Tile to Colorbond: What It Actually Costs to Re-Roof a Melbourne Home

Half the calls I get start the same way: “We’ve got an old tile roof, it’s cracking and leaking, and we’re sick of patching it. What’s it cost to go to Colorbond?”

Fair question. Here’s the honest version, no sales spin.

Why people switch from tile to metal

Old concrete and terracotta tiles in Melbourne crack, slip, and let go of their pointing over 30-40 years. Once a few go, water gets into the sarking and the battens, and you’re patching every winter. At some point patching costs more than replacing.

Colorbond solves a few things at once: it’s lighter on the frame, it doesn’t crack, it sheds water faster on a low pitch, and a properly laid metal roof will outlast the tile it replaced. You also get to change the colour of the whole house in a week.

Worth saying up front: we’re metal specialists. We don’t do tile repairs ourselves. If you just want your tile roof patched and kept, that’s not us — but the tile-to-metal conversion is exactly our wheelhouse.

What’s actually involved

A tile-to-Colorbond conversion isn’t just “rip the tiles off and screw down sheets”. A proper job is:

1. Strip the old tiles and cart them away (a lot of weight — it’s a real part of the cost)
2. Check and replace any rotted battens or timber
3. Re-batten to suit metal roofing spacings
4. New sarking (the insulation/anti-condensation layer)
5. Lay the Colorbond sheets, ridge capping, valleys and flashings
6. New gutters and downpipes if the old ones are tired (usually are)

If a quote is way cheaper than the others, it’s normally because they’re skipping the batten check or re-using old gutters. That’s where leaks come back in two years.

What drives the price

• Roof size and pitch — bigger and steeper costs more (steep = harder and slower)
• How many storeys — second-storey access means scaffold or an EWP
• Condition of the timber underneath — can’t know fully until the tiles are off, so a good quote will tell you the rate if extra battens are needed
• Gutters and fascia — often replaced at the same time because it’s the sensible moment to do it
• Colorbond colour and finish — standard colours vs Matt or Ultra steel

I won’t put a single number here because every roof is different and I’d be lying to you. But it’s a genuine investment — the sort of job you’d take to your accountant or, for an investment property, claim as a capital improvement. Get it quoted properly.

Questions to ask any roofer quoting your conversion

• Are you replacing the battens and sarking, or re-using what’s there?
• Are new gutters included or extra?
• What Colorbond product and warranty?
• Who’s actually on the roof — your crew or subbies?
• What happens if you find rot when the tiles come off?

If they can’t answer those clearly, keep ringing around.

Getting a real number

The only way to price a tile-to-Colorbond job honestly is to get up there and look. We’ll do a site visit, check the timber and access, and give you a full quote pack you can actually read — scope, materials, warranty, the lot.

Request a quote online and tell us a bit about the house, or call Anthony on 0429 103 480.

And if it turns out you’d rather keep the tile roof and just have it repaired — that’s Chris at Silverline on 0403 131 908, not us. We’ll point you the right way either way.