Colorbond, concrete tile or terracotta

How do the three compare, new and restored?

The restoration rates are published for tile and for metal, not for each brand of tile, so terracotta sits in the tile row. Where a source has not published a figure, the table says so instead of guessing one.

Is the cheapest roof to install the cheapest to own?

Not on these numbers. Concrete tile wins on installation, then loses ground at restoration time: Singh Roofing quotes $45 to $70 per m² for tile against $40 to $60 per m² for metal, and puts the difference down to an aged tile roof needing more preparation before it is coated. Across a whole house that gap reads as $5,500 to $11,000 for concrete tile against $4,000 to $8,000 for Colorbond.

Neither figure tells you how long a roof lasts before it needs that work, and no source we checked publishes an honest figure for it, so we have not printed one.

Which steel suits a coastal house?

Roofing Calculator HQ lists Colorbond Ultra for coastal sites at $140 to $200 per m², above classic Colorbond at $120 to $170 per m². Two quotes can both say "Colorbond" and be for different products, so ask for the product name in writing and check it against the manufacturer's guidance for your distance from the coast.

Does wind change the choice?

In cyclonic areas the fixings matter as much as the covering. Cyclonic areas are wind regions C and D, and the QBCC guide for repairing sheet metal roofs there works to C2 (61 m/s). If the house sits in one of those regions, ask which wind class the quote is fixed for before you compare materials. Our wind classification guide explains the classes.

What if the roof you are replacing is old fibro?

A house built before 1990 is likely to contain asbestos. That changes who may take the old roof off and what it costs, well before the choice of new covering matters. See the asbestos removal rules.