Guides
How to Choose a Roofing Company in Melbourne: A 10-Point Checklist
By the IronPeak Roofing team · 6 July 2026 · 6 min read
Roofing has a trust problem, and we understand why: it is work most homeowners cannot inspect themselves, on a part of the house they cannot safely reach, quoted by companies that vary wildly in quality. Every month we are called to redo "restorations" that were little more than paint over failing mortar.
This checklist is the one we would hand a family member comparing quotes — including quotes against ours. Any legitimate Melbourne roofer should pass all ten points without hesitation.
The 10-point checklist
- A real ABN you can look up — check it free on ABN Lookup (abr.business.gov.au). No ABN on the quote is a walk-away sign. Ours is 26 234 494 245, on every document.
- Public liability insurance with a certificate — ask to see the certificate of currency, not just a verbal "we're insured". We carry $20 million cover and supply documentation with every quote.
- An itemised, written, fixed quote — a single number in a text message is not a quote. You should see scope line by line: cleaning, tiles replaced, metres of rebedding, coating system, number of coats.
- A written workmanship warranty — separate from the paint manufacturer's warranty, and from a company likely to still exist when you need it. Ours is 10 years, in writing.
- An actual roof inspection before the price — nobody can price your roof accurately from the street. Expect on-roof or drone assessment with photos you get to keep.
- Verifiable reviews — read Google reviews with names and job details, and be wary of profiles with a burst of five-star reviews in a single week.
- A physical local presence — an address and a real local base, not just a mobile and a Facebook page. We operate from Coolaroo and service 27 Greater Melbourne suburbs.
- Reasonable deposit terms — modest deposits are normal for materials; walk away from anyone wanting most of the money before work starts.
- Straight answers about products — a professional can tell you exactly which membrane, pointing compound and primer they use and why. We use Shieldcoat, Nutech and Dulux AcraTex systems.
- No door-knock pressure — the "we noticed your roof while working next door, today-only price" routine after storms is Melbourne's most reliable sign of trouble. Genuine roofers are booked; they do not need to hard-sell strangers on doorsteps.
Why the cheapest quote usually loses the comparison
When three quotes differ by thousands, the difference is nearly always scope, not margin. One company priced full rebedding, repointing and a three-coat membrane; another priced a wash and one coat of paint. Line the quotes up item by item and the "expensive" one is often the only complete one.
A restoration done properly adds 15–20 years of life. Done cheaply, you pay again in two.
Questions worth asking on the day
- Who is actually on my roof — your employees or a subcontractor I have never met?
- What happens if you find broken tiles or rotted timber mid-job? (The answer should be: photographed, priced, approved by you before proceeding.)
- How do you protect gutters, gardens and solar panels during the work?
- What does the warranty exclude, and is it transferable if I sell the house?
Where IronPeak fits
We built this company around passing exactly this checklist: free photo-documented inspections, itemised fixed quotes, $20m insurance, premium Australian-made materials and a written 10-year workmanship warranty on every job since 2008. If you are comparing roofers anywhere across Greater Melbourne, we are happy to be one of the quotes on your table.