If you are getting quotes for a full roof replacement in Perth, the free assessment is the part that decides whether the number you eventually receive is real or a guess. It is worth knowing what a good one looks like.
The short version: at Perth Re-Roofing the assessment happens in two stages. You submit an enquiry through our website and we prepare a rough estimate from satellite imagery, usually back to you within a few days, with nobody visiting your home. Only if that number works for you does our estimator come to site for the full physical assessment, which takes 45 to 90 minutes and produces a fixed-price quote. There is no cost and no obligation at either stage.
Why we split it into two stages
Most roofing companies do one of two things. They either quote over the phone without seeing anything, which produces a number that changes the moment someone climbs a ladder, or they send a salesperson to your house before you have any idea of the budget, which means you sit through a pitch for a job you might never have wanted.
Neither is a good use of your Saturday morning.
Splitting the process means you get a realistic ballpark before you commit any time to it. If a full re-roof is not where you thought it would land, you find that out from an email rather than from someone sitting at your kitchen table. If the number does work, the site visit is then a genuine technical assessment rather than a sales call.
Stage one: the satellite estimate
We start with high-resolution aerial imagery of your property. From that we can measure your roof area accurately, identify the current material, see the roof geometry, and count the complications like valleys, hips, skylights and solar panels.
What you get
- An estimated price range for a full replacement on your specific roof, not a generic per-square-metre figure
- Confirmation of your roof area in square metres
- An indication of the likely conversion type, for example tile to Colorbond, asbestos to Colorbond, or a tin to tin replacement
- Notes on anything visible from above that will affect the job
What it cannot tell us
This matters, so we say it upfront. Satellite imagery shows the top surface of your roof and nothing underneath it. It cannot tell us the condition of your battens, purlins or roof timbers, whether there is sarking, how the tiles have been fixed, or what state the gutters and flashings are in.
On an older Perth home those things are frequently the difference between the bottom and the top of a price range. That is exactly why the estimate is presented as a range and why we do not treat it as a quote.
How to start it
Submit an enquiry through our quote request form with your address and a few details about your roof. We prepare the estimate from there and come back to you, usually within a few days. You can also call us if you would rather talk it through first.
Not sure you even need a replacement yet?
Plenty of people are at an earlier stage than pricing. They have noticed a leak, or the tiles look tired, or a neighbour just re-roofed, and they do not know whether their roof is genuinely at the end of its life or has another decade in it.
If that is you, start with our free online roof check. It walks you through a short set of questions about the age, material and condition of your roof and tells you whether a full replacement is likely to be warranted. It does not give you a price, and it is not a quote request. It is there to help you work out whether you need one of these assessments in the first place.
If it points toward a replacement, come back and request an estimate. If it does not, you have saved yourself the exercise.
Stage two: the on-site assessment
If the estimate is in the right territory, we book our estimator to attend. This is the real assessment.
How long it takes: 45 to 90 minutes for a typical residential property. Larger or two-storey homes take longer.
Whether you need to be home: yes, ideally. Most of the work happens outside and in the roof space, but there are questions worth asking you directly, and you will want to see what the estimator finds rather than reading about it later.
What you need to do to prepare: very little. Clear access to the manhole or roof space hatch if there is one, make sure side gates are unlocked, and put the dog inside.
What the estimator actually checks
This is the part that separates a real assessment from a walk-around. Expect them to look at:
- The roof surface up close. Tile condition and type, cracking, previous repairs, how many times it has been repointed, or on a metal roof, corrosion at the laps and fixings.
- What is underneath, where access allows. Battens, purlins and rafters, evidence of past leaks, water staining, sagging, rot or termite damage, and whether sarking is present. Where a property has safe roof space access, the estimator will use it. Not every home does, and on some roof types the condition underneath can be assessed adequately from above.
- Structural condition. Whether the existing frame can take the new roof as is, or needs battens or timbers replaced. On tile to Colorbond conversions the new roof is much lighter, which is usually straightforward, but the frame still has to be sound.
- Gutters, downpipes, fascias and flashings. These are often at the end of their life at the same time as the roof, and replacing them during a re-roof costs a fraction of doing it separately later.
- Insulation. What is there, what condition it is in, and what is worth installing while the roof is off.
- Ventilation. Whirlybirds, vents and roof space airflow.
