How much does a roof replacement cost in Brisbane?

The honest answer is that it depends on your roof, and anyone who gives you a firm price without looking at it is guessing. What we can do is explain exactly what drives the cost, so you can read a quote properly and compare quotes fairly.

The main things that set the price

Roof size

Most of the cost scales with the area of the roof in square metres, not the floor area of the house. Eaves, verandahs and the pitch of the roof all add area. A single-storey brick home and a two-storey home with the same floor area can have very different roof areas.

What is coming off

Removing an old metal roof is quicker than removing concrete tiles. Tiles are heavy and slow to strip and take away, and a tile roof often needs different batten spacing for metal sheets. If the old roof contains asbestos, it must be removed by licensed people, which is a separate cost.

Pitch and height

Steep roofs and two-storey homes need more safety equipment, such as scaffolding and edge protection, and they take longer to work on. Safety setup is part of the job, so it is part of the price.

Shape: hips, valleys and penetrations

A simple gable roof is the quickest to replace. Every hip, valley, skylight, vent and chimney adds flashing work and time. Two roofs with the same area can take very different amounts of labour.

Access

If materials can be delivered close to the house and the old roof can go straight into a skip, the job runs faster. Tight blocks, steep driveways and limited room for a skip add time.

What you choose to add

Sarking or an insulation blanket under the sheets, new gutters and downpipes, and replacing fascia are common additions. They are worth considering while the old roof is off, because it is the easiest time to do them.

A worked example of how a quote is built

The numbers below are made up for illustration only. They are not Top Tin prices and they are not a quote. They exist to show how the pieces of a quote fit together.

Assumptions for the example:

• A single-storey home with 180 square metres of roof
• An old concrete tile roof being replaced with Colorbond
• An assumed combined rate of $X per square metre for removal, battens, sheets and fixing
• 4 valleys, each priced as a separate item
• An insulation blanket added as an option

Change any one assumption and the total moves. A steeper roof increases the safety setup. More valleys increase the valley line. Choosing no blanket removes that line. That is why a proper quote is itemised: you can see where the money goes and what changes if you change the scope.

How to compare quotes fairly

When you have two or three quotes, check that each one covers the same work:

1. Removal and disposal of the old roof
2. Batten checks and any batten replacement
3. Sarking or insulation, and which product
4. New flashings, ridge capping and valley iron
5. Gutters and downpipes, if you need them
6. Scaffolding and edge protection
7. Clean up at the end
8. The payment terms

A cheaper quote that leaves out battens or flashings can end up costing more once the work starts. Also check that the contractor holds a current licence. You can search any Queensland licence on the QBCC register.

Getting a real number for your roof

The fastest way to know what your roof will cost is to have it looked at. We come out, measure up, check the access and the structure, and send you a written quote that sets out the scope and the price. It is free and there is no obligation.