Tile Roof Repairs Shellharbour
One cracked tile might be the whole problem, or it might be the least of it. We find out which before quoting, because replacing the obvious tile and leaving the actual leak is the most common way this job goes wrong.
- Concrete and terracotta
- 10+ years experience, fully insured
- Free written quotes
The broken tile you can see is one layer of it
A tiled roof sheds water through overlapping courses and the details connecting them. When water gets under a tile it does not drop straight down. It runs along the underlay, the battens and the framing until it finds a way through, which is often metres from where it started.
So the tile directly above your ceiling stain is frequently not the failed one, and replacing it changes nothing. The useful work is following the water back to where it actually entered, then checking whether that entry point is a tile at all or a ridge, a valley or a flashing nearby.
When a tile repair stays a tile repair
Most of the time it does, and it should. A contained repair is the cheapest honest answer and we would rather give you that than talk the job upward.
A local repair is right when
- The fault is in one area and the roof around it is sound.
- Matching tiles are available, or close enough to sit properly.
- The ridge, valley and flashing details nearby are still doing their job.
- The water path explains the symptom you have actually seen.
We will raise something broader when
- Breakage or movement repeats across several parts of the roof.
- The underlay, valleys, ridges or flashings are failing together.
- Your tile profile cannot be sourced and too many need replacing.
- The same spot has been patched more than once already.
Where the tile sits matters more than how many are broken
Two cracked tiles in the middle of a roof plane and two cracked tiles beside a valley are very different jobs. These are the things that decide which one you have.
Tile profile
A replacement has to interlock and overlap properly with what is already there. If your profile has been discontinued, we tell you before you commit, not after.
Ridge capping
Cracked mortar along the ridges lets water straight in and is the single most common fault we find on older tiled roofs around here.
Valleys
Where two roof planes meet and concentrate a lot of water. Tiles cut alongside a valley are a frequent leak point and need care when disturbed.
Flashings and penetrations
Walls, chimneys, vents and skylights. If the tile looks fine and water is still getting in, this is usually why.
The underlay
The second line of defence. On older roofs it has often perished, which turns a minor tile fault into an active leak.
Access
Tiles break when walked on badly. Getting to the fault without creating three more is part of what you are paying for.
Got a broken tile or a stain you cannot place?
Tell us what you can see safely and when it happens. We will find the cause and quote the repair in writing.
Trace, match, reinstate
Trace
Follow the symptom back to the tile course or detail that is actually letting water in.
Check
Look at the ridge, valley and flashing details around it before assuming it is the tile.
Match
Confirm we can source a compatible tile, and tell you straight away if we cannot.
Lift
Open the area carefully, without breaking three tiles to reach one.
Repair
Fix the cause, not just the visible damage, and reinstate the water path properly.
Show you
Photos of what we found and what we did, in plain English.
What a tile repair cannot promise
We quote what we can see and reach. Tiled roofs hide things until pieces come up, so here is how we handle that rather than pretending it does not happen.
What is underneath
Perished underlay or damaged battens sometimes only appear once tiles are lifted. If we find that, we stop, show you and agree what to do before carrying on.
Matching
Older and discontinued profiles are not always available. We check before quoting so the constraint is yours to weigh up, not a surprise.
Other water paths
Fixing one tile will not resolve a leak at a valley or flashing that was outside the job. If we spot one, we quote it separately.
Colour
New tiles rarely match weathered ones exactly. They will sit and shed water correctly, but a repair is a repair rather than a facelift.
Tell us what you have seen and when
We repair concrete and terracotta tiled roofs for homes and commercial properties across Shellharbour and the surrounding suburbs, within about 20 km. The most useful thing you can tell us is when the symptom appears: steady rain, wind-driven rain from one direction, or only after the rain has stopped.
Add which room it shows in and how close it is to a wall, a chimney or a vent. Photos from the ground or from inside are plenty. Do not get up on a tiled roof to take them, because tiles break underfoot and you will create work rather than evidence.
What tile roof repairs cost
Every roof is quoted in writing after we have looked at it. The ranges below are a guide only and cover most Shellharbour homes; size, pitch, access and the condition we find can move a job outside them either way.
Replace broken or slipped tiles
$250 – $450
Repoint a section of ridge capping
$300 – $600
Find and fix a leak
$300 – $900
Rebed and repoint the full roof
$2,000 – $4,500
Assessment and written quote
Free
Matching an older tile profile can affect the price. We will tell you upfront if your tile is hard to source.
Tile roof repair questions
Straight answers to what people actually ask us. If yours is not here, just call and ask.
Is the tile above the stain the broken one?
Usually not. Water runs along the underlay, battens and framing before it drops, so the entry point is often well away from the mark inside. Replacing the tile above the stain is the most common way people pay for a repair that changes nothing.
What do tile roof repairs cost?
Replacing broken or slipped tiles typically runs $250 to $450, repointing a section of ridge capping $300 to $600, and finding and fixing a leak $300 to $900. Rebedding and repointing a full roof is $2,000 to $4,500. Every job is quoted in writing.
Can you match my tiles?
Usually, and where a profile has been discontinued we will tell you before you commit rather than after. Matching is one of the genuine constraints on tile repairs and it belongs in the quote.
Will the new tiles look different?
Slightly, yes. New tiles rarely match decades of weathering exactly. They will interlock and shed water correctly, which is the job, but a repair is not a facelift and we would rather say so upfront.
A few tiles are cracked. Do I need the whole roof done?
Almost certainly not. A few broken tiles is contained work and should be priced as such. If someone has quoted you a whole roof off the back of it, get a second opinion.
Why does it only leak in heavy or wind-driven rain?
Because wind pushes water up and under overlaps that steady rain runs straight over. A leak that only appears with wind from one direction narrows things down considerably, so mention it when you call.
Can I walk on my tiled roof to look?
Please do not. Tiles crack underfoot, so you can easily create more damage than you find, and falls from roofs are serious. Anything visible from the ground or inside is enough for us to start.
What if you find more once you lift the tiles?
We stop, show you what is there and agree what to do before going any further. That process is written into the quote rather than negotiated once your roof is open.
Get a free tile roof repair quote
Tell us what you can see and when the problem happens. We will look at the obvious broken tile and the water path around it, rather than jumping to a whole-roof answer.
If the ridge mortar has gone across the roof, that is a different job. See repointing and ridge capping.
Prefer to talk? Call (02) 4215 8188.