Roof inspection Sydney: what we check and what you get
A roof inspection is a licensed roofer on the roof and in the roof space, checking every point where Sydney roofs fail, and writing down what they found with photos. It is not a look from the driveway, and it is not a drone photo. Building and pest inspectors note the roof from a ladder at the eaves and write "recommend specialist roofing inspection" more often than buyers realise. We are that specialist inspection.
Two kinds of people book one: homeowners who want to know what condition the roof is in before storm season or before spending on a restoration, and buyers who want to know what they are taking on before they exchange. The inspection is the same. The report is written for whichever decision you are making.
What a roof inspection covers
Every inspection works through the same list, on the roof and under it, so nothing gets skipped and two roofs can be compared.
From the roof: ridge and hip capping bedding and pointing; valley irons for rust, debris and lap condition; every flashing (chimney, skylight, vent, aircon, solar, wall abutments); tiles for cracks, slips, porosity and lichen; metal sheets for rust, screw condition and lap seal; gutters for fall, rust, joins and overflow marks; downpipes and overflows; box gutters and sumps; sarking visible at the eaves; TV aerial, solar and satellite fixings; tree contact and debris load.
From the roof space: water marks on battens and rafters; sarking condition and coverage; batten and rafter rot or borer; insulation condition and wet spots; ventilation; daylight through the roof; evidence of pests; previous repairs and what they hid.
What the roof report contains
- 1Photos of every defect, labelled with location on the roof, so a second roofer or an insurer can find the same spot.
- 2A priority rating for each item: fix now (water is getting in or will this season), fix within 12 months, or monitor.
- 3Roof age and remaining life estimate for the covering, the bedding and the sarking separately, because they fail on different clocks.
- 4Fixed prices for the work, itemised, so a buyer can negotiate on real numbers and an owner can budget. Temporary fixes from $700, permanent section repairs $1,500 to $7,000, ridge rebed and repoint $1,500 to $4,000, restoration $4,000 to $12,000, replacement priced per square metre.
- 5What is not urgent, in writing. A report that only lists problems is a sales document. Ours says what can wait.
Pre-purchase roof inspections
The building report on most Sydney houses covers the roof in two lines. The reasons are practical: building inspectors are not licensed to walk tile roofs, their insurance often excludes it, and the standard report format treats the roof as one item among forty. On a house where the roof is 30 years old, those two lines are hiding the most expensive item in the building.
A pre-purchase roof inspection gives you the roof's condition and a priced list before you exchange. If the ridges need rebedding and the sarking has gone, that is a $5,000 to $15,000 conversation to have with the vendor now rather than with us next winter. We can usually inspect within the cooling off period and the report is written to be handed to a conveyancer or agent.
Roof inspection for strata and insurance
Owners corporations use the same inspection to plan capital works and to settle arguments about whether a leak is a common property or lot owner problem. Insurers accept the photo report for storm damage claims; see storm damage repairs for how a claim runs. For a building with more than one roof section we report section by section with a plan.
Drone roof inspections
A drone is useful for a first look at a steep, fragile or three storey roof, and for photographing areas nobody should walk on. It is not an inspection. A drone cannot lift a ridge cap to check the bedding, cannot see into the roof space where most of the evidence is, and cannot tell a sound tile from a porous one. If a roof report is drone photos and a summary, you have paid for a slideshow. We use a drone where it helps and walk the roof where it matters.
What a roof inspection costs
Free with a repair quote. If you have a problem you want priced, the inspection, photo report and fixed quote cost nothing. Pre-purchase and standalone condition reports are a fixed price quoted when you book, based on the roof size and access, and the fee comes off any repair we do within 12 months. Either way you get the same inspection and the same report format.
How often should a Sydney roof be inspected?
Tile roofs under 15 years old: every three to five years, and after any major storm. Tile roofs over 20 years: every two years, because the bedding and sarking are now on the clock. Metal roofs: every five years, sooner within two kilometres of the coast. Any roof: before you buy, before you sell, before a restoration or solar install, and when a stain appears. The storm season checklist covers what you can check yourself from the ground between inspections.
Roof inspections across Sydney
We inspect across the Sutherland Shire, St George, Northern Beaches, North Shore, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, Hills District, Western Sydney and South West Sydney.
Roof inspection Sydney: FAQs
How much does a roof inspection cost in Sydney?
Free if you want a repair quoted: the inspection, photos and fixed quote are included. Standalone and pre-purchase reports are a fixed fee quoted on booking, credited against any repair we do within 12 months.
Does a building and pest inspection cover the roof?
Only from the eaves. Most building inspectors do not walk tile roofs and their reports say so. A roof inspection by a licensed roofer covers the roof surface and the roof space, which is where the expensive problems are.
How long does a roof inspection take?
One to two hours on a typical Sydney house, longer for large or multi section roofs. The written report follows, with photos and prices.
Can you inspect before auction or within the cooling off period?
Usually, yes. Tell us the date when you book and we will prioritise it. Access is arranged through the agent.
Will you tell me if the roof is fine?
Yes, in writing. Plenty of inspections end with "monitor the ridges, nothing to do this year". A report that only finds work is a quote, not an inspection.
Do you do drone roof inspections?
We use a drone where a roof is unsafe to walk or to photograph areas for the report, but every inspection includes the roof space and hands on checks of the bedding and flashings. A drone alone cannot assess those.
Related: if you already know the roof leaks, start with roof leak detection and roof leak repairs. For a roof past repair, see roof restoration and the replacement cost calculator.