$400 to $2.4K
One tile, one flashing, one ridge cap. Half-day job.
$3.5K to $12K
One face of the roof, or one structurally separate section.
3
Full re-roof (Colorbond)
$18K to $32K
Whole roof, metal sheets, modern home, no heritage overlay.
$35K to $55K
Heritage-match terracotta in Paddington, Spring Hill, New Farm, etc.
### Patch repair: $400 to $2,400
One thing went wrong. A tile cracked, a flashing started leaking, or a bird took out a chunk of your ridge cap. This is a half-day job for an experienced roofer, and most patch quotes I see come in between $500 and $1,200.
The upper end usually means trickier access. Steep slate, two-storey Queenslander, or a wraparound verandah eating the only safe ladder spot.
#### One word of warning
If a roofer looks at a single leak and tells you the only option is a $28,000 full re-roof, get a second opinion. The gap between "$1,200 patch" and "full replacement" is enormous, and I've seen plenty of homeowners pay for full re-roofs when a patch and a flashing reseal would have done the job.
### Section replacement: $3,500 to $12,000
One face of the roof, or one structurally separate section, needs to go. This is the most common storm-damage outcome I get called out to: a hailstorm dents up the north face but the south face is fine.
#### What's included
The job covers strip-off, new battens where the timber's gone soft, new sheets or tiles, and reseating all flashings on the boundary between the new section and the old roof.
### Full re-roof (Colorbond): $18,000 to $32,000
The whole thing. A typical Brisbane home is 200 to 300 sqm of roof area. Metal/Colorbond cost includes scaffolding, full strip-off, new battens, new sheets, ridge capping, all flashings, gutter re-alignment and waste disposal.
#### Your number, basically
If you're in a 1990s-or-newer home with no heritage overlay, this is your number. Plan for **$20K to $28K** for a clean, no-surprises job from a roofer who knows the area.
### Heritage tile re-roof: $35,000 to $55,000
Paddington, Spring Hill, New Farm, Red Hill, Bardon, Ascot. If you're in one of these and your roof is original terracotta, you're paying the heritage premium.
#### What you're actually paying for
- Tile profiles matched to what the council requires
- A DA process that takes weeks, not days
- Slower careful work, because dropping a tile damages other tiles
- Roofers with the specific experience to do this without it looking obvious from the street
#### Don't go cheap here
Don't take the cheapest quote from someone who isn't fluent in heritage work. The price will be lower, but the result will look wrong to the next buyer, and you'll spend the savings fighting your council.
## Three reasons Brisbane is more expensive than Sydney
> **Quick answer:** Subtropical humidity shortens roof lifespan, Brisbane City Council heritage overlays cover huge chunks of the inner suburbs (adding 20 to 40% material premium), and storm seasonality drives 6 to 12 month labour-rate spikes after major events.
> Brisbane roofs need more frequent intervention than the equivalent roof in Sydney or Melbourne. That isn't a roofer ripping you off, it's the climate.
#### 1. Humidity
Subtropical Brisbane chews through metal flashings, lead caps and timber. Roofs that would coast for 30 years in Adelaide hit issues at 18 to 22 years here. I've stripped roofs in Wynnum where the lead flashing crumbled in my hands.
#### 2. Heritage overlays
Brisbane City Council overlays cover huge portions of the inner suburbs. If you're in one, your replacement options narrow and your material costs climb. Expect 20 to 40% on a typical re-roof, plus another 4 to 6 weeks for the DA.
#### 3. Storm seasonality
October to March is hail season. After a big event (October 2025 alone generated 11,000+ insurance claims in Queensland), labour rates run hot for 6 to 12 months. If you're repairing now and we're four months out from a major event, you're paying storm pricing.
## What "outer suburb" actually saves you
Where you live shifts the cost noticeably. I work with roofers across all of Greater Brisbane and these patterns hold:
#### Inner heritage suburbs
Paddington, Spring Hill, New Farm, Red Hill and Bardon trend toward the **high end** of every range. Overlays, narrow streets, and two-storey access all push the price up.
#### Middle-ring
Chermside, Indooroopilly, Mount Gravatt, Wynnum and The Gap sit in the **middle** of the ranges.
#### Outer suburbs and growth corridors
Springfield, North Lakes, Ipswich and Logan Reserve land at the **low end**. Newer housing stock, no overlays, easier site access.
The savings between an outer-suburb full re-roof and an inner-suburb heritage re-roof can be larger than the cost of a small car.
## What to look for in a quote
Print this list, take it to your inspection. These are the things I'd want to see if I was paying.
#### The non-negotiables
- ✅ Scope of work written in plain sentences, not bullet codes
- ✅ Materials specified by **brand and product code**, not just "Colorbond"
- ✅ Labour, materials, scaffolding and disposal **itemised separately**
- ✅ Warranty period **and what it covers** (workmanship vs materials)
- ✅ Realistic timeline including a weather contingency
- ✅ Whether scaffolding is included or quoted separately
- ✅ Council DA fees if applicable
- ✅ What happens if they find rot, asbestos, or failed battens
#### Why this matters
A single-line "$28,000 full re-roof" is not enough information. You need it broken out, otherwise you can't compare two quotes meaningfully.
## The 10% contingency nobody warns you about
> **Quick answer:** Allow 10 to 15% on top of any pre-1990s re-roof quote. Common surprises: rotten timber decking, asbestos in ridge capping ($800 to $2,500 licensed removal), perished lead flashing, and battens that have lost their nails entirely.
