Gutters in L’Assomption | Bylaw 304-2015 Compliant
Water falling from a roof in L’Assomption does not land on neutral ground. The MRC land-use plan describes an area of unconsolidated deposits—sand and clay left by the former Champlain Sea—that may cause ground movement, and identifies “the concentration of water toward a slope” among the interventions that can compromise slope stability. A downspout discharging at the base of a wall therefore does more than soak the lawn: it loads working soil at a single point. And here, the City has set out in black and white where that water must go.
Bylaw 304-2015, Article 64: Where a Downspout Must Discharge
Where a downspout discharges is not a matter of preference here. The City’s construction bylaw—Bylaw No. 304-2015—addresses stormwater drainage in Article 64. It establishes two conditions that go together.
First, roof stormwater discharged through gutters or a downspout must be directed onto a permeable surface: lawn, a planting bed, soil that absorbs water—not a concrete slab or an asphalt driveway. Second, the downspout must extend at least 2 meters from the foundation wall, without extending beyond the street right-of-way.
These two conditions can quickly conflict on a property, and that is what determines where the outlets go. A corner of a house tight against a paved driveway offers no permeable surface at the end of the extension: the downspout must be moved along the façade or relocated to another side. On a front façade close to the street, the right-of-way arrives too quickly. The answer is found on the ground, not on the roof—which is why the building should be assessed before a quote is prepared.
The article also provides for cases where this discharge is impossible; the conditions that then apply are set out in the bylaw. The text cited here comes from the administrative consolidation published by the City, which itself notes that the official version is kept by its Clerk’s Division: for your address, confirm with the City before starting work. There is another reason to do so: the City’s sewer network includes sanitary, storm and combined sewers, and what runs in front of one house does not necessarily run in front of the next.
The Local Housing Stock and What It Requires
The 2021 census describes a wholly low-rise housing stock: of 9,210 dwellings, 5,495 are single-detached houses, and none are in a building of five storeys or more. Everything can therefore be handled at a practical scale: outlets, joints and fascia can be visually inspected everywhere, and a contractor has no excuse not to go up and look.
The same source counts 1,995 dwellings in buildings of fewer than five storeys. These buildings have longer roof slopes for the same number of downspouts, often on tighter lots: more water to drain, with less ground space available to meet the extension requirement onto a permeable surface. The number of downspouts must be determined roof area by roof area, never façade by façade.
The age of the housing stock matters just as much. Also in the 2021 census (sample data), 1,045 dwellings date from 1960 or earlier and 1,895 from 1961 to 1980. On these buildings, the fascia has been drilled and re-drilled by several generations of gutters, and the wood behind the aluminum does not always have enough material left to hold a screw: that must be checked before discussing sizing. Where the roof area feeding one outlet is large—a valley, an L-shaped roof, a long slope—upgrading to 6-inch gutters with a larger downspout solves overflow better than adding another gutter.
Our Services in L’Assomption
Gutter Installation
Seamless gutters formed on site, with outlets positioned according to actual roof areas.
Full Replacement
Removal of the old system and installation on sound fascia.
Repair
Separated joints, sagging sections, torn-off elbows: what can be repaired gets repaired.
Gutter Guards
Alu-Rex ÉLITE installer. Leaf guards limit what gets in; they do not replace a missing outlet.
Cleaning
Gutters and elbows cleared, with drainage checked all the way to the ground-level outlet.
Soffits and Fascia
The gutter support is rebuilt before the gutter, not after.
What We Check On Site
| Point | What We Look At |
|---|---|
| Fascia | Strength of the wood behind the aluminum, water marks, and previously drilled fastening points. |
| Slope | Direction and consistency of drainage toward each outlet; water remaining in the gutter after rainfall. |
| Outlets | Number and placement in relation to concentrated roof areas: valleys, inside corners, and long slopes. |
| Ground clearance | Actual extension length from the foundation wall, the nature of the surface receiving the water, and the ground slope at that location. |
Contact Us
Gouttières et Revêtements Synergy is based at 580 Chem. de Lavaltrie, local 103, Lavaltrie QC J5T 0H1. We hold RBQ licence 5723-4940-01, are Alu-Rex ÉLITE Installer, CAA-Québec Recommended and APCHQ Certified.