- Penetrations. Skylights, aerials, solar panels, evaporative air conditioning units, flues and vents. Each one is a detail that has to be flashed properly and each one affects the price.
- Access and site constraints. Where scaffolding goes, where a skip can sit, overhead power lines, tight side access, neighbouring properties and how close the boundary is.
- Asbestos. If your home was built before 1990 the estimator will identify whether asbestos cement sheeting is present on the roof or in the eaves, because that changes the scope, the licensing and the price. You can read more on our asbestos roof replacement page.
What you should be asking while they are there
A good estimator will not mind any of these. Ask them anyway.
- Is the quote fixed, or are there provisional sums? If there are, what triggers them and how much are they?
- What did you find, and can you show me a photo of it?
- Did you get into the roof space? If not, what are you basing the structural allowance on?
- Does my roof frame need any work, and is that included in the price?
- Are gutters, downpipes and flashings included or extra?
- Who is actually doing the work, and are you a Registered Building Contractor?
- What is covered by the material warranty versus the workmanship warranty, and for how long?
- What happens if it rains partway through? Is my roof left open?
- How long will the job take, and when could you start?
What happens after the site visit
You receive a written, itemised, fixed-price quote. It should specify the Colorbond profile and colour, the insulation, what happens to your gutters and downpipes, any structural works identified, whether scaffolding is included, and the removal and disposal of the old roof.
The number should not be a surprise after seeing the estimate. Where it moves, it moves because of something the estimator physically found, and you should be told what that was.
Warning signs during an assessment
Regardless of who you get quotes from, be cautious if:
- The whole thing takes ten minutes and nobody gets close to the roof. A price on a job this size needs measuring, not a look from the driveway.
- You are given a price on the spot with a discount that expires today. A fixed price on a $30,000 to $70,000 job requires measuring and thinking.
- The quote has a provisional sum on structural works with no cap. That is an open cheque.
- They will not tell you whether they are a Registered Building Contractor. Residential building work over $20,000 that needs a building permit legally requires one.
- They push restoration on a roof you were told elsewhere needs replacing, without explaining why.
Is it really free, and is there any obligation?
Yes and no, in that order. Both the satellite estimate and the on-site assessment are free, and there is no obligation to proceed at either stage. We do full roof replacements only. We do not sell restorations or repairs, so if your roof genuinely does not need replacing yet, we will tell you that and you have lost nothing but a phone call.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a free roof assessment take in Perth?
After you submit an enquiry, the satellite estimate usually comes back within a few days. The on-site assessment takes 45 to 90 minutes for a typical residential property, and longer for larger or two-storey homes.
Do I need to be home for the roof assessment?
Ideally yes. The estimator needs access to the roof space, and there are questions about what you want from the new roof that are quicker to answer in person. If you are an investor or the property is tenanted, we can coordinate access with your property manager instead.
Will someone go into my roof space?
Usually, where the property has safe access to it. What sits under the roof covering is not visible from aerial imagery, so it is worth inspecting when it can be. Not every home has usable roof space access, and on some roof types the estimator can assess condition adequately from above. If they do not go in, ask what they are basing the structural allowance in the quote on.
Do you use a drone or get on the roof?
It depends on the property, the roof type and what can be done safely. The estimator will use whatever gives an accurate picture of the roof condition, which may mean a ladder, roof access, or inspecting from a vantage point where climbing is not safe or necessary.
Why do I get an estimate first instead of a quote?
Because an honest fixed price requires physically inspecting the roof and the roof space. The satellite estimate gives you an accurate area measurement and a realistic price range so you can decide whether to take it further, without having to host a site visit first.
Is the quote fixed or can it change?
Our quotes are fixed. We assess the structure before quoting rather than after, so the price is not adjusted mid-job when the roof comes off. If something genuinely unforeseeable emerges, we tell you before we proceed and you approve it in writing.
How long is the quote valid for?
Ask for this in writing on any roofing quote. Steel and material pricing moves, so a quote from months ago may no longer stand. We will state the validity period on yours.
Do I have to pay for the assessment if I do not go ahead?
No. Both stages are free and there is no obligation.
Book your assessment
Start with the free online roof check for a satellite estimate, or request a quote and we will get in touch. We service the full Perth metro area from Osborne Park.
Perth Re-Roofing is a Registered Building Contractor, BC106884, specialising exclusively in full roof replacements: tile to Colorbond, asbestos to Colorbond, and tin to tin.