Roof replacement cost in Australia
A re-roof runs $85–$140 per m² in concrete tile or $130–$210 in Colorbond — around $18,000 to $45,000 for a typical Australian home. Asphalt shingles barely exist here, and on a pre-1987 house asbestos is the cost that matters most.
What a roof replacement costs in Australia
Australian re-roofing is a choice between two materials in practice: concrete or terracotta tile, and steel. Asphalt shingles — the default in American cost guides — account for well under 1% of Australian re-roofing work, and imported product usually costs more per square metre than concrete tile once freight and the small specialist installer pool are accounted for.
Installed 2026 pricing, including strip-off of the existing roof:
- Concrete tile re-roof — roughly $85 to $140 per m², with some quotes running to $180
- Colorbond steel re-roof — roughly $130 to $210 per m², with complex or two-storey jobs to $250
- Terracotta tile — sits above concrete, at the premium end
Most Australian homes have between 150 and 250m² of roof area, which puts a standard replacement somewhere around $18,000 to $45,000. Labour accounts for roughly 40 to 50% of the total regardless of which material you choose.
Roof area is not house footprint. Pitch and overhang mean the actual roof surface is meaningfully larger than the ground floor plan — estimating from the footprint can throw your figure out by 15 to 40%. If you're sanity-checking a quote, make sure you're comparing the same area.
What sits on top of the per-metre rate
A re-roofing quote covers more than sheets or tiles, and the supporting items add up fast:
- Removal and disposal of the old roof — $20 to $50 per m². Tile costs more to strip and cart than metal, simply because of weight and volume.
- Sarking and insulation — $2,000 to $5,000, and often required for compliance rather than optional.
- Battens or structural repairs — $1,500 to $3,000 where existing timber needs replacing.
- Scaffolding and height safety — $2,000 to $8,000, with two-storey at the top of that range.
- Flashings and capping — $1,000 to $3,000 depending on roof complexity.
- Gutters and downpipes, if replaced at the same time — $1,500 to $4,500.
That last one is usually worth doing together — see our guttering cost guide for what that adds. The scaffolding is already up, the roofer is already there, and doing it later means paying for access twice.
The pre-1987 trap
This is the largest single cost risk in Australian re-roofing, and it applies to a great many homes.
Asbestos cement was widely used in Australian construction until the late 1980s, including in roofing and roof-adjacent materials. On pre-1987 housing stock, a re-roof can turn into an asbestos abatement job, which is licensed work with strict handling and disposal requirements.
The cost impact is substantial. Licensed disposal to an approved waste facility runs in the hundreds of dollars per cubic metre, and published figures put the total abatement uplift on a 240m² re-roof somewhere in the range of $7,500 to $16,500 depending on the state.
If your home is from that era, establish what's up there before you accept a quote. A roofing quote that doesn't mention asbestos on a 1970s house isn't a cheaper quote — it's an incomplete one.
Tile or Colorbond?
The honest comparison isn't just price per square metre.
Weight matters structurally. Steel is far lighter than tile. Replacing a tile roof with metal can avoid framing upgrades, because you're reducing the load rather than maintaining it. Going the other way — metal to tile — can require structural work to carry the extra weight.
Longevity differs. Metal roofing commonly lasts 40 to 50 years; concrete tile typically 30 to 40 before replacement, though tiles can be individually replaced when damaged in a way sheet metal can't.
Installation speed favours steel. Continuous sheets go on faster than individual tiles, which reduces labour, and fewer joints means fewer potential leak points.
Coastal proximity changes the specification. Within a few hundred metres of breaking surf, standard steel isn't appropriate — there are marine-grade Colorbond products specifically engineered for severe coastal environments. If you're near the water, ask which grade is being quoted, not just which colour.
Roofing here is governed by wind classification (AS 4055), and in bushfire-prone areas by BAL construction requirements (AS 3959). Sarking and batten fixing have their own standards. In cyclonic regions the uplift requirements add real cost. A quote that specifies to these standards is a quote from someone who intends to comply with them.
Getting quotes on a job you can't inspect
Roofing has a particular problem: you can't see the work. Most homeowners never get onto their own roof, before or after, which makes this a category where verification matters more than usual.
Ask for the scope in writing, itemised. Strip-off and disposal, sarking, battens, flashings, capping, gutters, scaffolding, and what standards the work is to. A lump sum tells you nothing about what's included.
Confirm licensing and insurance. Roofing is high-risk work at height. Check the contractor holds current licensing for your state and appropriate insurance.
Ask what happens to the old material and where it goes. On any strip-out job this should be explicit, and on a potential asbestos job it's non-negotiable.
Get into the roof space afterwards, or have someone do it. It's the one part of the job you can actually inspect, and debris left on top of ceiling insulation is a common and expensive thing to discover late. We cover a real example of exactly that in our insurance repairs guide.
If a dispute does arise, our guide to NSW building disputes explains the process.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a roof in Australia?
Roughly $85 to $140 per m² for a concrete tile re-roof and $130 to $210 per m² for Colorbond steel, both including strip-off of the existing roof. For a typical 150 to 250m² Australian roof, that's around $18,000 to $45,000 in total.
Are asphalt shingles used in Australia?
Rarely — they account for well under 1% of Australian re-roofing work. Imported shingles typically cost more per square metre than concrete tile here once freight and the small specialist installer pool are factored in. In Australia the real choice is tile versus steel.
Is Colorbond better than tile?
It's lighter, which can avoid structural upgrades when replacing tile, it installs faster with fewer leak points, and it commonly lasts 40 to 50 years against 30 to 40 for concrete tile. Tile has the advantage that individual tiles can be replaced when damaged. Near the coast, ask specifically about marine-grade steel.
What if my house has asbestos?
On pre-1987 Australian homes it's a real possibility, and it's the biggest cost risk in re-roofing. Abatement is licensed work with strict handling and disposal requirements, and published figures put the uplift on a 240m² re-roof at roughly $7,500 to $16,500. Establish what's there before accepting any quote.
Should I replace the gutters at the same time?
Usually yes. Gutters and downpipes run $1,500 to $4,500 as part of a re-roof, and doing them later means paying for scaffolding and access a second time.
Sources & further reading
- Australian per-square-metre roofing pricing cross-checked against 2026 published data from Australian roofing contractors and trade sources, including RoofingCalculatorHQ, Infinite Roofing, AMJ Metal Roofing and Yellow Pages trade guides.
- Roofing in Australia is subject to wind classification under AS 4055 and, in bushfire-prone areas, construction requirements under AS 3959. Requirements vary by site.
- Asbestos identification, removal and disposal is licensed work in all Australian states and territories. Costs cited are published industry figures and vary considerably by state and site.
- This guide is general information about roofing costs and does not relate to any specific project or dispute.
These figures are planning estimates, not quotes — read how we build our ranges, then confirm real costs with local, itemised quotes.