Colorbond or tiles: choosing the material for a new Warragul roof

For a new or replacement roof in Warragul, Colorbond steel is the lighter, quicker option and is the usual choice when an old tiled roof is replaced with metal, while concrete or terracotta tiles suit owners who want to keep a tiled look on the house or the street. The two materials sit under different rules: metal roof coverings are licensed plumbing work in Victoria, and tile coverings are not. Swapping one material for the other can also bring in a building permit that a like-for-like replacement would not.

This page is about choosing the covering for a new roof. If you are still deciding whether the existing roof can be saved, start with our guide to whether you should repair, restore or replace your roof.

How do Colorbond and tile roofs compare?

Factor	Colorbond steel	Concrete or terracotta tile
Weight on the frame	Light sheets fixed to battens or purlins	Much heavier, the frame has to be designed for it
Look	Long straight sheets, many colours, a modern or farmhouse look	Individual tiles, the traditional look on many older brick and weatherboard homes
Rain noise	Louder unless there is blanket insulation under the sheets	Quieter in heavy rain
Installation	Fewer, larger pieces, usually quicker to lay	Many small pieces, slower, with ridge and hip capping bedded and pointed
Ongoing upkeep	Watch for scratches, rust at cut edges, fixings and flashings	Watch for cracked or slipped tiles and ridge pointing
Walking on it	Possible with care on the fixing lines	Tiles can crack underfoot
Who does it	A licensed roof plumber in the roofing (stormwater) class	A roof tiler, with flashings and gutters still done as plumbing work
Relevant standard	AS 1562.1 for metal roof and wall cladding	AS 2050 for installing roof tiles
Changing from the other material	May need a building permit	May need a building permit

The table describes each material in general terms. Lifespans, insulation values and warranties vary by product, so ask the provider for the manufacturer’s documents for the exact sheet or tile being quoted.

What does a Colorbond re-roof cost?

Melbourne figures from What’s The Damage (its October 2026 update, GST included) put Colorbond re-roofing at $84 to $190 per square metre, measured over the roof surface. That is a Melbourne band, and a Warragul price will depend on the roof area, pitch, storeys, strip-off and access. This site does not publish a tile re-roofing band, so price tiles from written quotes, and you can ask for both materials to be priced side by side on one enquiry. Our Warragul roofing cost guide sets every published band side by side, and the metal re-roofing service page covers how a metal roof replacement is run.

When does Colorbond make more sense?

• The frame is tired or was built for a light roof. A sheet roof puts far less load on old rafters than a full set of tiles.
• The existing roof is corrugated iron. Replacing old iron with pre-finished steel sheeting keeps the same type of covering.
• The pitch is low. Each sheet and tile product states a minimum pitch, and on skillion additions, verandahs and rural sheds the tile options may run out first. Ask for the product’s figure.
• You want fewer joints. Long sheets have fewer laps for water to find in wind-driven West Gippsland rain.
• You collect rainwater. If the house feeds a tank, as some rural blocks around Neerim South, Darnum and Nilma do, talk to the provider about the gutters, downpipes and tank connection, which are plumbing work under the same roofing class.

When do tiles make more sense?

• The house already has tiles and a frame designed for them. Like-for-like replacement generally avoids a building permit, and the look of the house stays the same.
• Street character or a heritage overlay applies. Councils can control changes in material or appearance under a Heritage Overlay.
• Rain noise matters to you. Tiles are quieter over bedrooms in heavy rain.
• Only part of the roof is failing. On a sound tiled roof, a tile roof restoration may be all that is needed, and it costs less than replacement.

What licences apply to each material?

Under Part 4 of the Plumbing Regulations 2018, the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) treats work on metal roof coverings as roofing stormwater work, which is plumbing. The BPC roofing stormwater page also says the class does not include roof coverings of non-metallic tiles, timber, concrete, glass, bitumen or slate. So a Colorbond roof should be installed by a licensed roof plumber, or by a registered plumber working under one. A tile roof is laid by a roof tiler, but its flashings, valleys and gutters are still plumbing work. Where plumbing work is worth more than 750 dollars, the licensed plumber issues a compliance certificate.

For the full set of checks before you sign, our checklist for hiring a roofer lists them in order. Providers who respond to an enquiry through this site run their own businesses and carry their own licences, and the about page explains how a referral works.

Does changing from tile to Colorbond need a permit?

Often it does. Victorian council guidance gives a clear pattern:

• Hume City Council says changing the material of a roof, such as replacing a tiled roof with zinc or Colorbond, needs a building permit, while replacing tiles with new tiles does not.
• The City of Monash says replacing corrugated iron with Colorbond or other pre-finished sheeting is treated as like-for-like and does not need a building permit, while replacing corrugated iron with concrete or terracotta tiles does.

Baw Baw Shire Council’s own guidance is that nearly anything that is built needs a building permit. Confirm your case with a registered building surveyor or the council before work is booked. The full permit picture, including overlays and owner-builder rules, is in our guide to roof replacement permits in Warragul.

Does bushfire risk change the choice?

It can. AS 3959 sets construction requirements for buildings in bushfire-prone areas, including resistance to embers, radiant heat and flame contact. Some properties in the hills north and south of Warragul may be in a designated bushfire-prone area or under a Bushfire Management Overlay, while many town blocks are not. Look up your address on VicPlan, which maps planning zones and overlays, and ask your building surveyor whether a bushfire attack level assessment applies to the new roof. Do not assume either material automatically meets the requirement; it depends on the full roof system and its details.

What will a careful provider check before quoting?

• The condition and spacing of the existing battens and rafters, and whether the frame suits the new covering.
• The roof pitch against the minimum the chosen sheet or tile allows.
• Whether the house was built or renovated before 1990, when asbestos was common in roof sheets, capping and eaves.
• Gutter size, downpipe positions and any rainwater tank connection.
• Sarking and insulation under the new covering.
• Whether a permit or an overlay applies, before a contract is signed.

A provider who will not look at the frame, or who quotes a material change with no mention of a permit, has skipped steps.

If you get one quote for each material, ask both providers to price the same items: strip-off, sarking, insulation, flashings, gutters and disposal. Otherwise the cheaper-looking option may simply be the one that left more out.

Next step: ask for a material comparison quote

To get both options priced on your house, ask for a Colorbond versus tile quote and include:

• your town or suburb and the year the house was built, if known
• the current roof material and whether it is one or two storeys
• whether you are leaning towards Colorbond, tiles, or want both priced
• any colour or profile in mind, and whether you collect rainwater
• whether you know of a heritage or bushfire overlay on the property
• a few photos of the whole roof from the ground and of any problem areas

A provider can then come back with a like-for-like comparison and flag any permit question early.

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