How to Read a Roofing Quote Before You Sign

Check six things: the roof area and rate per m², whether removal of the old roof is priced, the licence or registration number, a written contract where the law requires one, the exclusions, and the deposit. Deposits are capped at 10% in New South Wales, and in Queensland and Victoria the cap falls as the contract gets bigger.

A quote does not have to look like this, but it does have to answer these six things. Each one is explained below.

Does the quote show the roof area and the rate?

A total with no area behind it cannot be compared with anything. Ask for the measured roof area and the rate per square metre, then check the rate against published ranges: Roofing Calculator HQ lists $120 to $170 per m² for Colorbond and $70 to $120 per m² for concrete tile, while Yellow Pages puts the market average at $80 to $230 per m². Two quotes measured on different areas will differ by thousands for reasons that have nothing to do with price. The calculator turns an area and a material into a range in a few seconds.

Is removal of the old roof its own line?

This is where published guides disagree most. Roofing Calculator HQ puts strip-off at $8 to $14 per m², calling it a point to negotiate, while Yellow Pages puts removal and disposal at $20 to $50 per m². If your quote bundles removal into the rate, you cannot tell which of those you are paying. Ask for it split out, with disposal named.

Is the contractor licensed or registered for a job this size?

Where the paperwork rules start contract value

Show the numbers

Item	Value	Source
QLD: licence and contract	$3,300	Queensland Building and Construction Commission, when you need a licence
NSW: written contract	$5,000	NSW Government, contracts for residential building work
VIC: registered domestic builder	$10,000	Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria), what is domestic building work
NSW: Home Building Compensation	$20,000	NSW Government, contracts for residential building work

Official figures. Source: Queensland Building and Construction Commission, when you need a licence; NSW Government, contracts for residential building work; Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria), what is domestic building work.

In Queensland, building work over $3,300 must be performed by an appropriately licensed person and accompanied by a contract. In Victoria, a domestic builder must be registered for domestic building work costing more than $10,000, so ask whether your job counts as domestic building work. Then check the number itself with the state regulator rather than the business's own website.

Is there a written contract?

In New South Wales a written contract is required for residential building work over $5,000 including GST, and Home Building Compensation cover is required more than $20,000. Queensland requires a contract on work over $3,300. A roofing job clears these thresholds easily, so a one-page emailed price is not the finished paperwork.

Is the deposit inside the legal cap?

Maximum deposit by state and contract size % of the contract price

Show the numbers

Item	Value	Source
QLD, $3,300 or less	20%	Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments
QLD, level 1 contract	10%	Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments
QLD, level 2 contract	5%	Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments
NSW, any residential job	10%	NSW Government, contracts for residential building work
VIC, under $20,000	10%	Consumer Affairs Victoria, deposits and payments for building work
VIC, $20,000 or more	5%	Consumer Affairs Victoria, deposits and payments for building work

Official figures. Source: Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments; NSW Government, contracts for residential building work; Consumer Affairs Victoria, deposits and payments for building work.

A deposit above the cap is not a negotiating position, it is a breach of the rule the cap sits in. In Queensland, paying more than the lawful deposit also reduces your cover under the Home Warranty Scheme.

What does the quote leave out?

Exclusions belong in writing. On a re-roof the usual ones are gutters, scaffolding and access, structural repairs found once the old roof is off, insulation, and anything asbestos. Each has its own guide here: gutters, asbestos and wind class fixings.

Five things worth a second look

A deposit above the state cap.
No licence or registration number anywhere on the document.
A lump sum with no roof area and no rate.
"Removal included" with no quantity and no disposal named.
A discount for paying cash and skipping the written contract.

Contract, licence and deposit rules on this page come from official regulator pages in three states, linked below. Other states set their own thresholds, and we have not checked those yet.

Sources

Industry Yellow Pages, How much does roof replacement cost? [2026]: Average roof replacement cost per square metre in Australia, varying with the roofing material and how complex the job is. Checked 2026-09-12.
Industry Yellow Pages, How much does roof replacement cost? [2026]: Removal and disposal of the old roof per square metre, with tile removal usually costing more than metal. Checked 2026-09-12.
Industry Roofing Calculator HQ, roof replacement cost (updated 28 April 2026): Installed price per square metre for a Colorbond classic-profile re-roof. Checked 2026-09-12.
Industry Roofing Calculator HQ, roof replacement cost (updated 28 April 2026): Installed price per square metre for concrete interlocking roof tiles. Checked 2026-09-12.
Industry Roofing Calculator HQ, roof replacement cost (updated 28 April 2026): Strip-off price per square metre for steel or single-layer tile, described as a point to negotiate. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Queensland Building and Construction Commission, when you need a licence: In Queensland building work valued over $3,300 must be performed by an appropriately licensed person and accompanied by a contract. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments: Maximum deposit in Queensland for building work valued at $3,300 or less. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments: Maximum deposit in Queensland for a level 1 contract, valued from $3,301 to $19,999. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments: Maximum deposit in Queensland for a level 2 contract, valued at more than $20,000. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official NSW Government, contracts for residential building work: In NSW builders and tradespeople must provide a written contract for residential building work priced over $5,000 including GST. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official NSW Government, contracts for residential building work: In NSW Home Building Compensation cover is required where residential building work is worth more than $20,000. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official NSW Government, contracts for residential building work: Maximum deposit that can be requested for residential building work in NSW. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Consumer Affairs Victoria, deposits and payments for building work: Maximum deposit in Victoria for a domestic building contract under $20,000. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Consumer Affairs Victoria, deposits and payments for building work: Maximum deposit in Victoria for a domestic building contract of $20,000 or more. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria), what is domestic building work: In Victoria a domestic builder must be registered to perform domestic building work costing more than $10,000. Checked 2026-09-12.
Official Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments: Paying more than the lawful deposit reduces your protection under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme. Checked 2026-09-12.