How much does roof painting cost? Tile and Colorbond prices (2026)

How much does roof painting cost? Tile and Colorbond prices (2026)

Roof painting costs about $2,000 to $10,000 for most Australian homes in 2026, labour and materials included (hipages; Service.com.au). Per square metre, Brisbane rates sit around $18 to $30 per m² (Sparky, September 2026). Those prices assume a sound roof that only needs a clean and new coats. If tiles are cracked, the ridge caps need repointing or the metal has rust, the job is a roof restoration: we publish $6,500 to $9,500 for a medium tiled home and $5,000 to $12,000 for a metal or Colorbond roof.

We paint concrete tile, terracotta and Colorbond roofs across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Logan, and the Tweed and Northern Rivers, and we always clean, repair and prime a roof before the colour goes on. See how we handle roof painting on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. Every price below is sourced and dated; ours come from the cost guide on our site, October 2026.

In summary

  • A sound roof, cleaned and recoated: about $2,000 to $10,000 for a typical home (hipages), or $18 to $30 per m² in Brisbane (Sparky).
  • Tiles vs Colorbond: about $25 to $55 per m² for tiles and $20 to $40 for Colorbond (Brushworks, Sydney, 2026), before any rust work.
  • The work under the paint sets the price: in our cost guide, a high-pressure clean is $500 to $1,200, focused repairs $350 to $1,500 and ridge repointing about $1,750 to $3,500.
  • When a roof needs that work, it's a roof restoration: about $6,500 to $9,500 for a medium tiled home, $9,000 to $13,000 for a larger one, and $5,000 to $12,000 for metal or Colorbond.
  • Queensland caps deposits (QBCC): 10% on work worth $3,301 to $19,999, where most of these prices fall, and 20% on smaller jobs.

How much does roof painting cost in 2026?

Roof painting costs $2,000 to $10,000 for most homes in 2026, according to hipages, and more for a large roof. Size sets the starting point: about $2,000 to $3,500 for a small roof, $3,000 to $5,000 for a medium roof and $5,000 to $15,000 for a large one. In Brisbane, Sparky puts a roof painting job at $3,200 to $14,000, with a midpoint of $6,400.

Job Typical 2026 price Source
Paint a small roof $2,000 – $3,500 hipages, national
Paint a medium roof $3,000 – $5,000 hipages, national
Paint a large roof $5,000 – $15,000 hipages, national
Roof painting job in Brisbane $3,200 – $14,000, midpoint $6,400 Sparky, Brisbane
Tiled roof restoration, medium home $6,500 – $9,500 Our cost guide
Tiled roof restoration, larger roof $9,000 – $13,000 Our cost guide
Metal or Colorbond roof restoration $5,000 – $12,000 Our cost guide

Our ranges are indicative, and we confirm your price by quote once we've looked at the roof.

Sparky's Brisbane range runs from about $3,200 for a small single-storey North Lakes home with a Colorbond roof in fair condition, to about $14,000 for a larger Camp Hill home with an older corrugated iron roof showing extensive rust, ridge cap work and solar panels to remove. Sparky also collects prices homeowners report paying: its seven Queensland reports from 2012 to 2025, mostly full roof restorations, have a median of $7,000, with the middle half between $6,500 and $10,000. It's a small sample, but it lands right alongside the tiled roof restoration range we publish.

Why do roof painting quotes range from $2,000 to $14,000?

Quotes differ mostly because of the work under the paint, not the paint. A paint-only price covers a sound roof. Add the clean, the few repairs and the ridge repointing that an older tiled roof usually needs, and the total climbs to where full roof restorations sit.

What the quote covers Typical cost Source
Paint on a sound, medium roof $3,000 – $5,000 hipages
A high-pressure clean to strip moss and lichen, if the price leaves it out $500 – $1,200 Our cost guide
A few broken tiles replaced, or a ridge cap reseated $350 – $1,500 Our cost guide
Ridge caps repointed on an average roof $1,750 – $3,500 Our cost guide
All of it together About $5,600 – $11,200 The rows above, added up
Our tiled roof restoration, medium home $6,500 – $9,500 Our cost guide

So a low "clean and paint" quote and a full roof restoration quote can both be fair: they price different jobs, and the question is which job your roof needs. Be most careful with advertised "from" prices. Brisbane Roof and Paint warns about roadside signs offering roofs "cleaned & painted from $2400" that say nothing about repairs. Without the repairs, it says, "any painting is as good as useless", because the roof will still leak.

