How Roof Repairs Are Priced

There is no published price list on this site, because an honest figure depends on what is wrong with your roof and how it is built. A cracked tile on a single-storey home in Edwardstown and a rusted box gutter between parapets on a two-storey villa in North Adelaide are very different jobs. The roof is inspected first, the quote is written and itemised, and nothing starts until you approve it. What changes the price is the type of repair, the tile or sheet type and whether it can be matched, the metres of ridge capping involved, the number of valleys and flashings, the height and pitch of the roof, the access and any scaffold or edge protection required, and whether you are near the coast or in the Hills.

A proper quote reads like a list of jobs rather than a single figure. It sets out the roof area and pitch as measured, the number of tiles or sheets to be replaced, the lineal metres of ridge and hip capping to be rebedded and repointed, each valley and flashing to be replaced or resealed, cleaning and any moss treatment, the coating system with the number of coats and whether a primer is included, gutters and downpipes if they are part of the job, the scaffold or edge protection required, waste removal, the workmanship warranty stated in writing, the licence number and insurance details. If a quote you have been given is missing any of those lines, ask for them in writing before comparing it with anyone else's.

Almost always because the quotes describe different amounts of work. One roofer has priced a clean and a coat. Another has walked the roof, counted the cracked tiles, measured the ridge capping, found a rusted valley and priced all of it. A third has quoted from an aerial photo without climbing up. The higher quote is often the one that has found the faults. Other honest reasons include the coating system chosen, whether scaffold is included, whether gutters are cleaned or replaced, and how much waste removal is allowed for. Before you look at the totals, line the quotes up item by item and make the scopes match. Where one quote leaves something out, ask why, and check the answer against what the other roofers found.

Any deposit or progress payment should be set out in the written quote or contract before you agree to anything, and it should be tied to stages of the work rather than demanded up front. In South Australia, building work above a certain contract value must be covered by a written contract under the Building Work Contractors Act, and a full restoration or replacement often falls into that category. Be cautious of anyone who wants a large cash deposit on the day, particularly door-knockers after a storm. A licensed roofer will give you the quote, the licence number and the payment terms in writing, and you can take the time to read them before work is scheduled.

For work above a certain contract value, yes. The Building Work Contractors Act requires a written contract that sets out the parties, the scope of work, the price, the payment schedule and the timeframe, and full restorations, re-roofs and replacements often fall above that threshold. This site does not quote the exact figure because it is set by legislation and can change. For smaller repairs, a written, itemised quote that you approve before work starts serves the same purpose of putting the agreement on paper. Read the variations clause, check that deposits and progress payments are tied to stages of work, and keep a copy. A contractor who says a written contract is unnecessary on a large job is asking you to carry the risk.