Calgarians can now apply for the city’s hail damage roofing rebate

CALGARY – Those looking to apply for the city’s hail damage roofing rebate could begin doing so Tuesday.

The City of Calgary is starting the program by offering $3,000 for homeowners who had hail damage last year and have installed or plan to install impact-resistant roofing.

Kris Dietrich with Calgary Building Services said the $3,000 should cover most if not all of the roofing costs for homes applying.

“It’s really dependent on the house. [For] some smaller homes, the $3,000 will be enough. There are some other homes, that $3,000 might not be enough but it will cover a substantial amount of the upgrade.”

He says the impact-resistant materials have been available for a few years, but cost has been preventing people from picking them.

“Right now it’s still more expensive than a traditional shingle,” he said.

“I think we, in our calculations, had said it’s about an extra $4 per square foot for cost to move to impact-resistant.”

Homeowners must have evidence of hail damage from 2020 in order to be eligible for the rebate.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada said last year that the storm caused almost $1.2 billion in insured damages, making it the costliest hailstorm in Canadian history and the fourth costliest natural disaster of all time.

The program will expand in January to accept those who replace their roof with certified material after June 1 and is expected to run for three years.

Dietrich says a report on the success of the program will go to council next year and if the program is successful, it could be extended.

Councillors voted in May to redirect $2.2 million from the city’s rainy day fund to provide rebates for any of the 660 households that had damage from the 2020 hailstorm.

-with files from Chris Bowen