Stop if the roof could be asbestos
ASSEA, the national asbestos agency, says a home built or renovated before 1990 probably has some asbestos, and roof sheeting is one of the usual places. It's illegal in every state to use high-pressure water on asbestos materials, so an asbestos cement roof must never be pressure cleaned before painting. Have it identified first. Read can you paint an asbestos roof? and try our asbestos checker.
Painting or restoration: what are you being quoted for?
A roof painting quote usually covers cleaning, light prep and the coating. A restoration adds the repairs: replacing broken tiles, rebedding ridges, treating rust and swapping sheets.
That difference matters, because paint on its own doesn't fix anything. Monier, a major tile maker, says respraying a roof is aesthetic only and won't repair it. Some quotes called painting quietly coat over cracked mortar or loose caps, so check what's included before you compare prices.
Is your roof worth painting?
| Worth painting | Not worth painting | |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Faded, chalky or patchy coating on sound tiles or sheets | Tiles cracking across the roof, or metal rusted through |
| Rust | Early surface rust with no holes | Holes, or flaking rust at most laps |
| Roof type | Concrete tiles, unglazed terracotta, metal | Glazed terracotta, slate, or anything that could be asbestos cement |
What happens on a roof painting job
Colour and scope
You pick a colour from a sample held against your walls in daylight, and agree the scope in writing.
Protect the surrounds
Cars, windows, paving, solar panels and garden beds get covered, because sprayed coatings drift on a breeze.
Clean, then dry
The roof is washed and left to dry. Coating a damp roof is a common cause of blistering and peeling.
Repairs before paint
Cracked tiles, loose caps and rusty patches are fixed first. Paint over them and the problem is still there, just harder to see.
Prime, then topcoat
Bare concrete gets a sealer and rusty metal gets a suitable primer, then usually two topcoats with drying time between. Rain on the forecast pauses the job, and that's normal. At the end, ask for photos of the finished roof.
What a roof painting quote should spell out
- The coating system by brand and product, including the primer or sealer
- How many topcoats, and the colour name written down
- How the roof will be cleaned, and how long it's left to dry
- Which repairs are included, item by item
- How cars, windows, paving and solar panels will be protected from overspray
- If you drink tank water, confirmation the coating suits it, since BlueScope says not every roof paint does
- The roofer's licence number, workmanship warranty and any manufacturer's warranty
What you can do, and what you shouldn't
You can
- Choose the colour, using a sample seen in your own daylight
- Move cars and outdoor furniture, and give the neighbours a heads-up about spraying
- Find out whether your house is in a heritage overlay or an estate with colour rules
- Get two or three written quotes and compare the products they name
Leave to a roofer
- Painting any part of the roof, even a small patch. Slope, spray gear and a coating that's slippery while wet make it a real fall risk
- Cleaning the roof before painting
- Repairs to tiles, ridges or rusty metal
- Anything on a roof that might be asbestos cement
What we'd tell a friend
If the roof itself is sound and you want it to look fresh, painting is a fair-value refresh. We'd get a restoration price as well, so you can see which repairs a painting quote might be skipping. Choose the quote that names its products and lists its prep, not the lowest price per square metre. And if there's any chance the roof is asbestos cement, we'd have it identified before anyone unrolls a hose.
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.
Finding a roof painter near you
Roof painting is usually done by roofers and roof restorers. Give us a few details and your postcode, and we'll hand the job to one licence-checked roofer covering your suburb. They'll call you to arrange a look and a written quote.
You're free to say no to their quote.
