Quoting app for roofers in New South Wales
Re-roofs, restorations and gutters. Sumitt turns the look-over into a clean roofing quote your client accepts, e-signs and pays on, from their phone.
Every rule and rate below for New South Wales is read from Sumitt's own tables when this page renders, not written for it.
The rules in New South Wales that Sumitt already knows
Every rule below is read, when this page renders, from Sumitt’s own law tables: the ones the quote builder, the variation composer, the extension-of-time notice and the payment-claim generator run on, and its table of the Security of Payment Acts of the states it builds no claim for. Sumitt warns and never blocks, and the page moves the day a table does.
Deposit cap in New South Wales
The law in New South Wales caps a deposit at 10% of the contract price for residential building work over $5,000, by the reasonable market cost of its labour and materials (Home Building Act 1989, s 8 and Sch 1 cl 2(3)(a), and Home Building Regulation 2014, cl 12).
Check it applies to your contract.
In New South Wales the deposit cap applies to residential building work over $5,000, by the reasonable market cost of its labour and materials, and to specialist work done in connection with a dwelling at any value, such as electrical wiring work, or plumbing and drainage work other than roof plumbing work. For other work of $5,000 or less, a deposit of about 10% is common practice, not law.
Sumitt's default deposit is 10% of the total including GST. Sumitt warns you when a deposit goes over the line, and it never changes the deposit you set.
Home Building Act 1989, s 8 and Sch 1 cl 2(3)(a), and Home Building Regulation 2014, cl 12
Licence line in New South Wales
Sumitt carries a licence line for New South Wales at $5,000: a quote over it with no licence number on file gets a warning in the builder, because work over that value may need a licence there. Whether your trade's work is licensed in New South Wales is yours to check. It warns, it does not block.
Security of Payment claims in New South Wales
Sumitt turns an overdue invoice into a payment claim under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW). The client has 10 business days to give a payment schedule, or less if the contract says so.
The claim carries the endorsement wording the Act requires.
A claim can be served from the last day of the month the work was first done in, and of each month after that, or from an earlier day in the month your contract sets, or from the day the contract is terminated (s 13(1A) to (1C)). One claim a month for the work done that month, unless your contract allows more (s 13(5)). It must be served within 12 months after the work it covers was last done, or the longer period your contract allows (s 13(4)).
Homeowner jobs are covered in NSW for contracts signed from 1 March 2021. The Act gives you no entitlement to a progress payment if you contracted to do the work without the contractor licence it required (Home Building Act 1989, s 4), or did residential building work under the contract without the home building insurance, and the certificate of it given to your client, that s 92 of that Act requires (Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999, s 8(2)).
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW)
Variations in New South Wales
In New South Wales the Home Building Act's variation term (Sch 2, Pt 1, cl 1) binds a contract for residential building work over $5,000 including GST (ss 7AAA and 7AA, and the Home Building Regulation 2014, cl 5), but not a subcontract between licence holders (ss 7(8) and 7AAA(5)), a contract with a developer (s 7AA(1A)) or urgent work (s 6(2)). A contract for only internal painting, or only laying floor coverings other than tiles without structural change, is not residential building work (Sch 1, cl 2(3)(g) and (k)). Sections 7 to 7E also apply to a variation as a contract of its own, on its own price (s 6(1)(b)).
An agreement to vary the contract, or its plans and specifications, must be in writing, signed by or on behalf of each party (Sch 2, Pt 1, cl 1(2), a term s 7E puts in the contract).
A variation priced over $5,000 including GST must itself be in writing, dated and signed by or on behalf of each party, and state both parties' names (yours as your licence shows it), your licence number, a description of the work, any plans and specifications, and its price if known (s 7AAA(2) and (3)). Over $20,000, s 7(1) and (2) apply instead, with more to state (Home Building Regulation 2014, cl 5).
A change agreed only on site falls short of what the Act asks of it, and leaves the price of the extra work as your word against the owner's. The signed variation is the record that proves it. A variation priced over $20,000 including GST that is not in writing, or does not describe its work sufficiently, is unenforceable by you, and you are not entitled to damages or any other remedy for the owner's breach of it (s 10(1)(b)).
The law asks for a variation in writing and signed (Sch 2, Pt 1, cl 1(2); for one priced over $5,000, s 7AAA(2) or s 7(1)); signing it before the varied work starts is the practice that wins disputes, and Sumitt flags a running job that has an unapproved variation on it.
Sumitt structures the variation, records your signature as you send it and collects the owner's at the link, a record you keep, not legal advice. Where your contract sets its own variation process, follow it too.
Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) ss 6, 7, 7AAA, 7AA, 7E and 10, and Sch 2 Pt 1 cl 1; Home Building Regulation 2014 (NSW) cl 5
Extensions of time in New South Wales
In New South Wales the contract sets the extension-of-time window. Sumitt's notice defaults to 10 calendar days from the day the delay ended, shows the countdown, and asks you to check the contract's own figure.
A template you serve in your own name, not legal advice. Your contract's own extension-of-time clause governs the window and the grounds, so check it and keep a copy of everything.
Sumitt provides software and templates, not legal, financial or tax advice. Check what applies to your contract.