How much does roof painting cost per m²?

Roof painting usually costs $18 to $30 per m² in Brisbane, according to Sparky's September 2026 guide. Rates elsewhere run higher or lower because they count different work: Service.com.au says most roof painters quote $35 to $50 per m², while hipages puts spray painting alone at $14 to $28 per m², before any preparation.

A per m² rate is the price for each square metre of roof surface. It covers the coating, not the ridge line (priced by the lineal metre) or broken tiles (priced by the tile).

Rates by roof type, from Brushworks' 2026 Sydney guide:

Roof type Cost per m² (Sydney, 2026)
Concrete tiles $25 – $50
Terracotta tiles $30 – $55
Colorbond steel $20 – $40
Corrugated iron $18 – $35
Heat-reflective coating $40 – $70

Sparky's guides put Queensland prices about 10% below Sydney's, so local rates often come in a little under these bands. By the hour, roof painters charge about $35 to $45 nationally, and Queensland is the lowest at around $35 (hipages).

How to work out your roof's area

Your roof is bigger than your floor plan, because it slopes and overhangs the walls. Three steps get you close:

  1. Measure the footprint, eaves included. House plans or a satellite view will do.
  2. Allow for the slope. Multiply the footprint by the factor for your roof's pitch below.
  3. Apply a rate. Multiply the roof area by a per m² rate, then add what an area rate leaves out: ridge work, broken tiles, rust, two-storey set-up and solar panels.
Roof pitch Multiply the footprint by
15° 1.04
20° 1.06
22.5° 1.08
25° 1.10
30° 1.15
35° 1.22

The factor is 1 divided by the cosine of the pitch angle, which is simple geometry.

Worked example: a single-storey home with a 180 m² footprint and a 22.5° tiled roof has about 195 m² of roof. At Sparky's Brisbane rate of $18 to $30 per m², the coating comes to about $3,500 to $5,850. Add ridge repointing on an average roof ($1,750 to $3,500 in our cost guide) and a few replaced tiles ($350 to $1,500), and the total is about $5,600 to $10,850. Our range for a medium tiled roof restoration is $6,500 to $9,500. A per m² sum is a budget, not a quote.

How much does it cost to paint roof tiles?

Painting roof tiles costs about $25 to $50 per m² for concrete and $30 to $55 per m² for terracotta in Brushworks' 2026 guide, and hipages puts the labour alone at $700 to $2,600, plus paint and sealant. On an older tiled roof, the bigger cost is usually what comes first: replacing cracked tiles and fixing the ridge caps. A complete tiled roof restoration typically costs $6,500 to $9,500 for a medium home and $9,000 to $13,000 for a larger roof.

Tiled roof item Typical cost Source
High-pressure roof clean $500 – $1,200 Our cost guide
Focused repair: damaged tiles replaced or a ridge cap reseated $350 – $1,500 Our cost guide
Ridge cap repointing $25 – $30 per lineal metre, about $1,750 – $3,500 on an average roof Our cost guide
Painting concrete tiles $25 – $50 per m² Brushworks, Sydney
Painting terracotta tiles $30 – $55 per m² Brushworks, Sydney

Three terms come up on most tile quotes:

  • Ridge capping is the row of curved tiles that covers the joins along the peaks and hips of a tiled roof.
  • Rebedding means lifting the ridge caps and setting them on a fresh bed of mortar.
  • Repointing means sealing the ridge caps with a new layer of flexible pointing that moves with the roof.

The ridge line decides a lot of tile prices. When the pointing cracks, rain gets into the roof space however good the tiles look, and fresh paint won't stop it. So we rebed the caps where the bedding has failed and repoint them before any coating goes on. Long ridges and hips cost more, because repointing is priced by the lineal metre. Our page on ridge capping repointing explains that work.

A tiled roof that has been painted before needs more preparation. Brisbane Roof and Paint says these roofs need a second clean once dry, to lift loose paint flakes, and a sealer or binder so the edges of the old paint don't curl up under the new coat. Expect that to show in the price.

"They did a phenomenal job bringing our tired roof back to life, including fully cleaning it and completely repointing the ridge caps. The ridge line looks incredibly clean and secure now, and the whole roof is completely watertight." (Julie, Google review)

How much does it cost to paint a Colorbond roof?

