Roof repointing: what it is and when tiles need it

Published 17 September 2026 · Updated 13 October 2026

What roof repointing is

A tile roof’s ridges (along the top) and hips (down the corners) are covered by rounded capping tiles. They sit on a bed of sand and cement mortar, and a coloured layer called pointing is pressed over the joint to seal it and hold the caps. A Sydney roofing contractor’s repointing page puts it simply: bedding is the “sand-cement mortar bed” and pointing is “the coloured flexible layer over the top”.

Repointing is replacing that top layer. Most roofers now use a flexible pointing compound rather than the hard cement pointing on older roofs. Monier, a roof tile manufacturer, says flexible pointing “is used to fix ridge capping, enhancing security in high winds.”

Repointing vs rebedding

Repointing alone only works if the bedding underneath is sound. If the caps move when pushed or the mortar under them has crumbled, the roofer lifts the caps, lays a new mortar bed, re-sets them and then points over the top. That’s rebedding, and it costs more because it’s slower. Monier’s FAQ says that when ridge or hip capping mortar cracks or breaks, “Capping should be re-bedded or re-pointed”, and the roofer decides which once they’ve checked each cap.

Signs your ridge capping needs repointing

Northern Beaches roofs take wind-driven rain from southerlies and east coast lows, and that’s when failed pointing shows up as a leak near the top of the house. The Sydney contractor’s page lists these signs, and most can be checked from the ground or the roof space:

• “Mortar crumbs or coloured granules in the gutters after rain”
• “Visible cracks along the pointing lines”
• “Caps that move when pushed” (a roofer’s check, not yours: stay off the roof)
• Daylight or a draught at the ridge when you look up from inside the roof space
• A leak near the top of the roof that seems to move around

Use binoculars from the street or a neighbour’s yard rather than a ladder. SafeWork NSW’s code of practice for housing construction treats work with a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres as high-risk construction work, and a two-storey ridge above a steep Beaches block is well past that.

How a roofer repoints a ridge

On a typical job the roofer checks each cap, scrapes out loose and cracked pointing, rebeds any section where the bedding has failed, cleans the joint and then presses the new pointing on with a trowel, leaving weep holes so trapped water can drain.

Flexible pointing has its own rules. Selleys’ technical data sheet for its Point Works compound says the bedding should have “cured for at least 12 hours (15°C or higher)” first, that it must be “free of all holes and defects”, and not to use the product “if rain is likely within 2 hours”. It also says AS 2050, the tile installation standard, “requires all ridge and hip tiles to be fastened”, and that its compound qualifies as an adhesive mechanical fastener under the 2002 edition of that standard. Ask the roofer how the caps will be fixed on your roof.

What roof repointing costs in Sydney

We found no Northern Beaches roofer that publishes a repointing price. These are Sydney contractors’ published figures, each shown with its publisher. A per-metre rate makes it easy to sanity-check a quote: measure the ridges and hips roughly from a plan or aerial photo and multiply.

Published ridge capping prices, per job and per metre

Two Sydney contractors’ undated pages, checked 1 October 2026; neither says whether GST is included.

Published per-metre rates for repointing and rebedding

A Sydney contractor’s add-on rates, dated April 2025 and stated to include GST, checked 1 October 2026. They are about 18 months old, so treat them as a guide to what’s itemised rather than today’s price.

Expect the price to rise with a second storey, a steep pitch, scaffold, a long hip-and-valley roof and how much rebedding the caps need. More repair prices are in the roof repair cost guide.

How long repointing lasts

No standard or manufacturer we found gives a life span for pointing. The Sydney contractor whose prices are above says on its page that a proper rebed with flexible pointing “typically lasts 10 to 15 years”, and that pointing laid over failed bedding “often cracks within a year or two”. Those are one roofer’s figures, but they make the point: a cheap repoint over loose caps doesn’t last.

If the roof also has cracked tiles, moss or a faded coating, it can be cheaper to do the ridges as part of a restoration than to pay for access twice. Where tiles are crumbling across whole sections, ask about replacement instead.

Who can repoint a roof in NSW

NSW Fair Trading’s roof tiling licence covers tiles, tile bedding and pointing, flashing valleys, sarking and battens. A contractor licence is needed for work valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials, including GST, and a written contract is needed over that amount. Check any roofer’s licence on the Service NSW licence register.

Common questions