What the work costs in Sydney / NSW metro
Sumitt's Sydney / NSW metro card runs materials at 1.06 and labour at 1.14 against the national card at 1.00. Outside the metro the Regional (freight + travel) card applies: materials 1.08, labour 1.03.
| Job | Cost | Floor | Healthy | Premium | Healthy, Sydney / NSW metro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal re-roof (Colorbond)per m² · benchmark scope: 180 m2 colorbond reroof | $88 | $104 | $126 | $147 | $136 | Check your rate |
| Tile roof restorationper m² · benchmark scope: 160 m2 tile roof restoration | $49 | $57 | $69 | $81 | $73 | Check your rate |
National figures per unit, ex GST, derived from Sumitt’s 2026 rate cards priced over the benchmark scope shown under each job; the last column prices the same scope on the Sydney / NSW metro card. Cost is the benchmark cost of doing the work before any margin, and Floor, Healthy and Premium are the sell rates that land those margins. Not a survey of what anyone else charges, and nothing here reflects what any Sumitt user charges. How to read it, and the method, are on the index.
Built for roofers
Every figure here is read from the Roofing rate card, takeoff engine and hazard library inside Sumitt when this page renders, so it cannot say more than the product does.
The rate card
19 lines in 6 groups, 3 with a grade or billing basis to pick. Size field: Roof area (m²). Every rate editable.
- Roof
- Ridges & flashings
- Gutters & fascia
- Extras & service
- Access & labour
- Labour
The takeoff engine
Say it like this and the engine prices it off your card, deterministically.
- “180 m2 colorbond reroof”
- “160 m2 tile roof restoration”
- “rebed 30m of ridge caps”
The safety pack
A SWMS drafted from the job you priced, with the roofing hazard set:
- Roof access & work at heights
- Stripping the old roof
- New sheeting & guttering
3 site questions to confirm before sign-off.
You review it against the site, edit it and sign. Sumitt prepares the paperwork; it does not make your business compliant.
The full breakdown, with the graded options, the line-triggered hazards and the PPE, is on the roofers page.
Straight answers
What deposit can roofers take in New South Wales?
The law in New South Wales caps a deposit at 10% of the contract price for residential building work over $5,000, by the reasonable market cost of its labour and materials (Home Building Act 1989, s 8 and Sch 1 cl 2(3)(a), and Home Building Regulation 2014, cl 12). Check it applies to your contract. In New South Wales the deposit cap applies to residential building work over $5,000, by the reasonable market cost of its labour and materials, and to specialist work done in connection with a dwelling at any value, such as electrical wiring work, or plumbing and drainage work other than roof plumbing work. For other work of $5,000 or less, a deposit of about 10% is common practice, not law. Sumitt's default deposit is 10%. Sumitt warns you when a deposit goes over the line, and it never changes the deposit you set. Not legal advice.
Is there a licence threshold for roofers in New South Wales?
Yes. Sumitt carries a licence line for New South Wales at $5,000: a quote over it with no licence number on file gets a warning in the builder, because work over that value may need a licence there. Whether your trade's work is licensed in New South Wales is yours to check. It warns, it does not block. Not legal advice.
Can roofers make a Security of Payment claim in New South Wales?
Yes. Sumitt turns an overdue invoice into a payment claim under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW). The client has 10 business days to give a payment schedule, or less if the contract says so. Homeowner jobs are covered in NSW for contracts signed from 1 March 2021. The Act gives you no entitlement to a progress payment if you contracted to do the work without the contractor licence it required (Home Building Act 1989, s 4), or did residential building work under the contract without the home building insurance, and the certificate of it given to your client, that s 92 of that Act requires (Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999, s 8(2)). Not legal advice.
Do variations need to be in writing in New South Wales?
In New South Wales the Home Building Act's variation term (Sch 2, Pt 1, cl 1) binds a contract for residential building work over $5,000 including GST (ss 7AAA and 7AA, and the Home Building Regulation 2014, cl 5), but not a subcontract between licence holders (ss 7(8) and 7AAA(5)), a contract with a developer (s 7AA(1A)) or urgent work (s 6(2)). A contract for only internal painting, or only laying floor coverings other than tiles without structural change, is not residential building work (Sch 1, cl 2(3)(g) and (k)). Sections 7 to 7E also apply to a variation as a contract of its own, on its own price (s 6(1)(b)). An agreement to vary the contract, or its plans and specifications, must be in writing, signed by or on behalf of each party (Sch 2, Pt 1, cl 1(2), a term s 7E puts in the contract). A change agreed only on site falls short of what the Act asks of it, and leaves the price of the extra work as your word against the owner's. The signed variation is the record that proves it. A variation priced over $20,000 including GST that is not in writing, or does not describe its work sufficiently, is unenforceable by you, and you are not entitled to damages or any other remedy for the owner's breach of it (s 10(1)(b)). Sumitt prices the variation and collects the client's e-signature, and flags a running job with an unapproved variation. Not legal advice.
Sumitt provides software and templates, not legal, financial or tax advice.
Built for AU roofers. Metal, tile, restoration and guttering, costed properly.