Painting a Colorbond roof costs about $20 to $40 per m² in Brushworks' 2026 guide, and hipages puts the labour alone at $700 to $1,700, plus paint. Rust is the big variable: a few spots at the screws are quick to treat, but widespread rust adds $40 to $70 per m² to the treatment stage (Sparky). A full metal or Colorbond roof restoration, with rust treated and failed screws replaced before the roof is sealed and recoated, typically costs $5,000 to $12,000 in our area.

Colorbond is steel sheet that BlueScope paints and oven-cures at the factory, so a repaint is a new coating over that factory finish.

Can you paint a Colorbond roof?

Yes. BlueScope's technical bulletin on overpainting Colorbond steel (TB-2) treats a full repaint as normal maintenance after years of service, or as a way to change colour. The same bulletin says overpainting voids any warranty BlueScope has issued on the steel. So if your Colorbond roof is fairly young and only dull or dirty, check its warranty, and consider a clean before you paint it.

Older Queenslanders usually have corrugated iron rather than Colorbond, Sparky notes. It's painted the same way, with more rust work: pre-Colorbond iron often has heavy rust at the fixings and overlaps that has to be ground back, treated and spot-primed first.

What does a metal roof repaint involve?

A metal roof repaint is four jobs, in this order:

  1. Wash the roof to strip the dirt, salt and chalky old finish, so the new coating can grip.
  2. Treat the rust back to sound metal. Paint over rust and the rust keeps working underneath.
  3. Replace failed screws, so water can't get in at the fixings.
  4. Prime, then coat the roof in the colour you choose.

We work in that order on every metal roof we restore.

"Alex from R&R Restorations gave me the best price of all the quotes, he turned up on time and did an awesome job, turned my old rusty roof to look brand new." (Rodney, Google review)

What affects the cost of painting a roof?

Roof area sets the base price. Pitch, height, the repairs needed, rust, the coating and access then move it, so two roofs of a similar size can get very different quotes. Here's how each one moves the price, and how we handle it in your quote.

Factor How it moves the price How we handle it
Roof area The biggest driver, because the coating is priced by area We check it when we assess the roof
Pitch and storeys Steep and two-storey roofs need extra safety equipment and set-up It's included in your quote, so there are no surprises
Broken tiles and ridge pointing Focused repairs $350 – $1,500; repointing about $25 – $30 per lineal metre Each repair is listed in the scope
Rust on metal roofs A few screw points are quick; widespread rust adds $40 – $70 per m² (Sparky) Rust treatment and screw replacement are listed in the scope
A roof painted before A second clean and a sealer or binder (Brisbane Roof and Paint) We check the roof's condition when we assess it
The coating A tub costs from $173 for 10 litres of acrylic roof paint to $346 for 20 litres of heat-reflective paint (hipages) The finish is named in your quote
Solar panels Removal and refit by a CEC-accredited electrician adds $800 – $1,700 (Sparky) Mention them when you enquire
Access Narrow side paths, steep driveways and limited parking slow the set-up We talk through access and parking before work starts

Which roof paint lasts longest?

In Brisbane's UV, a roof membrane or a heat-reflective coating lasts longest, at about 10 to 15 years, against 7 to 10 years for a standard acrylic, according to Sparky. A roof membrane is a thick, flexible roof coating made to seal the surface as well as colour it. A heat-reflective coating can cut a roof's surface temperature by up to 15°C on a hot day, and typically costs 20% to 30% more than standard roof paint (Sparky).

Coating type Price per litre Expected life in Brisbane
Standard acrylic $7 – $15 7 – 10 years
Premium acrylic $12 – $20 8 – 12 years
Heat-reflective $23 – $30 10 – 15 years
Roof membrane $15 – $25 12 – 15 years

Source: Sparky, Brisbane roof painting guide, September 2026.

Do you need roof painting or a roof restoration?

You need roof painting alone if the roof is sound and has simply lost its colour. If you can see cracked or slipped tiles, crumbling ridge pointing, rust or a leak, those have to be fixed first, and the job becomes a roof restoration. Roof painting is the final coat of a roof restoration; on its own, paint only hides faults for a season.

Roof painting means cleaning a roof, then applying a sealer or primer and new coats of roof paint. A roof restoration adds the repairs first.

