Replacing a tiled roof with metal in Perth: cost, permits and what to ask

Updated 10 November 2026. Sources are listed at the foot of the page.

In May 2024 a Perth homeowner asked r/perth what it would cost to swap the tiles on a single-storey 3x2 for a corrugated metal roof. They had guessed $10,000 to $20,000. The replies came back at $30,000 to $60,000, and one person who had collected real quotes said theirs ran from $55,000 to $80,000.⁴ The owner wrote that the plan was "going down the gurgler pretty fast".

Part of that gap is work you can't see from the street: the frame, the tie-downs, the permit. This page covers those, so the first quote you get makes sense.

What Perth owners reported paying

These are anonymous comments from one 2024 Reddit thread, not a price guide.⁴ Prices have moved since. They are here because there is no independent, current Perth price list for this job, and a rough range beats a guess of $10,000.

The last row works out at $5,000 ÷ 32 m², about $156 a square metre. Multiply that by 250 m² and you get about $39,000, which sits inside the other estimates. That is a straight sum, not a quote: a small section and a whole house are priced differently.

Another commenter put it plainly: the shape and the peaks of your roof drive the cost. A simple hip roof and a roof with six valleys and a second storey are different jobs.

What goes into a tile to metal re-roof

Every roofer scopes it a little differently, so use this as a checklist when you compare quotes. If a line is missing from a quote, ask whether it is included.

• Tiles off and taken away. Concrete tiles are heavy. Ask whether removal and disposal are in the price.
• Frame check and straightening. Roof timbers sag over time. Building and Energy WA suggests the written quote says whether straightening the roof members is included.¹
• New battens and tie-downs to suit a lighter roof (more on this below).
• A blanket or sarking under the sheets. One Perth owner's tip: it cuts rain noise on a metal roof and adds insulation.⁴
• The sheets, flashings and ridge capping.
• Gutters and downpipes. Often replaced at the same time. Building and Energy WA says to have someone check that gutters, downpipes and drainage can carry the water away.¹
• Solar panels off and back on. Disconnecting and reconnecting a system is electrical work, and in WA all electrical work has to be done by a licensed electrician.³ Ask who arranges that and whether it is in the price.

Tie-downs: the part you can't see

A tiled roof is held down partly by its own weight. Take the tiles off and put on metal, and the roof is far lighter, so the wind can lift it. Building and Energy WA says it knows of several roofs that lifted off or collapsed after the roof cover was changed, where no permit was in place and the roof was not tied down properly.¹

The same factsheet warns about one common fix. Open-hook J-bolts are often used for extra tie-down in a re-roof, but their hooks tend to straighten at much less uplift than they are meant to resist. They may need to go on every rafter where there is no other tie-down or the old one has degraded.¹ Ask each roofer exactly what tie-down they will fit, and who signs it off.

Permits and the registered builder rule

• When the new roof covering is a different weight or shape from the old one, a building permit will likely be required.¹
• It is an offence to start that re-roofing work before the permit is granted.¹
• Building work over $20,000 that needs a permit must be done by a registered builder, or you need owner-builder approval.¹
• The permit authority is generally your local government.¹ For most of the suburbs we cover that is the City of Joondalup. Part of Woodvale is in the City of Wanneroo (see Woodvale).
• Anyone can apply for the permit, but the builder named on it is responsible for the work meeting building standards.¹

What the permit costs in Joondalup, and how long it takes

The fees are set by the state, so every council charges the same rates, the City of Wanneroo included.⁵ They are a percentage of the job's value including GST, as the council assesses it.⁵ There are two ways to lodge an application.⁶

Fees and levy: Building and Energy WA.⁵ Application types and assessment times: City of Joondalup.⁶ Checked 10 November 2026.

Three worked sums, using two job values from the range owners reported above:

• A $40,000 re-roof, uncertified. 0.32% of $40,000 is $128. Add the $61.65 levy. Total: $189.65.
• A $60,000 re-roof, uncertified. 0.32% of $60,000 is $192. The levy is 0.137% of $60,000, which is $82.20. Total: $274.20.
• Either job, certified. 0.19% comes to $76 and $114. Both are under the minimum, so the fee is $121. With the levy, that is $182.65 or $203.20. The private building surveyor charges their own fee on top.

One more levy still shows up in older guides: the Construction Training Fund's 0.2%. Since 1 July 2026 it applies only to work worth more than $100,000. Before that, the line was $20,000.⁷

On timing, the City of Joondalup says it assesses a certified application within 10 working days and an uncertified one within 25, counted from when it has all the information it needs. It prefers applications lodged through its online portal.⁶ Work cannot start until the permit is granted,¹ so ask the roofer how many weeks the permit adds to their start date.

