Roofing FAQs

Inland, a well-installed Colorbond roof can last 30–50 years. Beachfront, expect fixings and sealants to need attention from the 10–15 year mark, and the sheets themselves from 20–30 years. The roof fails piece by piece — fixings first — not all at once.

Rust stains around screw heads, screws backing out or spinning loose, leaks only in wind-driven rain, sheets rattling in wind, cracked washers visible at the edge, and brown streaks below fixing lines. A coastal roof past 12 years is due for an inspection regardless.

Class 4 (AS 3566) is the highest corrosion-resistance rating for roofing screws, designed for coastal environments. On the Northern Rivers we use Class 4 on every metal roof job — the cost difference is tiny and the lifespan difference is years.

Surface and cut-edge rust is treatable with a rust converter, marine primer and sealant. If rust has pitted through the sheet or there are pinholes, that sheet needs replacing. We photograph the roof and tell you honestly which sheets are which.

Wind-driven rain travels sideways and uphill, pushing past perished screw washers and cracked flashings that hold up in calm rain. If your roof only leaks when it's windy and wet, suspect the fixings or flashings.

Often, yes. Swarf is fine metal filings left from drilling or cutting that oxidise onto the coating and look like rust but sit on the surface. We clean swarf off and treat genuine rust separately — a lot of roofs are needlessly re-roofed because swarf was mistaken for rust.

If the tiles are sound, the underlay is intact and only the ridge mortar/pointing is cracking, repoint and rebed — it's a fraction of re-roofing and adds 10–15 years. Replace only when tiles are cracking across the field, underlay is perished, or the whole roof is at end of life.

A proper rebed and repoint with flexible pointing compound typically lasts 10–15 years on a coastal roof. Old rigid sand-and-cement pointing cracks much sooner, so upgrading to flexible pointing is a real improvement.

Yes. A single cracked or broken tile is the most affordable common repair (from $300, plus $50 per extra tile on the same visit). If several are broken or the ridge capping is also failing, a combined job is better value per tile.

Rebedding replaces the mortar base that the ridge caps sit on; repointing reseals the joint between cap and tile with a flexible compound. A full repoint usually includes rebedding where the old mortar has cracked or shifted.

It's not an emergency unless water is coming inside, but it won't fix itself and wind-driven rain will eventually get under the caps. Book a repoint before the next storm season rather than after a leak.

A building inspection gives the roof a brief visual glance as part of a whole-property overview. A roof report is a full roof-level inspection by a roofer — every fixing, flashing, valley and ridge is checked and photographed, with condition ratings, a priority list and itemised cost estimates.

Standard report $249, Pre-Purchase/Insurance $399, Large/Commercial $549. The fee is credited to any repairs you book within 30 days, so if you proceed with repairs the report effectively costs nothing.

It's better than refundable — it's credited in full to any repairs booked within 30 days of the report. If you don't proceed, you keep the full photo-documented report.

As a branded PDF within 48 hours of the inspection, with 30–60 annotated photos, condition ratings and itemised cost estimates.

It's strongly recommended for older or coastal homes. A pre-purchase roof report can reveal thousands in hidden issues — failed screws, cracked ridges, lap rust — that a standard building inspection often doesn't cover in detail.

Usually a seal or washer that holds under light load but fails under volume or wind-driven rain — a perished screw washer or cracked flashing are the usual culprits. A targeted repair usually fixes it.

Call us immediately on 0412 483 911. Move belongings away from the water entry point, place a bucket, and don't climb on the roof in the wet. We'll get a make-safe tarp up fast, then document the damage for insurance.

Check fixings (a pre-season screw check is the highest-value thing you can do on a 10+ year old coastal roof), clear gutters and valleys, check ridge capping and flashings, and trim overhanging branches. Save our number before you need it.

Many policies require reasonable maintenance. Documented annual maintenance (like a maintenance plan report) strengthens any future claim, and an insurer-ready roof report after a storm documents the damage clearly.

Make safe first — keep everyone clear, call us for an emergency tarp, then contact your insurer. Don't climb on a structurally compromised roof. We document everything for your claim.

Storm and leak call-outs are a priority. We aim to make-safe the same or next day across the Northern Rivers, weather permitting, then quote permanent repairs after inspection with an insurer-ready report.

Because an honest price requires seeing the roof. Phone quotes are guesses that either get revised up or pad in margin. We inspect, photograph and give you a fixed itemised quote — no surprises either way.

Broken tile replacement from $300 (+$50 per extra tile), gutter cleaning from $300, leak repairs from $350, gutter/valley work from $300, rust treatment from $400, tile repointing from $2,000, metal re-screws from $2,000, storm tarping from $500, and roof reports from $249. See our full cost guide for detail.

From $2,000 with Class 4 coastal fixings, depending on roof size, pitch, storeys and access. A re-screw covers the whole roof, not just one slope.

From $2,000 for a full repoint and rebed on a standard home — a fraction of re-roofing — and it adds 10–15 years of life.

Slightly, because coastal work should use Class 4 fixings and coastal-grade sealants. They cost a little more but last far longer near the surf — a cheap repair with the wrong materials costs more over time.

Use our Book a Roof Report page — choose your tier, tell us about the roof, upload photos, pick a preferred inspection date and time, and pay online or on the day. We confirm by phone or email.

Both. When booking a roof report you can pay securely online via Stripe at checkout, or choose 'Pay on the day' and settle with the roofer at the inspection by card or cash.

Lennox Head, Skennars Head, East Ballina, Ballina, Cumbalum, Byron Bay, Suffolk Park, Bangalow, Alstonville, Wollongbar, Lismore, Evans Head, Brunswick Heads and the wider Northern Rivers, plus planned work on the Tweed Coast (Kingscliff and Tweed Heads) and pressure cleaning and small repairs on the southern Gold Coast, booked ahead. See our Areas page for the full list.

Every 1–2 years for most coastal homes, and annually for beachfront roofs or roofs 10+ years old; inland, every 2–3 years. On older roofs near the surf, ask for the fixings to be checked specifically. Our annual maintenance plan bundles the inspection with clearing and minor fixes.

Yes — fully insured, ABN 96 521 834 569, with a written workmanship warranty on every job. All work is photo-documented before and after.