How to choose, in order
Check the licence first
Ask for their licence or registration number and the exact name it's held under, then search it on your state's public register. Make sure it's current and covers the work you want done. Our guide to checking a roofer's licence shows where to look in every state.
Ask for proof of insurance
Ask for a certificate of currency for their public liability insurance. Building Commission NSW warns that without it, you could be liable if someone is hurt on your property. Access Canberra also suggests noting the tradie's full name, physical address, business name and ABN before you sign.
Get the quote in writing
WA Consumer Protection says a written quote should show the business's contact details, ABN and licence number, a description of the job, materials, labour and how long it will take. Our guide to roofing quotes goes through one line by line.
Ask how they'll work safely
Safe Work Australia says falls are the major cause of death and injury in roof work, and work with a risk of falling more than 2 metres needs a written Safe Work Method Statement. A roofer who can explain their edge protection or harness setup has planned the job.
Look at their past work
Ask for photos of similar jobs and a recent customer you can ring. Steady reviews over a few years tell you more than a sudden burst of five-star ones.
Then agree the money
Settle the price, deposit and payment stages in writing. Don't pay more up front than your state allows, and where the job needs home warranty cover, don't pay anything until you've got the certificate.
Red flags that should stop you
- They knocked on your door to say they'd noticed something on your roof
- There's no licence number on their ute, website or quote
- The name on the licence doesn't match the business on the quote
- They want a large deposit, or cash only, before any work starts
- There's a special price, but only if you sign today
- They offer to pressure-clean an old cement sheet roof
- They say your insurer sent them, but your insurer hasn't told you
- The quote is a single line with a total and nothing else
Door-knockers and storm chasers
Uninvited roofing offers spike after storms. The Insurance Council of Australia, an industry body, warns about 'disaster chasers' who say they've found damage or claim to represent an insurer, and says insurers won't send a tradesperson to your home without telling you first. Talk to your insurer before you sign a repair contract.
The Australian Consumer Law gives you extra protection here. If a trader approaches you at home or by phone and the deal is worth more than $100, you can cancel within 10 business days, and during that time they can't start work or take any payment. They also can't call on Sundays or public holidays, before 9am, or after 6pm (5pm on Saturdays).
In a declared state of emergency, some of those rules don't apply to urgent repairs by a trader who holds the licence the work needs. That makes the licence check more important after a big storm, not less.
Home warranty cover and complaints, state by state
| When home warranty cover is needed | If something goes wrong | |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Home Warranty insurance on major domestic building contracts over $20,000 | Raise it in writing, then BPC dispute resolution, then VCAT. Single-trade jobs may not qualify for the BPC |
| Queensland | Home Warranty Scheme for most work over $3,300, including roof repairs | Written notice to the contractor first, then the QBCC, then QCAT |
| Tasmania | Not among the insurances builders must hold, though statutory warranties last six years | Free advice from CBOS, mediation through the Director of Building Control, then TASCAT |
What home warranty insurance does, and doesn't
In most states it's a safety net for when a builder can't finish or fix the work because they've died, disappeared or gone broke. NSW's scheme is a last resort and doesn't cover work by unlicensed builders. Victoria moved to a first resort Home Warranty scheme from 1 July 2026, which can also respond when a builder won't fix faulty work after you've asked.
Plenty of roof repairs sit under those dollar figures, so there's often no warranty insurance at all. That's why the licence check and a written agreement matter so much. Statutory warranties still apply in every state, and the Australian Consumer Law says services must be supplied with due care and skill.
Where cover is needed, the certificate comes before your money. In NSW it's illegal for the contractor to ask for a deposit until the cover is in place and you've been given the certificate, and WA has the same rule.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What's your licence number, and what name is it under?
- Can I see your certificate of currency for public liability insurance?
- Will you do the work yourself, or will a subcontractor? Are they licensed too?
- How will you stop anyone falling off my roof?
- My house is older. How will you check for asbestos before you start?
- What deposit do you need, and when are the other payments due?
- What warranty do you give on your own workmanship, in writing?
Asbestos changes who you need
On a house built or renovated before 1990, the roof sheeting, eaves or gutters may contain asbestos. Victoria's Asbestos Hub notes that your builder, electrician or plumber generally isn't licensed to remove it, and a roofer may not be either. If asbestos could be involved, ask who holds the asbestos removal licence before work starts, and never agree to a pressure clean on cement sheeting.
What you can check, and what the roofer should hand over
You can
- Search the licence on your state's register
- Check the ABN matches the business name on the quote
- Ring a recent customer
- Read the quote against our quote checker
- Keep copies of everything you sign and pay
Leave to a roofer
- Supplying the licence number and certificate of currency
- Writing up the quote and, where required, the contract
- Preparing the Safe Work Method Statement
- Arranging licensed asbestos removal if the job needs it
- Getting the home warranty certificate to you before payment
Where we fit in
We're a referral service. We pass your job to one local roofer whose licence we've checked on the state register, and they quote you directly.
You're still free to run every check on this page yourself and to get other quotes, and we'd encourage it. Our page on how we vet roofers explains what we check and what we don't.
If we were hiring for our own place
We'd start with the register, not the reviews. A current licence in the right name and class, a certificate of currency and a written quote that names the materials remove most of the risk. We'd never sign with a door-knocker on the day, never pay more deposit than the state allows, and we'd pick the roofer who explains the job clearly over the one with the lowest number.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.