Hiring a roofer in Warragul: a pre-signing checklist

Before you sign with a roofer in Victoria, check four things: that the person is on the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) register in the right class for the job, that you will get a compliance certificate for plumbing work over 750 dollars, that the contract is in writing with a clear scope, and whether Home Warranty applies to the price. The checklist below takes you through each one in the order you will meet them, from the first phone call to the day the scaffold comes down. Print it, or keep it open while you read each quote.

Why does the type of roof change the checks?

Victoria splits roofing into two kinds of work. Metal roof coverings, flashings, gutters and downpipes count as roofing stormwater work, a plumbing class run by the BPC. Tile, slate and other non-metal coverings sit outside that class, although the flashings and gutters on a tiled roof are still plumbing. So a Colorbond re-roof needs a licensed roof plumber, while re-pointing ridge caps on a concrete tile roof is a roof tiler’s job. Most of the checks below apply to both; the ones marked plumbing apply where metal, flashing or gutter work is involved.

The checklist

Step	What to check	Done
1	Licence or registration number written on the quote
2	BPC register search matches the name and business
3	Licence class covers roofing (stormwater) for plumbing work
4	No conditions or disciplinary outcomes that concern you
5	BPC photo ID card sighted
6	Compliance certificate promised for plumbing over 750 dollars
7	Plumbing insurance confirmed
8	Written contract, and a major domestic building contract over 10,000 dollars where required
9	Home Warranty Notice of Cover where the work exceeds 20,000 dollars
10	Scope, exclusions and variation rates in writing
11	Safety plan for working at height
12	Asbestos question answered for older homes
13	Clean-up, disposal and final inspection agreed

1. Get the number in writing

Ask for the licence or registration number on the written quote, next to the business name and ABN. A verbal assurance is no use when you sit down to search the register.

2. Search the BPC register yourself

Use the BPC’s Find and check a practitioner page. You can search by name, business name, number, location or type of work. Make sure the person on the register is the person or company named on the quote.

3. Check the licence class (plumbing)

The BPC says a practitioner must be registered or licensed in each class of plumbing work they intend to do. For metal roofing, flashings and roof drainage, that is the roofing (stormwater) class. A licence in another class, such as water supply or gasfitting, does not cover roof work. A registered plumber can do the work only under the supervision of a licensed plumber.

4. Look at conditions and enforcement history

On the same BPC page, open the Compliance and Enforcement Register. It shows certain disciplinary and prosecution actions against builders, plumbers and companies. The BPC notes that not every complaint or inspection appears there, so a clean result is a good sign rather than a guarantee.

5. Ask to see the photo ID card (plumbing)

According to the BPC’s guide to engaging a plumber, every licensed and registered plumber is issued a photo ID card that lists the type of plumbing work they can do, and you can ask to see it at any time. Check the classes on the card when the plumber arrives, including for any worker the business sends in their place.

6. Confirm the compliance certificate (plumbing)

A compliance certificate is required where the total value of plumbing work, including materials, labour and GST, exceeds 750 dollars. Only a licensed plumber can issue one. The BPC says it goes to the customer within five days of finishing the work and is lodged with the BPC within the same period. Write on the quote that a certificate will be provided.

7. Confirm plumbing insurance (plumbing)

The BPC’s plumbing insurance page says licensed plumbers must hold insurance for work that needs a compliance certificate, and the cover has to run until 6 years after the certificate is issued. The certificate is your evidence that the work is covered, which is one more reason to insist on it.

8. Get the contract in writing

Consumer Affairs Victoria explains what work requires a building contract: domestic building work worth more than 10,000 dollars needs a written major domestic building contract, and the business needs BPC registration for that work. Jobs that involve only one listed trade, plumbing among them, are an exception. Whether your particular roof job falls under the exception is worth asking the provider and checking with the BPC. Even on a small job, Consumer Affairs recommends a written contract.

9. Check Home Warranty

For contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026, the BPC says Home Warranty may apply to eligible domestic building work valued at more than 20,000 dollars. The registered builder must pay the premium before the earlier of 10 business days after the contract is signed or the start of work, and you should then receive a Notice of Cover. The BPC also warns that Home Warranty does not protect you if you use an unregistered builder for work that needs a registered one. A full roof replacement can pass this threshold; see the bands in our Warragul roofing cost guide.

10. Pin down the scope

The quote should name the roof area or lengths, the materials, strip-off and disposal, access equipment, and a rate for any rotten battens or broken tiles found during the job. Ask how variations are approved: in writing, before the extra work is done.

11. Ask how they will work at height

WorkSafe Victoria’s compliance code on preventing falls in housing construction covers controlling falls both from more than 2 metres and from 2 metres or less. Ask whether the quote includes scaffolding, edge protection or harness anchor points, and who is responsible for setting it up. A provider who plans to walk a steep two-storey roof with nothing in place is a provider to pass on.

12. Raise asbestos on an older house

If the house was built or renovated before 1990, ask whether any roof sheets, capping, gutters or eaves could contain asbestos. That work belongs with a licensed asbestos removalist, and the roofer should say so before quoting a strip-off.

13. Agree how the job finishes

Agree who removes old materials, where the skip goes, whether gutters will be cleared of debris and whether you will walk the job together at the end. Hold the final payment until the certificate and any warranty documents are in your hands.

What should make you walk away?

• No licence or registration number, or one that does not match the register.
• A cash-only price with no written quote.
• A large deposit before any materials are ordered.
• Unsolicited door-knocking after a storm.
• Reluctance to show the BPC photo ID card.
• A refusal to put the scope or variations in writing.

How does this site fit in?

This website passes an enquiry to an independent local provider, which then inspects, quotes and contracts with you directly. Nothing in that process replaces the checks above, and the provider’s licence is theirs to show you. The about page explains the referral in detail, and the permit side of a re-roof is covered in our guide to roof replacement permits in Warragul. If you are not sure what the roof needs before you start comparing providers, a written roof inspection gives every quote the same starting point. When you have photos ready, you can start a roofing enquiry at any stage of this list.

Next step: send an enquiry you can check against this list

When you send a roofer enquiry for your Warragul home, include:

• your suburb and the roof material, so the right kind of provider responds
• what the job is, for example a leak, gutters, a restoration or a full replacement
• whether you want the licence number and a compliance certificate confirmed on the quote
• the number of storeys, which affects the safety setup
• the approximate year the house was built, for the asbestos question
• several clear photos of the problem area

Then run the provider’s details through steps 1 to 5 before you agree to anything.

Send a job enquiry