Why We Wrote This Guide

My brother Johnny and I started Dads Roofing in Agassiz back in 2021. Before roofing, we were Red Seal Journeyman Boilermakers in the Alberta oil sands — jobs where precision and safety are non-negotiable. We brought that same discipline to roofing, and over 500 completed roofs later, strata projects have become a big part of what we do across the Fraser Valley.

Here is the thing about strata roofing: it is not just a construction project. It is a financial decision, a governance exercise, and a communication challenge rolled into one. We have walked into council meetings where nobody understood the depreciation report, where owners were furious about a special levy they never saw coming, and where previous contractors left the council holding the bag with a leaking roof and a voided warranty.

This guide is what we tell councils before they even ask for a quote. Whether you are a first-time council member in a Chilliwack townhouse complex or a seasoned property manager handling low-rises in Abbotsford, these fundamentals will save you money and headaches.

The Strata Roof Landscape in the Fraser Valley

The Fraser Valley has an enormous range of strata housing. From our base in Agassiz, we service everything between Hope and Abbotsford, and the strata buildings we see fall into a few common categories:

Townhouse Complexes (Our Most Common Strata Work)

Two to three storey buildings, anywhere from 10 to 50 units. These are the bread and butter of Fraser Valley strata roofing. Most have sloped roofs with asphalt shingles, though we are seeing more councils opt for standing-seam metal on replacement projects. Individual roof sections per building mean we can often phase the work — replacing one block at a time so disruption stays manageable.

Low-Rise Apartments and Duplexes

Four to six storey buildings with 20 to 100+ units. These introduce complexity — scaffolding requirements, mixed roof profiles (flat sections over parking, sloped sections over living space), and tighter access. Chilliwack and Abbotsford have a lot of these, and each one needs a custom approach.

Mixed-Use Buildings

Commercial on the ground floor, residential above. These require after-hours coordination with commercial tenants and sometimes separate insurance considerations. We have done several of these in downtown Chilliwack.

Common Property vs. Limited Common Property — Know the Difference

This is the single most important distinction in strata roofing, and it surprises us how often councils get it wrong.

Common property means the roof belongs to the strata corporation collectively. The council is responsible for maintenance and replacement, funded through the Contingency Reserve Fund (CRF). This applies to most apartment buildings and many townhouse complexes.

Limited common property means a specific roof section is assigned to a particular unit for exclusive use — and potentially exclusive maintenance responsibility. Some townhouse stratas designate individual roofs this way, making it the unit owner's problem, not the council's.

Before you do anything else, pull out your strata plan and check. We have seen councils spend months planning a project only to discover half the roofs are limited common property and the owners have to fund their own replacements.

Your Depreciation Report Is Your Roadmap

BC law requires most stratas to maintain a depreciation report, updated every three years. It predicts when major components — including your roof — will need replacement and estimates the cost. Think of it as a financial forecast for your building's maintenance.

Here is how we recommend councils use it:

• Read the roof section carefully. It will give you a remaining lifespan estimate and projected replacement cost. If it says "replacement in 5-7 years," start planning at year 3.
• Verify the cost estimates. Depreciation reports can be one to three years old by the time you act on them. Material and labour costs shift. Get current quotes from contractors to compare against the report's numbers.
• Fund proactively. If the CRF will not cover the full cost, increase monthly contributions now rather than hitting owners with a surprise special levy later.

Budgeting Realities for Fraser Valley Stratas (2026)

These are real-world numbers from projects we have quoted and completed in the Fraser Valley. Every building is different, but this gives councils a starting framework:

Funding Options When the CRF Falls Short

The Contingency Reserve Fund is the preferred funding source — it is the savings account stratas build through monthly fees specifically for capital expenditures like roof replacement. But when the CRF is not enough, councils have two main options:

• Special levy: A one-time charge to each owner based on unit entitlement (larger units pay more). Requires a 3/4 vote at an AGM or SGM. For a $100,000 shortfall across 50 units, that is roughly $2,000 per unit.
• Strata loan: Some financial institutions offer loans specifically for strata corporations, spreading the cost over several years. This avoids the sticker shock of a lump-sum levy but adds interest costs.