So on a job this size the council's fees come to a few hundred dollars. Ask each roofer whether the permit fees, and a building surveyor's fee if they use one, are in the quote.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure, ring your council's building team before any work starts. The City of Joondalup is on (08) 9400 4000.⁶

Living near the beach

Salt air is hard on steel. Lysaght, a BlueScope brand, says standard COLORBOND® steel suits near-marine sites 201 to 400 metres from breaking surf. For severe coastal sites, 100 to 200 metres from breaking surf, it points to COLORBOND® Ultra steel.²

That matters most for the streets nearest the water in Sorrento and Hillarys. If you are that close, or closer, ask the roofer which product the manufacturer recommends for your exact distance and what it means for the warranty.

Questions to ask every roofer

1. Who applies for the building permit, and which registered builder is named on it?
2. What tie-downs are you fitting, and is there an engineer's or builder's sign-off?
3. Is straightening the frame included, or priced only if needed?
4. Are new battens, a blanket or sarking, and new gutters and downpipes in the price?
5. Who disconnects and reconnects the solar, and is that in the price?
6. Which steel grade suits my distance from the beach?
7. Can I see your insurance certificate? (Building and Energy WA suggests checking insurance and impartial reviews.)¹
8. What is the deposit? Over $7,500 it can be no more than 6.5%.¹

Is metal better than tiles?

This site doesn't sell either, so here is the straight version. A metal roof is lighter, and the owner who started that thread said that in their experience metal cools down faster than their black tiles in summer. The case against is mostly cost, and rain noise, which a blanket under the sheets reduces.⁴

If your tiles are sound and you mainly want the roof to look better, a restoration may be the right job instead, at a much lower price. A good roofer will tell you that on the visit. If one doesn't, get a second opinion.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to change a roof from tiles to COLORBOND® steel?

In one 2024 r/perth thread, commenters estimated $30,000 to $60,000 for a single-storey 3x2, and one owner's quotes that year ran from $55,000 to $80,000.⁴ Those are anonymous reports, not a price list. Your number depends on the size and shape of your roof and the timber under the tiles. The reports are in the table above.

Can I change my roof from tiles to COLORBOND® steel?

Usually, yes. The frame has to be checked, the roof tied down for the lighter cladding, and a building permit is likely.¹

Is it worth replacing a tile roof with COLORBOND® steel?

It depends on what is wrong with the tiles. If they are sound and you mainly want the roof to look better, a restoration may be the right job, at a much lower price. If the roof has to be replaced anyway, metal is lighter, and the case against it is mostly cost and rain noise.⁴ The longer answer is above.

Is $30,000 too much for a roof?

For a whole house going from tile to metal, no. In the 2024 thread, $30,000 was the bottom of the range commenters gave for a single-storey 3x2, and one owner's quotes that year started at $55,000.⁴ For a small or simple roof it could be high. The test is whether two written quotes list the same work: tiles off, battens, tie-downs, blanket, gutters and the permit.

What is the average cost of replacing a roof in Perth?

We have not found an official average for Perth, and we do not publish one of our own. A re-roof is priced on the roof itself: its size, its pitch, the number of hips and valleys, and the state of the timber. The owner reports above are the most direct public numbers we know of, and they are from 2024.⁴

Do I need a building permit?

Likely, when the new covering is a different weight or shape. Starting before it is granted is an offence.¹

How much is a building permit for a re-roof in Joondalup?

On a $40,000 job lodged uncertified, the application fee is $128 (0.32%) and the Building Services Levy is $61.65. That is $189.65 in total.⁵ The full sums are above.

How long does a building permit take in Joondalup?

The City says within 10 working days for a certified application and within 25 for an uncertified one, once it has all the information it needs.⁶

What happens to my solar panels?

They come off and go back on. The electrical side must be done by a licensed electrician.³

How much deposit can a roofer ask for?

No more than 6.5% on work over $7,500.¹

Ask a local roofer to look at your roof

If you would like a price, fill this in and we will pass it to one roofer who does tile to metal work in your suburb. They ring you to arrange a time to see the roof, then give you a written quote. It costs you nothing, and whether you go ahead is up to you.

Sources

1. Building and Energy (WA Government), Changing your roof cover? Things you need to know (factsheet). Checked 10 Nov 2026.
2. Lysaght (BlueScope), When to choose COLORBOND® Ultra steel. Checked 10 Nov 2026.
3. WA Government, Having electrical work done. Checked 10 Nov 2026.
4. r/perth, Replacing a tile roof with a corrugated metal roof: how much in Perth? (thread and replies, May 2024). Anonymous comments, not verified. Checked 10 Nov 2026.
5. Building and Energy (WA Government), Building approvals (Building Act fees and the Building Services Levy). Checked 10 Nov 2026.
6. City of Joondalup, Requirements for building applications (application types, lodging, assessment times, contact details). Checked 10 Nov 2026.
7. Construction Training Fund (WA), An introduction to the CTF levy. Checked 10 Nov 2026.