Strata roof repairs in Sydney: repair the roof you have before you buy a new one
Most strata roof quotes in Sydney start from the wrong end. A leak gets reported, a roofer is called, the roofer looks at a 40 year old tile roof with patches all over it and quotes a replacement, because that is the easy quote to write and the big one to win. The owners corporation then spends a year raising a special levy for a roof that, in a lot of cases, did not need replacing.
Tiles last 50 years and more. What fails underneath them on a 1960s to 1990s Sydney unit block is the sarking (often none, or foil that has perished), the cement bedding under the ridge and hip caps, and the battens where leaks have been running. All of that can be replaced under the existing tiles, plane by plane, with the tiles lifted, stacked and relaid. The block gets a dry, warrantied roof for a fraction of a reroof, and the levy stays sane.
We are a repair first roofer. If a roof needs replacing we will say so and quote it. But we quote the repair alongside it, every time, so the committee can see both numbers.
What we do for owners corporations
- 1Roof condition report. The whole roof, every plane, plus the roof space over each lot, photographed and rated. Written for the capital works fund plan: what needs doing now, what can wait, and what each item costs. This is the document that stops the $500,000 conversation before it starts. See roof inspections.
- 2Make safe for active leaks. Water into a lot gets priority scheduling and a temporary fix that holds until the permanent work is approved. Photo report per affected lot for the managing agent and insurer.
- 3Section repairs under existing tiles. Lift, resark, new battens where needed, rebed and repoint, relay. Priced per roof plane so the committee can stage the work across financial years if it needs to.
- 4Ridge capping across the block. A full rebed and repoint of every ridge and hip is the single most common strata roof job in Sydney, and the one most often missed in favour of a reroof.
- 5Gutters, box gutters and downpipes. Overflowing box gutters are the cause of a large share of "roof leaks" in unit blocks. We check them first.
- 6Replacement, when it is the right answer. Roofs that are past repair get a replacement quote, in metal or tile, with the repair alternative priced next to it so the committee is choosing, not being told.
What strata roof work costs
Every job is quoted fixed and in writing after an inspection, addressed to the owners corporation and copied to the managing agent. As a guide for a typical 12 to 40 lot Sydney block: a roof condition report is a fixed fee quoted on the roof area, credited against work within 12 months; make safe for a leak into a lot from $700; section repairs under existing tiles, with resarking and new battens, run $1,500 to $7,000 per affected area and are priced per roof plane across a block; a full ridge rebed and repoint across a block runs from $4,000 depending on the metres of ridge; a whole block resark, rebatten and relay of the kind described above typically lands between $50,000 and $120,000 depending on roof area, access and how much timber has gone, against reroof quotes that commonly run $300,000 to $600,000 for the same buildings. All work carries our 10 year workmanship warranty.
Common property or lot owner: who pays for a strata roof leak?
In New South Wales the roof of a strata scheme is almost always common property, so the owners corporation is responsible for repairing it and for damage to the lot caused by the roof failing, under section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act. The lot owner is responsible for their own contents and for anything inside the lot that is not common property. The grey areas are things attached to the roof by a lot owner (aircon units, skylights, aerials, solar) and water that came through a lot owner's balcony or window rather than the roof. Our report says where the water came in, with photos, which is usually enough to settle it without a lawyer. We do not give legal advice; for anything contested, the managing agent or NSW Fair Trading is the right call.
How we work with strata managers and committees
- Quotes addressed to the owners corporation, itemised per roof plane and per lot affected, so they can go straight to a committee vote or a general meeting.
- Photo report with every inspection and every completed stage, in a format the managing agent can file and the insurer will accept.
- Licensed (NSW 488966C), $20M public liability, SWMS and insurance certificates supplied to the managing agent before work starts.
- Residents notified before each stage, access arranged through the building manager, site left clear each day. Tile lifting is noisy; we schedule it and say so.
- Work staged across roof planes or financial years where the fund needs it. A dry roof over the worst lots this year and the rest next year is better than a special levy nobody can pay.
- Invoicing to the managing agent on agreed terms, with progress claims on larger jobs.
Townhouses, villas and mixed use
The same approach suits townhouse and villa complexes, where each roof is small but there are many of them and the bedding fails on all of them at once, and mixed use buildings with retail under residential, where leaks cost tenants money and the make safe has to happen the same day. For complexes with Colorbond or metal roofs, see metal roof repairs; the strata process is the same.
Strata roof repairs across Sydney
We work with owners corporations across the Sutherland Shire, St George, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Hills District, Western Sydney and South West Sydney. The 1960s to 1980s brick walk ups across the south and inner west are where most of the work is, because most of them are on their original bedding.
Strata roof repairs Sydney: FAQs
Do we need to replace the whole roof?
Usually not. If the tiles are sound, what has failed is the sarking, bedding and battens, and all of that can be replaced under the existing tiles for a fraction of a reroof. We quote both so the committee can compare.
Can the work be staged?
Yes. Section repairs are priced per roof plane, so the worst planes can be done this year and the rest when the fund allows. Each stage is warrantied on its own.
Who is responsible for a roof leak in a strata building?
In NSW the roof is common property and the owners corporation is responsible for repairing it and for resulting damage to lots. Our report shows where the water entered, which settles most disputes.
Will you deal with the strata manager directly?
Yes. Quotes go to the owners corporation care of the managing agent, with SWMS, insurances and licence details supplied up front and invoicing on agreed terms.
How quickly can you make safe a leak into a unit?
Active leaks get priority scheduling, 7 days. The temporary fix holds until the permanent repair is approved, and the photo report goes to the agent the same day.
Do you provide reports for the capital works fund plan?
Yes. The roof condition report rates every item now, within 12 months, or monitor, with a price against each, which is the format a capital works plan needs.
Are you licensed and insured for strata work?
NSW contractor licence 488966C, $20M public liability, 10 year workmanship warranty. Certificates are supplied to the managing agent before work starts.
Strata manager or committee member? Email quotes@aussieroofrepairs.com.au with the address and strata plan number and we will arrange a roof inspection, or call 1300 304 162. Related: roof inspections, roof leak detection, roof sarking installation, ridge capping and repointing and the storm season roof checklist for building managers.