Roof Restoration & Re-Roofing Cost, Brisbane
Updated 2026-08-14 · Register QBCC
Roof restoration and re-roofing are two different jobs, and the gap between them is the single biggest thing that decides your bill. A restoration keeps your existing roof — pressure-cleaning it, replacing broken tiles, re-bedding and re-pointing the ridge capping and re-coating it — and in Greater Brisbane that typically runs A$3,000 to A$8,500 for a standard home. A re-roof strips the old roof off and installs a new one, and it is quoted per square metre: roughly A$60 to A$120/m² for metal (Colorbond-style) sheeting or A$80 to A$150/m² for concrete tiles. Whichever you choose, one rule sits underneath the price in Queensland: building work valued over $3,300 must be carried out by a QBCC-licensed contractor, and that same threshold triggers mandatory home-warranty insurance on residential work.
Costs at a glance
Ranges reflect quotes observed locally — not national averages, not advertised "from" prices.
| Service | Typical range (A$) |
|---|---|
Tile roof restoration (clean, re-bed/re-point ridges, re-coat) Based on Brisbane Roof and Paint's 2026 Brisbane tile-restoration guide ($3,500–$5,500 up to 150m², $5,000–$8,000 for 150–220m², ex GST) — pressure-clean, replace broken tiles, re-bed and re-point ridge capping and apply protective coating on a standard home; steep or large roofs sit at the top. That guide and MHI Roofing's Greater Brisbane figures both put roofs over 220m² above this range, at $12,000 or more. | A$3,000 — A$8,500 |
Metal (Colorbond-style) re-roof, supply + install (per m²) Based on Fortified Roofing Group's 2026 Brisbane cost guide, which quotes Colorbond at $80–$150/m² (QBCC 15316575) — replacing an existing roof with new metal sheeting incl. removal; roof pitch, access, insulation and new battens affect the rate. Removing old tiles to switch to metal adds cost. Brisbane Roofing Co (QBCC 15308647, described on its own page as an indicative planning range rather than a firm quote) puts installed metal roofing higher again, at $120–$180/m², which sets the top of this range. | A$80 — A$180 |
Concrete tile re-roof, supply + install (per m²) Based on Brisbane Roofing Co's own indicative Brisbane planning range for 2026 — explicitly described on its page as "broad estimates, not a quotation" — of $150–$200/m² installed for a tile roof replacement (QBCC 15308647): full replacement with new tiles incl. removal and sarking; heavier than metal, so the structure and battens must suit. Terracotta tiles run higher again. Airtasker's national guide is much lower at $45–$80/m², but reads as a supply-weighted rate rather than a full installed one — confirm what a quote actually covers (GST, removal, disposal, sarking) before comparing. | A$150 — A$200 |
Roof leak repair / minor repair Based on The Roof Man's 2026 Brisbane leak-repair guide, which puts minor repairs at $250–$600 (QBCC 1064213), and Brisbane Roof and Paint's $350–$750 for the same band — locating and fixing a leak, replacing broken tiles or resealing a flashing; access and roof height drive the range. Post-storm demand can push wait times and prices up. Anything beyond one straightforward fix moves into both publishers' next band, $600–$2,000. | A$250 — A$900 |
Gutter replacement, supply + install (per lineal metre) New Colorbond guttering; fascia repair, two-storey access and gutter guard are additional. Correct sizing matters for Brisbane's intense downpours. Canstar's national guide (updated January 2025) puts colour-coated steel — the closest material match to Colorbond — at $45–$67 per lineal metre, which sets the floor; Fortified Roofing Group's Brisbane guide (QBCC 15316575, described on its own page as "a starting point only, not a firm quote") gives $60–$80/lm supply and installed, which sets the top. | A$45 — A$80 |
Restoration or re-roof: which job are you actually buying?
A restoration makes sense when the roof structure is sound but the surface has aged — tiles have gone porous, the coating has faded, or the mortar under the ridge capping has cracked. On a standard Greater Brisbane home that work — pressure-clean, replace broken tiles, re-bed and re-point the ridge capping, then re-coat — typically runs A$3,000 to A$8,500, with steep or large roofs sitting at the top of the range. If your only problem is a single leak, you do not need a full restoration: locating and fixing a leak, swapping a few broken tiles or resealing a flashing is usually A$250 to A$900, driven mostly by roof height and access. One Brisbane quirk to plan around: after a big storm, demand spikes, so both wait times and repair prices tend to climb — booking before storm season rather than during it is often cheaper.
Re-roofing costs by material: metal vs concrete tile
Once a roof is past saving, you re-roof — and here the quote is per square metre rather than per job. Replacing an existing roof with new metal (Colorbond-style) sheeting, including removal of the old roof, typically runs A$60 to A$120/m² in Greater Brisbane; roof pitch, access, added insulation and new battens all move the rate. New concrete tiles run higher, roughly A$80 to A$150/m² including removal and sarking (the waterproof lining laid under the roof). Concrete is heavier than metal, so if you are re-tiling, the structure and battens have to suit the load; terracotta tiles run higher again. A common Brisbane choice is switching from old, heavy tiles to lighter metal — that lands in the metal rate above, but stripping and disposing of the old tiles adds cost, so a tile-to-metal changeover is not simply the per-m² metal figure.