Roof painting Roof restoration
What's done Clean, sealer or primer, new top coats Full clean, broken tiles replaced, ridge caps rebedded and repointed, rust treated and screws replaced, then sealed and recoated
Suits A sound roof that has faded Cracked tiles, failed ridge pointing, rust or leaks
Typical cost $2,000 – $10,000 (hipages, national) Tiled $6,500 – $9,500 medium, $9,000 – $13,000 larger; metal $5,000 – $12,000 (our cost guide)
What you get The colour back A watertight roof that looks close to new, for far less than a new one

If one fault is causing a leak, a focused repair at $350 to $1,500 may be all your roof needs; see our roof repairs. If the battens are rotten or most tiles are cracked, a new roof is the better spend, at about $25,000 to $45,000 for most family homes, and we'll tell you so. Our roof restoration service sets out every stage of the full job.

Is painting your roof worth it?

Yes, if the roof underneath is sound. A full tiled roof restoration at $6,500 to $13,000 costs a little over a quarter of the price of a new roof at about $25,000 to $45,000, comparing the middle of each range. A quality coating lasts about 10 to 15 years on tiles and 8 to 12 years on metal in Brisbane, according to Sparky. If the battens or frame have failed, no coating will save the roof, and the money is better spent on a replacement.

If you're selling, Brisbane Roof and Paint calls a roof restoration one of the most immediate ways to update a home before it goes on the market. We haven't found a reliable Australian figure for how much it adds to the sale price, so treat any number you're quoted with care.

How do you compare roof painting quotes?

Compare what each quote covers before you compare the totals, because a lower total often means less work. A quote you can compare names every stage, item by item.

Check What a good quote shows
Roof area and type The area in m², the material and the pitch
Cleaning The method, and that it covers the whole roof
Repairs How many tiles are allowed for, or how much rust treatment and how many screws
Ridge capping How many metres are rebedded, and how many are only repointed
Coating The sealer or primer, the top-coat product, the number of coats and the colour
Safety and access Two-storey or steep-roof set-up included, not added later
Extra work How extra work found on the roof is priced, and any solar panel costs
GST and terms Whether GST is included, and the product and warranty terms for the finish in writing
A licence you can check A QBCC licence number you can look up on the QBCC licensee register

Our quotes are itemised to make this easy. Each one names the roof areas, the preparation method, the repair work and the finish, with any exclusions and how we handle extra work found during the assessment.

What are the warning signs of a bad roof painting quote?

The warning signs are a price that skips the preparation, and a trader you can't check. On 30 November 2025, Queensland Police warned that travelling roof restoration scammers were targeting elderly and vulnerable residents across the state with offers of low-cost roof work. Watch for:

  • a door-knock, flyer or roadside sign offering unusually cheap roof work (Queensland Police);
  • a "from" price with no repairs listed, and no ABN or licence number (Brisbane Roof and Paint);
  • one coat, where other quotes allow for a primer or sealer and two top coats;
  • paint over rust or cracked tiles, with no repair line in the quote;
  • a deposit above the QBCC cap below, cash up front, or pressure to sign the same day.

Police advise checking a business's credentials before you arrange any work. Check us the same way: our licence is QBCC Licence No. 15404087.

What deposit can a roof painter ask for in Queensland?

In Queensland, a roof painter, like any contractor, can ask for no more than a 10% deposit on work worth $3,301 to $19,999, and no more than 20% on work up to $3,300. The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) sets the caps by the value of the work.

Value of the work Maximum deposit Example
$3,300 or less 20% A $2,500 repaint: no more than $500 up front
$3,301 to $19,999 10% A $7,000 roof painting job: no more than $700 up front
More than $20,000 5% A $30,000 new roof: no more than $1,500 up front

Source: QBCC, Deposits and progress payments, last reviewed 27 June 2025.

The QBCC also says a contractor can't claim more than 50% of the contract price, deposit included, until at least half of the work on site is done.

When is the best time to paint a roof in South East Queensland?

April to November is the easiest window, according to Sparky's Brisbane guide, because the December to March wet season brings afternoon storms that make roof painting stop-start. Each stage needs dry weather: the wash, 24 to 48 hours of drying, then the primer and each top coat, with drying time in between. Nationally, hipages names spring and autumn as the best seasons.

We agree access, weather and timing with you before work starts. If rain comes in, we pause and tell you when the next step can go ahead.

How do we price your roof painting?

We look at your roof before we give a price, then send an itemised quote, so you know exactly what you're paying for. We price roof painting per roof, as part of the whole job: the clean, any repairs, then the sealer and the coating in the colour you choose. Here's what happens, in order.

