It’s the question that every homeowner asks at some point – How much will it cost to repaint my roof?
As with many things related to maintaining your home, there is no standard answer, but this article will break down the different factors involved, in a way that’s easy to understand.
That said the short answer is that generally the price of a roof paint will be around:
- $20 – $40 dollars per square metre
- A quarter of the price of a full roof replacement
But ultimately, there are several factors that will determine what the final cost of a typical Auckland roof repaint is.
So let’s dive in and learn what these factors are.
What’s your roof made of?
Firstly, depending on the roofing material used on your roof, there are different processes which impact cost. Here’s a few examples.
Iron Roofs
Iron roofs at a reasonably easy pitch are the cheapest to paint, depending on how much prep work to do. This prep work includes things like:
- Replacing iron sheets
- Rust treatment
- Replacing flashings
- Replacing screws
- Removing ‘lead head’ nails and replacing these with new screws.
- Using and oil based Galvanised iron primer or an acrylic one
Concrete roofs, concrete roof tiles
Typical prep work for a concrete roof may include:
- Repointing ridge caps and barge caps as well as flush gables, which can adds further cost
- Replacing old or damaged concrete tiles
Repointing means resealing the ridge capping mortar when the existing mortar is cracking and at risk of allowing water in, which can spell (an expensive!) disaster.
If the concrete roof is brand new, it will need a sealer coat, base coats etc – all in preparation for the final top coat, and a better finish!
Decramastic Roofs
Then there’s also the older decremestic roofs, which tend to be more expensive to paint as the process is more involved.
- We need to apply a Bituminous primer before applying a new chip texture that may have washed away over the years
- Pop the dents out of tiles
- Replace tiles that can not be repaired
Moss Treatments and Water Blasting
Regardless of the roof type, before any painting happens we have to treat all roofs with a moss, mould and lichen treatment then water blast as well. This is standard preparation work that any quality roof painter will do.
The age of the roof.
Unsurprisingly roof age is a contributing factor on the roof painting price.
Some really old roofs can make it difficult to find replacement iron because they’re not making that iron anymore.
The Size of the Roof will also dictate cost
Very large roofs are more cost effective,so they’ll get a slightly cheaper price per square metre.
The opposite applies when it comes to smaller roofs.
The pitch that plays a major role in the price.
The pitch of a roof basically refers to how steep the angle of the roof is, and is a major factor when determining the cost of a roof re-panting.
Steeper pitched roofs are more difficult to manage and generally more dangerous to work on.
How long does it take to paint a roof?
Generally roof will take three to five days to do it – but again, it can vary depending on it’s condition, roof type, pitch etc
What about guarantees when getting your roof painted?
You should generally expect a 15 year guarantee, but it can vary depending on the state of the original roof, in particular the amount of rust, whether it has been painted before and the substrate condition the new paint will be being applied to.
Ongoing maintenance is important – homeowners should carry out a moss and mould treatment every two years or so, this will stop moss growing on the roof which damages the paint, it will also improve the aesthetic of the roof.
Quality Roof Coatings offers this as part of their maintenance package. This also includes cleaning out gutters, making sure they’re clear etc
What to look for in a roof painter.
Here in NZ, there are a lot of cowboys who paint roofs, so it’s critical that you ask a few questions of any potential roof painter.
Can they walk on roofs properly?
Sounds like a strange question to ask but the ability to walk across a roof without damaging it is super important!
Are they just painters?
Painting is the easy part – as with any paint job the key is in the preparation – fixing any issues, clearing, removing rusty nails etc. It’s easy to slap a coat of paint over these, but the reality is this type of paint job will only last a year or so before the original issues come back again.
What preparation are they doing?
Make sure the person you are getting to paint your roof is following all the above preparation methods
Check their reviews
As usual, check their online reviews to understand what their clients are saying.
Give them a call
Give a roof painter a call – and ask them questions. Ask as many as you can with respect to your roof. Ask what preparation work needs to be done etc. You’ll quickly get an insight into their levels of skill and experience.
What are their warranties
QRC will always come back if there’s any issues with leaks within five years, if it’s due to something they could have picked up on or it’s pretty hard to tell if there’s a leak or not sometimes, but we will always do that.
Overall it’s really important that you get someone who looks after the whole job, actually looks after roofs, rather than just paints anything, because roof painting is a specialised skill.
If you want to have a chat with someone or get a quote to get your roof repainted, contact QRC and our team will be happy to help!
