Nelson Roofing & Sheet Metal is an RCABC roofing contractor based on Vancouver Island. We have been doing roofing and sheet metal work since 1980, and over the years we have had our work featured in trade publications including RCABC Roofing BC magazine, Canadian Roofing magazine, and SABMag (Sustainable Architecture and Building Magazine). Most of that coverage traces back to one project: the VIU Shellfish Research Centre in Deep Bay.

What It Means to Be an RCABC Roofing Contractor

RCABC stands for the Roofing Contractors Association of BC. It is a third-party accreditation that means a building owner can look us up and know we have met specific standards for insurance, training, safety practices, and warranty fulfillment. If something goes wrong on your roof, an RCABC contractor is accountable to the association. That accountability carries weight on commercial projects where the building owner and their architect are looking for contractors with a verifiable track record.

On the residential side, RCABC accreditation is not a requirement, but homeowners ask about it once they understand what it means. It tells them that whoever is climbing onto their roof has been vetted to the same standard as the contractors working on schools and hospitals.

The VIU Shellfish Research Centre and Why It Got Attention

The project that drew the most press was the VIU Shellfish Research Centre at Deep Bay. The building required 13,200 square feet of curved metal roof using a radius seam system. We curved the panels on site over structural timber ribs. The site is remote, which added its own layer of logistics. When the project was complete, it won the 2011 Metalmag Architectural Award in the Roofing Category. The architect was McFarland Marceau Architecture. Trade publications covering architectural sheet metal work came to that project because it showed what is possible when the fabrication and the installation are both done in-house on a technically demanding site.

Other Projects That Have Defined Our Work

The Shellfish Centre is the project most people have read about, but it sits alongside a range of work that covers the full scope of what we do.

The North Island Hospitals Project is the largest contract in our history. The combined roof area across the Campbell River and Comox Valley hospital builds came to 776,700 square feet. The Comox Valley Hospital in Courtenay accounted for 428,700 square feet; the Campbell River Hospital added 348,000 square feet. Work on a healthcare facility means multi-ply membrane roofs, extensive insulation, mechanical penthouses, heliport structures, and strict infection-control standards on every phase.

North Island College's Student Housing Commons in Courtenay is our flagship recent project. Two four-storey mass-timber buildings, 217 beds, 106,868 square feet total. Materials went up by crane. The custom metal cladding panels and mechanical enclosures were fabricated in our own shop, and the job took Subcontractor of the Year at the 2026 VICA Awards.

Berwick by the Sea in Campbell River is a 65,000 square foot oceanfront seniors residence. Roofing plus custom metal cladding for the balconies, soffits, and parapets. L'ecole Au-coeur-de-l'ile in Comox, a francophone school, added 48,438 square feet of roofing and architectural cladding, with custom flashings and parapet caps we fabricated ourselves.

Why We Operate the Way We Do

We work from offices in the Comox Valley, Campbell River, and Powell River. The geography matters. Island and coastal work means coordinating around ferries, barges, remote access, salt exposure, and winter rain. We have roofed historic venues, First Nation landmarks, oceanfront seniors residences, waterfront pavilions, and field offices reached by logging road. The logistics change. The standard for how the roof performs does not.

Our press coverage reflects work we are proud of. The accreditation reflects how we operate every day, on projects that never end up in a magazine.

To talk through a project, call 250-336-8088. Free estimates come with a detailed list of the work to be done and the materials we recommend.