Three questions, in this order
- Can it be fixed?If the frame is sound and the problems are local, a repair is usually the better spend.
- Is the covering finished?Rust through the sheets, tiles that crumble or leaks in many places mean the covering is at the end of its life.
- Who is paying?Sudden storm or tree damage may be an insurance matter; wear and age almost never are.
Roof work we can arrange in Adelaide
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Re-Roofing
The whole roof covering renewed: tile to steel, old iron to new steel, or new tiles on a sound frame.
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Tile Roof Replacement
Tired concrete or terracotta tile roofs taken off and replaced with new tiles or a lighter steel roof.
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Metal Roof Replacement
Rusted galvanised iron and worn Zincalume sheets replaced, with new screws, flashings and gutters.
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Colorbond Roofing
New Colorbond steel roofs with the profile, colour and steel grade matched to the house and its exposure.
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Insurance Roof Replacement
Storm, hail and tree-strike damage documented and quoted in the form an insurer's assessor needs.
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Emergency Roof Replacement
Make-safe work after storm or tree damage, then a planned repair or replacement once the roof is dry.
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Commercial Roofing
Factory, warehouse, shop and strata roofs re-sheeted or repaired in stages around the people using the building.
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Roof Repairs
Leaks, slipped or cracked tiles, failed pointing, lifted sheets and rusted flashings fixed on a roof that still has life.
What this site does
Roof Replacements Adelaide puts homeowners, landlords and building managers across metropolitan Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills in touch with local roofing contractors for roof replacement, re-roofing and roof repairs. Most of the roofs we hear about are concrete or terracotta tile on brick houses from the post-war decades, corrugated iron on older villas and cottages, and steel roofs that have simply worn out. Some are asbestos cement, which changes how the job is planned. Each enquiry is matched with a contractor who inspects the roof and then puts the scope and price in writing.
Call 08 7100 9699 during business hours (Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm) or use the form at the foot of this page. The suburb, the roof material, roughly when the house was built and what has gone wrong is plenty to start with.
How Adelaide weather wears a roof out
Roofs here rarely fail from one dramatic event. They wear down under a particular mix of conditions, and the contractor who inspects yours should talk about them.
- Heat and UV. Runs of very hot days dry out ridge pointing, perish sealants and rubber flashings, fade coatings and age tile surfaces. Old galvanised iron loses its zinc and starts to rust from the laps and fixings.
- Winter rain after a dry summer. Most rain falls in the cooler months. The first steady falls of the season find every cracked tile, open joint and blocked valley that the summer created.
- Storm cells. Thunderstorms with hail and damaging gusts come through a few times a year. They lift sheets, strip ridge capping and drop branches, which is where insurance roof replacement and emergency roof work come in.
- Moving ground. Much of the Adelaide Plains sits on reactive clay that swells and shrinks with the seasons. That movement cracks pointing, opens gaps at walls and can show up as a wavy ridge line or a sagging section.
- Salt and bushfire overlays. Closer to the gulf, salt air shortens the life of steel and fixings that are not chosen for it. In the Hills, bushfire hazard overlays can affect which materials and details a new roof needs.
Repair it, or replace it?
A roof that is sound overall with a few faults should be repaired, and a straight contractor will say so. Replacement makes sense when the faults are everywhere at once: rust through the sheets rather than on the surface, tiles that crumble when walked on, leaks in several rooms, rotten battens, or an asbestos roof that is weathering badly. Our guide to the signs you need a roof replacement walks through what to look for from the ground, and leaking roof repair vs replacement covers the grey areas.
If replacement is the answer, the next question is the material. Most tile-to-steel conversions here use Colorbond roofing, while many character homes stay with tiles through a tile roof replacement. The trade-offs are set out in Colorbond vs tile.
What a fair quote looks like
Two quotes for "a new roof" can describe very different jobs. Before you compare totals, check that each one names the strip-off and disposal, batten repairs, sarking or blanket, flashings and ridges, gutters and downpipes, edge protection or scaffold, and what happens to solar panels, aerials and skylights. Ask how variations are priced if rotten timber turns up after the old roof comes off. Our questions to ask a roof replacement contractor is a good checklist, and the roof replacement cost guide gives 2026 planning figures. For background on how this service works, see about this site.
The reading room
What you should expect from any contractor
- A look before a number
- A contractor inspects the roof and, where it can be reached, the roof space. You should not be quoted a full replacement off a phone call or an aerial photo.
- A scope you can compare
- Strip-off, disposal, battens, sarking or blanket, flashings, gutters, safety rails and any solar removal should be named in writing, so two quotes can be lined up.
- Paperwork you can check
- We ask the contractors we work with to hold the licences and insurance the job needs. Ask to see them before work starts, and check the licence with Consumer and Business Services.
- Advice that fits Adelaide
- Long hot summers, reactive clay soils, coastal salt in the western suburbs and bushfire overlays in the Hills all shape which roof suits which house.
The kinds of roofs we see
Library photographs that show the materials and work involved. They are not records of particular Adelaide jobs.
Questions people ask before they commit
What does a roof replacement in Adelaide involve?
The old covering comes off, the battens and frame are checked and fixed where needed, sarking or an insulation blanket goes down, and the new tiles or steel sheets go on with fresh flashings, ridges and usually new gutters. A typical house takes days on site rather than weeks, but ordering, approvals and weather add to the overall timeline.
Is the inspection really free?
Yes. The inspection and written quote cost nothing and you are under no obligation. A meaningful roofing quote depends on someone seeing the roof, so expect a visit rather than a figure over the phone.
Which parts of Adelaide are covered?
Metropolitan Adelaide from the northern council areas such as Playford and Salisbury down through Marion and Onkaparinga in the south, across to the coast and up into the Adelaide Hills. If you are on the fringe, call and we will tell you straight away whether a contractor can reach you.
Where do I find prices?
Planning bands for repairs, steel re-roofs, tile replacement and asbestos jobs are on our roof replacement cost guide, together with the things that push a quote up or down. Every real price still depends on an inspection.
Who will actually do the work?
This is a referral website. The work is carried out by independent local roofing contractors. We ask the contractors we work with to hold the licences and insurance the job needs, and you should ask to see them before any work starts.