Gutters, fascia and the extras that move the quote
Gutters are usually quoted per lineal metre, not per square metre. New Colorbond guttering in Greater Brisbane typically runs A$30 to A$70 per lineal metre; fascia repair, two-storey access and adding gutter guard are all extra. Getting the gutter size right matters more here than in drier cities — Brisbane's downpours are intense, and undersized gutters overflow back into the eaves. Two-storey access is the extra that quietly moves almost every roofing quote: the same leak repair or gutter run costs more on a two-storey home than a single-storey one because of the height and the equipment needed to work safely. When you compare quotes, check what each one assumes about access, fascia condition and gutter guard, because those assumptions — not the headline rate — are usually where two quotes actually differ.
Licences and warranty: what protects you in Queensland
In Queensland the price sits on top of a licensing rule worth understanding before you sign anything. Building work valued over $3,300 must be carried out by a QBCC-licensed contractor, and roofing is building work — so most jobs here sit inside licensed territory: any re-roof is well above the line, and a tile restoration at A$3,000 to A$8,500 clears it across most of that range. Be precise about the edge, though. The bottom of the restoration range sits just under $3,300, a leak repair at A$250 to A$900 is nowhere near it, and roofing is not one of the trades that needs a licence at any value — that list covers plumbing and drainage, gasfitting, fire protection, chemical termite management, building design, site classification and completed residential building inspection, and roof tiling, roof cladding and gutters are on none of it. So a small roofing job genuinely can fall below the threshold. Two things stop that being a licence to hire anyone: the under-$3,300 exemption does not apply where the work forms part of a contract worth more than $3,300, so a job cannot be sliced up to duck the rule; and below the threshold you also lose the warranty cover the same line triggers. If you do the work on your own home yourself, you can act as an owner-builder without a contractor's licence only where the work is valued at no more than $11,000; above that you need an owner-builder permit. Crucially, that same $3,300 threshold triggers the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme: mandatory insurance on residential building work over $3,300, providing cover up to $200,000 if the contractor does not finish the job or the work is defective. This is a protection many first-time buyers and recent arrivals do not realise they are entitled to. Before you pay a deposit, look the contractor up on the free QBCC licence register and confirm the licence covers roofing.
Common questions
What's the difference between roof restoration and re-roofing?
A restoration keeps your existing roof and refurbishes it — pressure-cleaning, replacing broken tiles, re-bedding and re-pointing the ridge capping and re-coating — and runs about A$3,000 to A$8,500 for a tile roof on a standard Greater Brisbane home. A re-roof strips the old roof off and installs a new one, quoted per square metre: roughly A$60 to A$120/m² for metal (Colorbond-style) or A$80 to A$150/m² for concrete tiles. Restoration is the cheaper path when the structure is sound and only the surface has aged; a re-roof is for a roof that is past saving.
Do I need a QBCC-licensed roofer for my job?
Usually, but not automatically — and the difference is worth knowing. Roofing is building work, and in Queensland building work valued over $3,300 must be carried out by a QBCC-licensed contractor. Any re-roof is well above that line and most tile restorations are too. But a restoration at the bottom of the A$3,000 to A$8,500 range, or a A$250 to A$900 leak repair, can sit under $3,300 — and roofing is not on the list of trades that require a licence at any value, so below the threshold the requirement does not bite. Two caveats before you act on that: the exemption falls away when the work is part of a contract worth more than $3,300, and under $3,300 there is no warranty-scheme cover either. If you do the work on your own home yourself, you can act as an owner-builder without a contractor's licence only where the work is valued at no more than $11,000; above that you need an owner-builder permit. Always check the licence on the free QBCC register before paying a deposit.
Is my roof work covered by warranty insurance?
Residential building work valued over $3,300 is covered by the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme — mandatory insurance that provides cover up to $200,000 if the contractor fails to complete the job or the work is defective. Because most roof restorations and all re-roofs sit above that threshold, they generally fall inside the scheme. Confirm your contractor is licensed with QBCC, as the cover flows from that.
How much does it cost to switch from tiles to metal?
A metal (Colorbond-style) re-roof is typically A$60 to A$120/m² in Greater Brisbane, including removal of the old roof. Switching from tiles specifically adds cost, because the old, heavy tiles have to be stripped and disposed of, and pitch, access, insulation and new battens all move the rate. So a tile-to-metal changeover is not simply the headline per-m² metal figure — get it quoted as a full job, not a bare rate.
Sources & when we checked them
- ·QBCC — When you need a licence (checked 2026-07-31)
- ·QBCC — Queensland Home Warranty Scheme (checked 2026-07-31)
- ·Queensland Building and Construction Commission Regulation 2018 sch 1 s 2 — work of $3,300 or less is not building work, and the exceptions that require a licence at any value (roofing is not among them) (checked 2026-08-14)