Guides
Repointing vs Rebedding: What Does Your Tile Roof Actually Need?
By the IronPeak Roofing team · 11 June 2026 · 5 min read
If a roofer has told you that your roof needs "repointing and rebedding" and you nodded along without knowing the difference, you are in good company. They are two separate jobs, they fail in different ways, and knowing the difference helps you understand exactly what you are paying for.
Bedding: the mortar that holds ridge caps on
Your ridge caps — the curved tiles running along the top and hips of the roof — sit on a bed of cement mortar. That is the bedding. Over decades of Melbourne heat, frost and roof movement, the mortar cracks and breaks down, and ridge caps work loose.
Loose ridge caps are not cosmetic. In a strong northerly they can lift or slide entirely, and every gap is a water entry point. Rebedding means removing the caps, stripping the failed mortar, laying a fresh mortar bed and reseating each cap properly.
Pointing: the flexible seal over the bedding
Pointing is the finishing layer applied over the bedding to lock the ridge caps down and seal the joint. Older homes used a cement wash that cracks as the roof expands and contracts. Modern flexible pointing compounds move with the roof, which is why they last decades instead of years.
Repointing replaces that cracked, flaking layer with fresh flexible pointing, colour-matched to your roof. If the bedding underneath is still solid, repointing alone is often enough.
How to tell which one your roof needs
From the ground, look along your ridge lines for these signs:
- Cracked or flaking pointing along ridge caps — repointing territory.
- Chunks of mortar in your gutters or on the ground — bedding is breaking down.
- Ridge caps that look crooked, lifted or misaligned — bedding has likely failed and rebedding is needed.
- Water stains on ceilings near the ridge line after storms — get an inspection promptly.
What it costs in Melbourne
Combined repointing and rebedding on a typical Melbourne home runs $2,500 – $5,500 depending on how many lineal metres of ridge are involved and how much bedding has failed. We confirm the exact scope with a free roof inspection — drone-assisted where useful — and fix the price in writing before starting.