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How to read a roofing quote

Most of the gap between two roofing quotes hides in a handful of lines. Some of those lines are set by state law.

Every figure verified on or after

Checklist 3 min read Published

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.

The six things to check on a roofing quote A schematic roofing quote with six numbered callouts: the licence or registration number, the written scope and contract, the roof area and rate per square metre, old roof removal as its own line, what is excluded, and the deposit staying within the legal cap. 1 Licence or registration no. 2 Written scope and contract 3 Roof area and rate per m² 4 Old roof removal as its own line 5 What is excluded 6 Deposit within the legal cap
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
Where the paperwork rules start Contract values at which state licensing, contract and insurance rules begin. QLD: licence and contract: $3,300; NSW: written contract: $5,000; VIC: registered domestic builder: $10,000; NSW: Home Building Compensation: $20,000; VIC: Home Warranty insurance: $20,000 (contract value). QLD: licence and contract $3,300 NSW: written contract $5,000 VIC: registered domestic builder $10,000 NSW: Home Building Compensation $20,000 VIC: Home Warranty insurance $20,000 $0 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000
Show the numbers
ItemValueSource
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 Consumer Affairs Victoria, Domestic Building Consumer Guide
NSW: Home Building Compensation $20,000 NSW Government, contracts for residential building work
VIC: Home Warranty insurance $20,000 Consumer Affairs Victoria, Domestic Building Consumer Guide

Official figures. Source: Queensland Building and Construction Commission, when you need a licence; NSW Government, contracts for residential building work; Consumer Affairs Victoria, Domestic Building Consumer Guide.

In Queensland, building work over $3,300 must be performed by an appropriately licensed person and accompanied by a contract. In Victoria, the builder must be registered and use a major domestic building contract when the work costs more than $10,000, and from July 2026 Home Warranty insurance applies to work costing more than $20,000. Then check the licence or registration number 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 for work worth 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
Maximum deposit by state and contract size Deposit caps as a percentage of the contract price, by state and contract size. QLD: Work valued at $3,300 or less: 20%; QLD: Level 1 contract, $3,301 to $19,999: 10%; QLD: Level 2 contract, more than $20,000: 5%; NSW: Any residential building job: 10%; VIC: Contract under $20,000: 10%; VIC: Contract of $20,000 or more: 5% (% of the contract price). QLD: Work valued at $3,300 or less 20% QLD: Level 1 contract, $3,301 to $19,999 10% QLD: Level 2 contract, more than $20,000 5% NSW: Any residential building job 10% VIC: Contract under $20,000 10% VIC: Contract of $20,000 or more 5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Show the numbers
ItemValueSource
QLD: Work valued at $3,300 or less 20% Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments
QLD: Level 1 contract, $3,301 to $19,999 10% Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments
QLD: Level 2 contract, more than $20,000 5% Queensland Building and Construction Commission, deposits and progress payments
NSW: Any residential building job 10% NSW Government, contracts for residential building work
VIC: Contract under $20,000 10% Consumer Affairs Victoria, deposits and payments for building work
VIC: Contract of $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 means you cannot recover the excess under the Home Warranty Scheme.

Victoria's contract rules are being rewritten. The Domestic Building Contracts Amendment Act 2025 takes effect by 1 December 2026, and lets deposit limits be set in regulations, so check the current cap with Consumer Affairs Victoria before you pay a Victorian deposit.

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.

Quoting roofs yourself? The licence number and a written scope are worth showing on your own site too. Our website plan for roofers builds a site around them.