Ottawa homeowner could be waiting up to 16 months for Derecho storm repairs

Eight months after a massive tree fell on her house in Kanata, Kaitlin Heron is still waiting for repairs.

Her roof and deck were destroyed by a tree, which broke her deck and left multiple holes in the roof.

"There was like a huge crack and the tree just fell entirely on my house. It completely shattered the deck. The roof has been broken in multiple spots," Heron said.

"So there's one main giant hole, right between the two bedrooms. There's a lot of water damage."

Heron is worried that the original repair quote of $16,000 will not be enough to cover the cost of the repairs.

"They maybe quoted about $16,000 of damage. So if I were to go out and get my own contractor at this point, it won't cost $16,000. It'll probably cost upwards of $25 to $30,000," Heron said.

Part of the delay is that Heron must use contractors approved by her insurance company, Aviva Canada. 

In a statement, Aviva said, "We are sorry for the delay and understand how frustrating this is for our customer. Many trades, including local roofers contracted to do the repair work, are facing labour shortages and backlog from increased volumes following severe weather events. The contracted vendor is doing their best to expedite the repair timeline and are following up with our customer."

The company doing the repairs, Belfor Property Restoration, also cited industry-wide delays. 

"We, like many industries, have been managing ever-changing supply chain issues, labour shortages and longer queues. Our goal is to continue to help get our customers back up and running as efficiently as possible," said a Belfor spokesperson.

"I'm stuck with who they've selected. I'm stuck with the quote that they've been given," Heron said. 

For now, the repair company has temporarily covered the hole in her roof with a tarp for the winter, but Heron could be waiting another eight months for a full repair. 

"I think they said Fall; Fall of this year. So it'll be anywhere between September, I guess, and November. Someone will hopefully come and fix my house," Heron said.