The Hidden Lines: Decking and Tear-Off Costs in Calgary
$65 to $130 per sheet of decking
Decking replacement runs about $2 to $4 per square foot of deck. Removing an extra layer of old shingles adds about $1 to $4 per square foot.
Calgary figures for 2025-2026 · reviewed 2026-09-27 · how we set these ranges
Rough out your own number
Change the inputs and the range updates. It is a starting point for comparing quotes, not a quote.
The quote, line by line
Plywood or OSB; the count is only known once the roof is open
Two quotes with different allowances are not comparable until you add the extra sheets
Only where a previous roof was overlaid
Confirm it is
Pre-1990 houses; removal by trained workers only
Why Calgary prices look like this
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Why the allowance matters
A quote that includes 5 sheets and one that includes none can look thousands apart until the roof is open. Put the allowance and the per-sheet price side by side.
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Soft decking and ice dams
Decking rots where water has been getting in, most often at the eaves where ice dams form after chinook thaws.
Source: City of Calgary
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Structural damage is a different job
Rotted rafters or trusses beyond routine decking need a structural engineer and can trigger a permit.
Source: City of Calgary
Red flags in a decking & tear-off quote
- No per-sheet price on the quote
- "We'll see when we get up there" with no numbers
- No photos of the decking that was replaced
- An overlay offered to avoid finding bad decking
Before any deposit: ask for the roofer's Alberta prepaid contracting licence (Service Alberta's online lookup) and a WCB-Alberta clearance letter, and get the contract in writing.
Want this done at your place?
Tell us what is going on with your roof and we'll get you a real quote from a local Calgary roofing contractor. We send it out to local contractors for you. Free, no pressure.