Roof repairs in Surry Hills

Victorian terraces, old rag-trade warehouses and lanes too tight for a truck.

30+ years roofing expertise
Fully licensed & insured
Emergency roofing 24/7

The roofs of Surry Hills

Surry Hills was built as working terraces and then filled in with brick warehouses for the clothing trade, and both are still here. The terraces mostly carry slate or corrugated iron on the main roof with a lean-to over the rear wing, and many hide their front roof behind a parapet. The warehouses, now offices and apartments, have flat or low-pitch roofs with gutters tucked behind brick walls. Much of the suburb is a heritage conservation area, so like-for-like materials are generally expected when a roof is renewed.

Two junctions cause most terrace leaks here: where the rear lean-to meets the back wall of the main house, and where the roof runs into the party wall shared with next door. Both depended on lead or cement-render flashings a century ago, and many have been patched with silicone since. Redoing them properly is flashing and valley work, and on the main roof it is usually slate roof repairs rather than a whole new roof.

Access gets planned around the rear lanes, scaffold permits where they are needed, and the neighbours on both sides. We are only a few kilometres south in Rosebery, and the phone is staffed around the clock for leaks that will not wait. The terrace streets carry on east into Paddington.

What’s on the roofs here

Victorian terrace slate
Corrugated iron rear wings
Converted warehouse roofs
Front parapets

Get a free quote in Surry Hills

Tell us what’s going on and we’ll call you back to arrange the free inspection and written quote.

Roof & gutter services in Surry Hills

Ordered for the roof stock we see most around Surry Hills. The rest of what we do follows.

Lead flashing against heritage brickwork on a chimney

Slate roof repairs

Matched slate, lasting fixings and lead work for heritage roofs.

What we fix: slates lying in the gutter or on the path after wind; a gap in the roof where a slate has slid out of line.

View slate roofs

Flashing, valleys & sarking

The joins where most leaks start.

What we fix: a leak that only shows in wind-driven or sideways rain; damp patches on a wall where it meets the roof.

View flashing & valleys

Gutter repairs & replacement

Overflowing, rusted or pulling away. Fixed before the water reaches your walls.

What we fix: water pouring over the front edge of the gutter in heavy rain; rust spots, holes or brown streaks running down the fascia.

View gutters & downpipes

Cracked ridge capping with perished mortar on a terracotta tile roof

Roof leak repairs

We follow the water back to where it gets in, then fix that spot.

What we fix: a brown ring on the ceiling that spreads after each storm; paint blistering or peeling along the cornice.

View leak repairs

Temporary tarpaulins covering an exposed roof during works

Emergency & storm damage

A real person answers, any hour. We stop the water first.

What we fix: water running or dripping through a ceiling, light fitting or cornice; tiles, ridge caps or metal sheets blown off or shifted.

View emergency 24/7

Broken ridge tiles and failed pointing on a terracotta roof

Tile roof repairs & repointing

Terracotta and concrete tile, fixed where it's actually failing.

What we fix: grey mortar crumbling or missing along the ridge; tiles sitting crooked, lifted or with visible gaps.

View tile & repointing

Also in Surry Hills:Metal roof repairs Re-roofing & roof replacement Skylights & roof windows Commercial & strata roofing

The same answers on every job

30+
Years on Sydney roofs
Family-run by Michael and Sean. Not a franchise, not a call centre.
24/7
A real person answers
Day, night, weekends and public holidays. Storms don't keep office hours.
$20m
Public liability
Fully licensed and insured for domestic, strata and commercial work.
Rosebery
Central Sydney base
Close to the city, the east, the inner west and the bridge.

Also nearby

Common questions

How much does a roof repair cost in Sydney?

Roof Repairs Sydney prices each job after inspecting the roof, because the cost depends on how much of the roof is affected, the roofing material, how hard the roof is to reach, and whether water has damaged the timber underneath. The inspection and quote are free. You get a fixed written price before any work begins, and nothing starts until you approve it.

Is the roof inspection and quote free?

Yes. Roof Repairs Sydney inspects the roof, photographs what it finds and gives you a fixed written quote at no cost. There is no obligation to go ahead, and you won't be pressured if you decide not to.

Is Roof Repairs Sydney open 24/7?

Yes. Roof Repairs Sydney is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and public holidays. A real person answers 1300 077 018 at any hour. For a leak or storm damage at night, the roof is made safe first, and the permanent repair is quoted and done once the weather is dry.

Why is my ceiling stained when the roof looks fine?

A ceiling stain is rarely directly below the leak. Rain gets in higher up, runs along the sarking, battens or rafters, and drips at the first low point, which can be metres away. That is why patching the roof straight above a stain often fails. Roof Repairs Sydney traces the water back to its real entry point before quoting a repair.

Which areas of Sydney does Roof Repairs Sydney cover?

Roof Repairs Sydney is based in Rosebery and covers central Sydney: the CBD and inner city, the Eastern Suburbs to the coast, the Inner West, the Lower North Shore, Manly, Ryde and Hunters Hill, St George and the Sutherland Shire. If your suburb isn't listed, call 1300 077 018 and ask.

Does Roof Repairs Sydney do strata and commercial roofs?

Yes. Roof Repairs Sydney works on domestic, strata and commercial roofs, including apartment blocks, offices, shops and warehouses. Common jobs are box gutter and sump repairs, leaks into top-floor units and metal roof repairs. Strata and building managers receive a photo report and a fixed written quote before work starts.

Is Roof Repairs Sydney licensed and insured?

Yes. Roof Repairs Sydney is fully licensed and insured for domestic, strata and commercial roofing work, and carries $20 million public liability cover.

Who runs Roof Repairs Sydney?

Roof Repairs Sydney is a family-run business led by Michael and Sean, with more than 30 years of experience on Sydney roofs. The business is based in Rosebery and repairs tile, metal and slate roofs on homes, strata buildings and commercial properties across central Sydney.

What types of roofs does Roof Repairs Sydney repair?

Roof Repairs Sydney repairs terracotta and concrete tile roofs, Colorbond and corrugated iron roofs, and natural slate roofs, including heritage slate on Victorian and Federation terraces. The work covers leaks, gutters and box gutters, flashings and valleys, skylights, storm damage and full roof replacement.

Should a tile roof be repaired or replaced?

A tile roof should be repaired when the tiles are sound and the problem is failed ridge pointing, a few broken tiles or a rusted valley, which covers most tile roofs. Replacement is worth considering when tiles are cracking across large areas or repairs keep failing in new spots. Roof Repairs Sydney photographs the roof so owners can see which case applies.

What is included in a tile roof restoration?

A tile roof restoration usually means replacing broken and slipped tiles, re-bedding and repointing the ridge and hip caps with a flexible compound, renewing rusted valley irons and treating moss and lichen. Roof Repairs Sydney inspects first and quotes only the parts the roof actually needs.

Can a slate roof be repaired instead of re-slated?

Often, yes. Most slate roof problems are cracked slates, slates slipped from rusted nails, or worn lead flashings. Roof Repairs Sydney replaces them with matched slate fixed using copper or stainless steel. A full re-slate is only needed when fixings are failing across the whole roof. In heritage areas, council may require slate to be replaced like for like.

This page was last reviewed on 17 October 2026 by Roof Repairs Sydney.

What Sydney customers say on Google

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Constance

Google review

Emergency leak on the weekend. Sean was on site within 10minutes and managed to fix it in no time. Great service, quick, friendly and professional. Highly recommend him and his team.