When an inspection earns its keep in Sydney
After hail, even if nothing's leaking
A sample study after the April 1999 hailstorm found roughly 62% of buildings had roof damage. The December 2018 storm brought 136,424 insurance claims, 30,738 of them for home buildings. Cracked tiles and dented metal are hard to see from the ground, and a leak may not show until the next long rain.
Before buying a terrace or Federation home
Paddington's terraces date mainly from 1870 to 1895, and their roofs have seen timber shingles, slate, corrugated iron and zinc-coated steel. NSW's heritage inspection schedule gives slate a life of 50+ years, terracotta 40 and steel 20 to 40, with an inspection every 7 years. Knowing which you're buying, and its state, changes the budget.
Looks like slate, might be asbestos
Asbestos cement 'slates' about 4 mm thick were made in Australia from the late 1800s to the 1980s, often to replace real slate while keeping the look. Only a NATA accredited lab test can confirm it. ASSEA also notes that pre-purchase building inspections generally don't cover asbestos.
Salt on coastal metal
Near the surf or the exposed harbour, the heritage inspection schedule's checklist for steel roofs is a good guide: loose sheet edges, rust stains around fittings, and dissimilar metals meeting at flashings. Those are the first places salt air shows.
What a useful Sydney roof report covers
Photos of every roof face, the ridge and hips, the valleys, flashings at chimneys and walls, and the gutters. A look inside the roof space for water stains, damaged sarking and daylight where it shouldn't be. Then a plain list of what needs doing now, what can wait a year or two, and rough costs.
For an insurance claim, Moneysmart says to photograph and video damage before anything is moved, and if a claim is denied you can ask for copies of the reports the insurer relied on. A roofer's dated photos help either way. Our pages on roof reports and drone inspections explain the formats.
What to ask before booking an inspection
- Will I get a written report with photos, and how soon after the visit?
- Will you go into the roof space as well as look at the outside?
- Can you tell slate from asbestos cement, and will you say if a sample should be tested?
- Do you do insurance reports for hail and storm damage?
- Do you also quote for repairs, and if so, will the report keep the two separate?
Our take
We'd book an inspection within weeks of any hail that hit our suburb, before the cracks become leaks and while the claim is fresh. Buying an older Sydney home, we'd pay for a roof report on top of the general building inspection and ask specifically about asbestos. Otherwise, once every five to seven years is plenty. Our national roof inspections page covers what's involved, and the Sydney hub covers local conditions.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.