What a roof replacement actually involves
A replacement is a strip and re-sheet. The old tiles or sheeting come off, the battens and sarking are inspected and replaced where they need it, new sarking goes down, and a new roof goes on over the top. It is the only fix that addresses the layer under the surface, which is exactly why it is the answer when that layer is the problem.
Most replacements around here go back on as Colorbond steel rather than tile, and the main reason is weight. Steel is a fraction of the load of concrete tile, so it suits an older frame, and it goes on faster, which means fewer days with your roof open. Tile can be replaced with tile where that matters to you for the look of the street.
How we do it
Inspect, then measure up
Into the roof space first. What we find in the battens and sarking is what decides whether you need this at all.
Quote and choose the roof
Profile, colour and insulation, priced in writing. Colorbond colours are worth seeing against your walls, not on a screen.
Strip and remove the old roof
Old roof off and removed from site. This is when the frame is fully visible for the first time.
Repair the frame, re-sark
Damaged battens and rafters replaced, then new sarking. Skipping this is how a new roof sweats and drips.
Sheet, flash and seal
New roof laid, then the flashings, ridge, valleys and penetrations. Most leaks in a new roof start at these, not the sheets.
Replacement is the honest answer when
- Battens or sarking have rotted, so there is nothing sound to fix a new surface to
- The roof leaks in several places rather than one
- Metal sheeting has corroded through, usually starting at the fasteners
- Tiles are delaminating or crumbling rather than simply dirty
- The roof has already been coated more than once and is due again
When you do not need a new roof yet
- The tiles are sound and only a few are cracked or slipped
- It is the ridge capping mortar that has failed, not the roof itself
- The surface has gone chalky but the roof is not leaking through
- One valley or flashing has failed and the rest of the roof is fine
Those are restoration or repair jobs at a fraction of the cost. If that is what your roof needs, that is what we will quote you for.
What does a roof replacement cost in Newcastle?
A full strip and re-sheet on a standard single-storey Newcastle home generally starts around the mid teens of thousands and climbs from there. It is a genuine range rather than a hedge, and the spread comes from roof size, pitch, access, how much of the frame needs replacing once the roof is off, and whether you are going back on in steel or tile.
Two things move the number most. The first is access: a steep two-storey roof, a tight block or no room for a skip and a crane adds real cost before a single sheet goes on. The second is what is found underneath, because nobody can see the battens properly until the old roof is off.
That second point is why we quote a provisional allowance for frame repairs rather than pretending we can see through tiles. You get a written price with that allowance stated up front, and if less of the frame needs work than allowed for, you are not charged for work that did not happen.
Replacing a roof near the water
Distance from the surf changes what should go on your roof. Within a few streets of the beach at Merewether, Redhead, Bar Beach or Stockton, standard steel is the wrong specification and the fasteners will tell you so within a few years. There are coastal grades made for exactly this, and the manufacturers publish minimum distances from breaking surf for each one. Ask any roofer quoting your replacement which grade they have allowed for and how far from the water they think you are. A quote that cannot answer that is priced on the wrong material.
Common questions
How long does a roof replacement take?
Most single-storey homes run about one to two weeks on site, longer for a large or complicated roof, and longer again if the weather does not cooperate. The roof is only fully open for part of that, and the work is staged so it can be made watertight at the end of each day.
Can I stay in the house while the roof is replaced?
Almost always yes. It is noisy and dusty, particularly on the day the old roof comes off, and you will want anything fragile off the walls and out of the roof space. But people generally stay put.
Should I replace tile with tile, or change to Colorbond?
Colorbond is lighter, faster to install and simpler to maintain, which is why most replacements go that way. Tile suits you if you want to keep the look, are in a street where it matters, or prefer the thermal mass. We will price both if you want to compare them properly.
Do I need council approval to replace my roof?
A like for like replacement is usually exempt development, but changing the roof profile, pitch or material can change that, and heritage or conservation areas have their own rules. Check with your council before you commit, and we will tell you at the quote if we think yours is one to check.
Will a new roof make the house hotter or colder?
It changes with the insulation and sarking more than with the roof material itself. A replacement is the one and only easy opportunity to get insulation right, because the frame is open. It is worth spending a little of the budget there rather than all of it on the colour.
Related services
Colorbond steel roofing, supplied and installed. Lighter than tile, quick to install, and it holds up well to the salt air along the coast.
Learn morePressure clean, re-bed and re-point the ridge capping, replace broken tiles, then a coating system. Typically buys another 10 to 15 years out of a sound tile roof.
Learn moreSlipped and cracked tiles, failed pointing, rusted valley irons and flashing. We find what is actually causing the problem rather than patching the wet patch.
Learn more
Thinking about roof replacement?
We will come and look at the roof, photograph what we find and put a price in writing. Free, across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.