  1. You send your enquiry. Tell us your suburb, the roof type and what you've noticed. Photos taken safely from the ground help, and are optional.
  2. We assess your roof. We check its material, condition, pitch and access. If we need to visit, we arrange a time with you.
  3. You get the scope and quote. It sets out the areas, repairs, preparation and finish included, with any exclusions and possible changes made clear.
  4. We schedule the work. We agree access, weather and timing with you before work starts, so you know what happens and when.

For a faster, more accurate first answer, tell us:

  • your suburb;
  • the roof type: concrete tile, terracotta, Colorbond or another metal roof;
  • what you've noticed: faded colour, moss, cracked tiles, crumbling ridges, rust or a leak;
  • whether the roof has been painted before;
  • whether the house is single or two storeys, and if the roof is steep;
  • whether there are solar panels on the roof.

We're owner-operated by Alex Rowe, and our customers rate us 5.0 from 10 Google reviews.

"He took the time to explain everything and made the entire process completely stress-free. The quality of his work is outstanding and my roof looks absolutely fantastic!" (Jaida, Google review)

Is R&R Restorations right for your roof?

We're right for you if you own a home in our area with a tile or Colorbond roof that's faded or tired but structurally sound, and you want it cleaned and repaired before it's painted. We're not right for you if you want the lowest paint-only price with no preparation, or if the roof is past saving.

We're a good fit if:

  • your home is on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane or Logan, or in the Tweed and Northern Rivers;
  • your roof is concrete tile, terracotta or Colorbond, and it's faded, mossy, cracked, rusty or leaking at the ridges, but the frame and battens are sound;
  • you're comparing quotes and want one that's itemised, so you can check it line by line;
  • you're not sure whether the roof needs a coat of paint or the full job, and want a straight answer;
  • you'd like to deal with the owner: our reviews name Alex for the price, the timing and the finished roof.

We're not the right fit if:

  • you want a quick coat of paint over the top. Paint on its own only hides faults for a season, so we clean, repair and prime a roof before we coat it;
  • your roof is past saving, with rotten battens, most tiles cracked or sheets rusted through. A coating won't fix that, and we'll tell you so before you spend money on one;
  • your Colorbond roof is young and still under BlueScope's warranty. Painting it would void that warranty, and a roof clean may be all it needs;
  • you're outside the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Logan, and the Tweed and Northern Rivers.

Frequently asked questions

How long does paint last on a roof?

In Brisbane, Sparky expects about 10 to 15 years from a quality coating on a tiled roof and 8 to 12 years on metal, because UV here is harsher than in southern cities. North- and west-facing slopes fade first. The preparation underneath matters as much as the product.

Does painting a roof stop leaks?

No. Leaks come from cracked tiles, failed ridge pointing, rusted sheets or failed screws, and paint over them only hides the cause for a season. The fix is the repair first, then the coating.

Can I paint my roof myself to save money?

You can buy roof paint from about $173 for 10 litres (hipages), but most of a professional price is labour, safety set-up and repairs. Working on a roof carries a real risk of falls, and hipages notes that professionals also spot the parts of the roof that need repairing.

Is $30,000 too much for a roof?

For roof painting, yes, by a long way. Even a large roof is $5,000 to $15,000 to paint (hipages), and a full tiled roof restoration is $6,500 to $13,000 in our cost guide. For a new roof, $30,000 sits inside the usual range of about $25,000 to $45,000 for most family homes.

Is it cheaper to paint or replace a metal roof?

Painting is far cheaper, as long as the sheets are sound. A metal or Colorbond roof restoration costs $5,000 to $12,000 in our cost guide, against about $25,000 to $45,000 for a new roof on most family homes. Sheets that have rusted through need replacing, because a coating won't seal a hole.

Do solar panels have to come off to paint a roof?

Usually, for a proper job. Sparky puts removal and refitting by a CEC-accredited electrician at $800 to $1,700. Mention the panels when you ask for a quote, so that cost is in it from the start.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes, we're licensed and insured. Our licence is QBCC Licence No. 15404087, and we give you our insurance details with your quote.

Get a price for your roof

Send us your suburb, your roof type and a couple of photos taken from the ground. We'll tell you whether your roof needs a fresh coat or a full roof restoration, then give you an itemised quote you can compare line by line.

Get a roof painting quote, or call us on 0422 630 075.

Sources

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