Tile Roofing Shellharbour
Tile suits a lot of Shellharbour homes: it looks right in established streets, it handles the weather and it lasts. Choosing it well is about more than picking a colour, and we will walk you through what actually matters.
- New builds and replacements
- 10+ years experience, fully insured
- Free written quotes
New build or existing roof?
The starting point is completely different, so it is the first thing worth establishing.
A new build or addition
Starts with the plans, the structure and the trade sequence. Send us the drawings and we can be specific about pitch, valleys, drainage and where the roof meets everything else.
Replacing an existing roof
Starts with what is already there and what has to change. The existing structure, geometry and drainage set most of the constraints before we choose anything.
Keeping the roof you have
If your tiles are still sound, restoring them costs a fraction of replacing them. Worth checking before you plan a new roof at all.
The choices that matter more than colour
Concrete or terracotta
Concrete is the workhorse and the more affordable option. Terracotta costs more, holds colour better over decades and suits certain homes far better.
Profile
How the tiles interlock and overlap decides how the roof sheds water, and it constrains the minimum pitch you can use.
Pitch
Tiles need a minimum pitch to shed water properly. Get this wrong and no quality of workmanship will keep the roof dry.
Weight
Tile is heavier than metal, so the structure underneath has to be designed for it. On a conversion, that is a real question rather than a formality.
The parts nobody sees are the parts that leak
Tiles do the visible work of shedding water. Everything that keeps the roof dry when the tiles alone are not enough sits underneath and between them.
Underlay
The second line of defence when wind drives water under a tile. On older roofs it is frequently perished, which turns a small fault into a leak.
Battens
What the tiles hang on. Spacing has to suit the tile, and condition matters enormously on a replacement.
Ridges and hips
Bedded and pointed. On Shellharbour roofs this is the most common thing to fail first, so it is worth doing well.
Valleys and flashings
Where the water concentrates and where the roof meets walls and penetrations. Most leaks live here rather than in the tiles.
Planning a tile roof, or wondering if yours can be saved?
Send the plans or describe the roof you have. Either way the quote is free.
Structure, tile and every junction
Plans
Roof geometry, pitch and dimensions reviewed against the tile you want.
Structure
Confirm the framing and battens suit the weight and the spacing.
Underlay
Laid properly, because it is what saves you when wind drives rain sideways.
Tiles
Laid to the correct laps, cut cleanly at valleys and hips.
Junctions
Ridges bedded and pointed, valleys and flashings formed to shed properly.
Drainage
Gutters and outlets sized for the roof area actually feeding them.
Same tile, very different job
On a new build the roof is designed around the tile from the start, so pitch, structure and drainage can all be set up to suit it. Everything is accessible and nothing has to be worked around.
On a replacement you inherit the geometry, the structure and often the drainage. If you are switching from metal to tile, the extra weight is a genuine structural question rather than a detail. We flag those things before quoting, not once the old roof is off.
Send the plans, or tell us about the roof you have
We handle tile roofing for homes and commercial properties across Shellharbour and the surrounding suburbs, within about 20 km. For a new build or addition, the drawings and elevations let us be specific instead of approximate.
For an existing roof, tell us roughly how old it is, what is going wrong and whether it has been repaired before. And if the tiles are still sound, we will tell you that a restoration would cost a fraction of a new roof, even though it is the smaller job for us.
What tile roofing costs
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.
Tile roof on most homes
$20,000 – $40,000
Restoring an existing tile roof instead
$4,000 – $9,500
Ridge repointing only
$2,000 – $4,500
Assessment and written quote
Free
If your existing tiles are sound, restoring them costs a fraction of replacing them. We will tell you honestly which one your roof needs.
Tile roofing questions
Straight answers to what people actually ask us. If yours is not here, just call and ask.
What does a tile roof cost?
A tile roof on most homes runs $20,000 to $40,000. If your existing tiles are still sound, restoring them instead is usually $4,000 to $9,500, and repointing the ridges alone $2,000 to $4,500. We will tell you honestly which one your roof needs.
Concrete or terracotta?
Concrete is the more affordable option and does the job well. Terracotta costs more, holds its colour far better over decades and suits some homes much better. Terracotta also should not be painted, so factor that into the long-term picture.
Is tile better than metal?
Neither is automatically better. Tile suits established streetscapes, has good thermal mass and lasts well. Metal is lighter, usually cheaper and better on lower pitches. The right answer depends on your roof and your budget rather than a preference of ours.
Can I put tile on a low-pitch roof?
Not below the minimum pitch for the profile. Tiles rely on gravity and overlap to shed water, and going below that produces leaks no workmanship can fix. If your pitch is low, metal is the sensible answer.
Can I switch from metal to tile?
Sometimes, but tile is considerably heavier and the structure has to be able to take it. That is a real engineering question, and we will raise it before quoting rather than after the old roof is off.
How long does a tile roof last?
A long time, often decades beyond the mortar and pointing that hold the ridges together. That is why so many older roofs here need repointing or restoration rather than replacement.
What do you need for a new build quote?
Roof plans and elevations, the pitch and dimensions, and any material preferences you already have. The more current the drawings, the more specific we can be instead of quoting on assumptions.
Can you match tiles on an older roof?
Often, though discontinued profiles can be hard to source. We check availability and tell you before you commit, because it is one of the genuine constraints on repairing rather than replacing.
Get a free tile roofing quote
Tell us whether this is a new build, an addition or an existing roof, and send the plans if you have them. We will come and look or work from the drawings, and put a free quote in writing.
Comparing materials? See metal roofing, which is usually lighter and cheaper on a like-for-like home.
Prefer to talk? Call (02) 4215 8188.