What a roof plumber actually does
Most people find out roof plumbing exists at the point something has already gone wrong, and the confusion is understandable: it sits between two trades most of us have heard of. A general plumber deals with the pipework inside your house. A roofer deals with the roof surface. A roof plumber deals with everything that carries water off the roof and into the stormwater system, and in New South Wales it is a separate licensed class of work for good reason.
That covers guttering and downpipes, valley irons, all the flashing around chimneys, skylights, vents and walls, box gutters and their overflows, rainheads and sumps, rainwater tank connections, and the installation of metal roof sheeting itself. Most of the persistent leaks we get called to are roof plumbing faults rather than roof surface faults, which is why the two are worth understanding as different problems.
This is roof plumbing work when
- Gutters overflow, sag, leak at the joins or have rusted through
- Water gets in around a chimney, skylight, vent pipe or where the roof meets a wall
- A box gutter backs up, or you are not sure whether yours has a working overflow
- A valley iron has rusted and is leaking into the roof space
- Downpipes are undersized, disconnected or dumping water against the footings
- You are having metal roof sheeting installed or replaced
You want a different trade when
- The problem is a tap, toilet, hot water unit or a pipe inside the house
- It is a blocked stormwater line underground rather than at the roof
- Tiles are cracked or slipped and the metalwork is fine
- The ceiling itself needs repairing after a leak has been fixed
We will tell you plainly if the job you are calling about is not ours. Sending you to the right trade costs us a job and saves you a wasted callout fee.
What does a roof plumber cost in Newcastle?
Small roof plumbing jobs are priced as a job rather than by the hour: re-sealing a flashing, replacing a short run of gutter, refitting a downpipe. These generally land in the low hundreds once someone is on site with a ladder and the right materials.
Bigger pieces of work scale with length and access. Replacing all the guttering and downpipes on a house is usually a low-thousands job, driven by the metres of gutter, the number of downpipes, the height, and whether the fascia behind the old gutter has rotted and needs attention while it is exposed. Valley iron replacement means lifting and re-bedding the tiles either side, so it costs more than the sheet of metal suggests.
Box gutters are their own category and worth a separate conversation, because a box gutter that is undersized or has no working overflow is a flooding risk rather than a maintenance item. We would rather look at it and tell you what you have than quote that one over the phone.
Roof plumbing in a salt air environment
Metal is the first thing to go near the water, and roof plumbing is almost entirely metal. From Stockton around through Merewether, Redhead, Belmont and Swansea, gutters, brackets, flashings and fasteners corrode years ahead of the roof surface they are attached to. The most common false economy we see is new guttering fitted with fasteners and brackets that are not matched to it, which sets up a galvanic reaction and eats the join long before the gutter itself wears out. If you are getting quotes near the coast, ask what the brackets and fasteners are made of, not just the gutter.
Common questions
What is the difference between a roofer, a plumber and a roof plumber?
A plumber handles the pipework inside your house. A roofer handles the roof surface, the tiles or sheeting. A roof plumber handles everything that moves water off the roof: gutters, downpipes, flashing, valleys, box gutters and metal roof sheeting. In New South Wales roof plumbing is separately licensed.
Do I need a licensed roof plumber for guttering?
Yes. Guttering, downpipes, flashing and rainwater goods are roof plumbing work and are licensed as such in New South Wales. It also matters for insurance: unlicensed work on a job that later causes water damage can complicate a claim.
What is a box gutter and why do people worry about them?
A box gutter is a wide gutter that sits within the roof structure rather than at the edge, common on older commercial buildings and on some renovated houses. Because it sits inside the building line, when it overflows the water goes into the building rather than over the side. That is why the overflow provision matters so much more than it does on a normal gutter.
Can you fix a leak around my skylight or chimney?
Yes, that is flashing work and it is one of the more common calls we get. Water getting in at a penetration is usually a failed or badly formed flashing rather than anything wrong with the roof around it.
Do you connect rainwater tanks?
Yes, the roof side of it: gutter connections, first flush diversion and the downpipe work. The tank overflow and any connection into the house supply may involve general plumbing as well, and we will tell you if that is the case for your setup.
Related services
Gutter replacement, downpipes and gutter guard. Blocked gutters are behind a surprising share of the leaks we get called to.
Learn moreColorbond steel roofing, supplied and installed. Lighter than tile, quick to install, and it holds up well to the salt air along the coast.
Learn moreA stain on the ceiling or a drip during last night's rain. Call us and we will come and look at it, find where the water is actually getting in, and make it safe.
Learn more
Thinking about roof plumbing?
We will come and look at the roof, photograph what we find and put a price in writing. Free, across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.