Council Authority — What You Can and Cannot Approve

This trips up a lot of first-time council members. Your authority depends on your bylaws, but here is the general framework in BC:

• Council can typically approve: Emergency repairs, maintenance work, and expenditures under a set threshold (often $5,000 or a percentage of the annual budget)
• Requires owner vote: Major expenditures above the threshold, special levies, and material changes like switching from shingles to metal

We always recommend councils check their specific bylaws. The last thing you want is to sign a contract without proper authorization and face a dispute from owners later.

Picking the Right Contractor — From a Contractor's Perspective

We are going to be straightforward here, because we have cleaned up after too many bad strata roofing jobs across the Fraser Valley.

Non-Negotiable Qualifications

• $2 million liability insurance. Strata projects carry more risk than single-family homes. If a contractor does not carry at least $2M, walk away.
• Current WorkSafeBC coverage. Verify it — do not just take their word for it. If a worker gets injured on your property without coverage, the strata corporation can be liable.
• Strata-specific references. Roofing a single-family home and roofing a 50-unit townhouse complex are completely different jobs. Ask for references from other strata councils, and actually call them.

Warning Signs

• A quote more than 30% below the other bids (they are cutting corners somewhere)
• Pressure to sign immediately or lose the price
• Vague scope of work or no written warranty
• No plan for resident communication or disruption management

What a Good Quote Includes

When we quote a strata project, we include: detailed scope of work with exact materials (brand, type, colour), square footage calculations, start and completion dates, a phasing plan if the complex is large, warranty terms for both workmanship and materials, a payment schedule (never 100% upfront), daily cleanup commitments, and a resident communication plan. If a quote is missing any of these, ask why.

The Real Timeline for a Strata Roof Project

Councils consistently underestimate how long the planning phase takes. Here is what we actually see:

• Months 1-2: Request and receive quotes from 3-5 contractors
• Months 3-4: Review quotes, check references, shortlist contractors
• Months 4-6: Present to owners, hold vote if needed, arrange funding
• Months 6-8: Finalize contract, schedule work around weather windows

Construction duration depends on size: 2-3 weeks for a 20-unit complex, 4-6 weeks for 50 units, 8-12 weeks for 100+ units. Always add a 1-2 week buffer for Fraser Valley weather — rain delays are a reality out here, especially in spring and fall.

Communication Is Half the Job

The biggest complaints we hear from strata residents are not about the roofing work itself — they are about being kept in the dark. Before work starts, every owner should know why the project is happening, what it costs them personally, when it starts and ends, and what disruptions to expect (noise, parking restrictions, balcony access).

During the project, we provide weekly progress updates with photos, flag any delays or changes immediately, and give advance notice for anything that affects daily life — like temporary water shutoffs or scaffold placement blocking a walkway.

A well-informed strata is a cooperative strata. We have seen the difference it makes.

Our Advice to Every Fraser Valley Strata Council

After completing strata projects from Hope to Abbotsford over the past five years, here is what Johnny and I always tell councils:

1. Read your depreciation report. It exists for exactly this purpose.
2. Start early. Rushed projects cost more and produce worse outcomes.
3. Fund proactively. Steady CRF contributions beat surprise levies every time.
4. Get real quotes. Do not rely solely on the depreciation report's cost estimates.
5. Communicate relentlessly. Owners who understand the plan are owners who support it.

Strata roofing does not have to be a nightmare. With proper planning and the right contractor, it is a straightforward capital improvement that protects your building and your investment. We have done this across the Fraser Valley for five years, and we are happy to walk any council through the process — no obligation, no pressure.

Planning a strata roof project in the Fraser Valley? Call (778) 539-6917 or email info@dadsroofrepair.com — we will walk your council through every step.