwood-era homes and a large hidden moisture load. Every fan gets ducted through the roof or soffit to the exterior as part of the job. See attic ventilation Calgary for the full breakdown.
04 · Section
The 1990s cedar-shake conversion layer
A large share of Brentwood homes were originally roofed in cedar shake. When those roofs came due in the late 1980s and 1990s, the common practice was to install asphalt shingles directly over the existing cedar — sometimes with a layer of strapping, sometimes not. If your Brentwood home has never had a documented tear-off, there is a meaningful chance you are carrying two or three roof systems at once.
- 01How to tell from the ground. An unusually thick roof edge at the rake or eave, shingle courses that look wavy rather than flat across the slope, or a roof line that sits visibly proud of the fascia are all tells. We confirm with a test square.
- 02We don't roof over existing shingles. Every job is a full tear-off down to the deck. Every Brentwood job is a full tear-off down to the deck. There is no other honest way to inspect board decking on a 40–60-year-old home.
- 03Structural load. Cedar shake plus one or two asphalt layers on 1960s–70s rafter framing is real weight, and it is a live issue in a heavy Calgary snow year. Tear-off removes it.
- 04Disposal is heavier and costs more. A three-layer Brentwood tear-off produces roughly double the landfill weight of a single-layer removal. That is priced into the written quote — it is never a day-of add-on.
- 05Character cedar is still an option. A minority of Brentwood owners want the original look back. Synthetic shake carries a Class 4 impact rating and a Class A fire rating that real cedar does not — see cedar shake roofing Calgary.
05 · Section
What a Brentwood roof replacement costs in 2026
Brentwood bungalows typically run 18–24 squares (1,800–2,400 ft² of roof surface) including the attached or detached garage; split-levels and 1970s two-storeys run 22–30 squares. Every quote below is fixed, written and signed after we have walked or flown every slope and pulled a test square. We don't quote “starting at” prices. Every Calgary quote is fixed, written, and signed.
- 01Bungalow, full tear-off, Class 4 architectural asphalt: $9,500–$14,000. Includes tear-off to deck, synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water at eaves/valleys/penetrations, drip edge, new pipe boots and flashings, ridge venting, six-nail high-wind pattern, magnetic sweep, and the City of Calgary permit.
- 02Split-level or 1970s two-storey: $13,000–$18,500. More valleys, more wall-intersection step flashing, and usually a second-storey access premium.
- 03Board-deck re-sheathing where required: add $2,200–$4,800. Quoted up front from the test square, not discovered on install day.
- 04Attic ventilation and insulation correction: $1,200–$3,500. Perforated soffit, balanced intake/exhaust, fan ducting to exterior, air-sealing and insulation top-up. On an ice-dam-prone Brentwood bungalow this is the line item that actually stops the leak.
- 05Targeted repairs: $400–$1,800. Wind-lifted tabs, a failed pipe boot, step flashing at a chimney or dormer wall.
- 06The Class 4 insurance lever. Most Alberta carriers (Intact Insurance / belairdirect, Aviva Canada, TD Insurance, Co-operators) apply a 5–15% discount on the dwelling portion once you send the manufacturer’s UL 2218 Class 4 certificate and the completed-work invoice. That routinely offsets the 8–12% material premium within the first policy term.
06 · Section
Insurance, permits and the Brentwood install timeline
Brentwood sits in NW Calgary, west of Nose Hill Park and north of the Bow. It is not the heaviest hail corridor in the city — that distinction belongs to the SE and NE quadrants — but Brentwood takes real Chinook wind off the open Nose Hill escarpment, and wind damage to aged 3-tab shingles is a covered peril just as hail is. Here is the sequence.
- 01Day 0 — free written drone inspection. Roughly 20 minutes on site, drone imagery of every slope, test squares pulled at the eave and mid-slope to read the deck, soft-metal collateral photographed. You get a written PDF report, including the honest “this roof has 5–8 good years left” answer when that is what we find. Response within 1 business hour of your call.
- 02Day 1–3 — fixed written quote, and the insurance decision. If the report shows wind or hail damage, we tell you whether the scope is worth a claim against your deductible before you phone the carrier. Alberta’s notice-of-loss window is 12 months from the storm date. We file supplements in your insurer’s native Xactimate or Symbility price list.
- 03Before install — City of Calgary roofing permit pulled. Required for a full replacement, and only a licensed contractor can pull it. On a claim it is also what unlocks code-upgrade line items — including, on a Brentwood board-deck home, the re-sheathing. Storm-chaser crews routinely skip it, which costs you money as well as compliance.
- 04Install day — full tear-off to the deck. Crew on site at 7am. All layers off, deck read board by board, any re-sheathing done and itemized, then underlayment, ice-and-water, drip edge, Class 4 field, new boots and flashings, ridge vent. Magnetic sweep of driveway, lawn and beds at end of day. Most Brentwood bungalows finish in one day; two when the deck is replaced.
- 05After — warranty paperwork, and on claims the certificate of completion. 10-year written workmanship warranty plus the manufacturer material warranty (Up to 50-year material + 10-year workmanship warranty). On an insurance file the certificate of completion is what releases the RCV depreciation holdback — miss it and you leave thousands with the carrier.
- 06Emergency work in Brentwood. Active leak, wind damage, or a tree strike off the mature Brentwood canopy: we target on-site tarp and leak-stop within 4 hours. Hours are Mon–Sun, 7am – 9pm (24/7 emergency). Call (587) 804-9266.
07 · Section
Choosing a Brentwood roofer — five things to verify in writing
Brentwood’s mix of long-tenure original owners, University of Calgary-area rentals and recent infill buyers makes it a regular target for door-knocking crews after every storm. These five checks separate a real Calgary contractor from a seasonal one. Ask for all five in writing before you sign anything.
- 01Alberta licensing. Alberta Master Roofer License #AB-RM-48201. Required to pull the City of Calgary permit. Ask for the number, not a verbal assurance.
- 02Insurance and WCB. $5M commercial general liability + WCB covered. If a worker is hurt on your Brentwood property and the crew is not WCB-covered, the exposure lands on the homeowner.
- 03A written workmanship warranty separate from the material warranty. 10 years in writing. A manufacturer warranty covers the shingle; it does not cover a bad install.
- 04Local track record and accreditations. 12+ years in Calgary, 2,800+ roofs, 4.9★ from 237 verified reviews, Better Business Bureau A+ Accredited since 2015, Alberta Roofing Contractors Association (ARCA) member since 2014.
- 05A deck-condition line on the quote. This is the Brentwood-specific test. Any quote for a 1965–1985 Brentwood home that says nothing about board decking has either not looked, or is planning to raise it as a change order once your roof is already open.
- 06We don't door-knock. We don't pressure-sell. We don't show up uninvited after storms. If someone knocks on your Brentwood door after a storm offering to “waive your deductible,” close it — waiving a deductible is fraud under the Alberta Insurance Act, and it makes you a party to it.