Roof Painting in Cape Town typically costs R50 to R100 per square metre. For an average home, that works out to roughly R10,000 to R30,000 depending on the size, height and condition of the roof.
We’ve been painting roofs in Cape Town since September 2018, across tile, corrugated iron, IBR and asbestos roofs. This guide explains what drives the price, shows two real jobs with their costs, and covers the mistakes that cost homeowners the most.
We charge per square metre, and the rate is the same whether your roof is tile, corrugated iron, IBR or asbestos. The rate also stays the same in every season.
Our rate of R50 to R100 per square metre includes:
1. A risk assessment before work begins
2. Safety equipment: PPE, harness, safety boots, helmet and a first aid kit
3. Roof preparation
4. Pressure washing
5. Labour for painting roof
Paint is supplied by the client. That matters, and we explain why further down.
Here is what our rate looks like for common roof sizes, excluding the cost of paint:
| Roof size | Estimated painting labour and prep cost (R50–R100/sqm) |
|---|---|
| 100 sqm | R5,000 – R10,000 |
| 150 sqm | R7,500 – R15,000 |
| 200 sqm | R10,000 – R20,000 |
| 250 sqm | R12,500 – R25,000 |
These are estimates. The final price depends on the factors below.
The bigger the roof, the higher the total. This is why we measure your roof in square metres before quoting.
Tile, corrugated iron, IBR and asbestos roofs each have different prep needs, so the type of roof affects the work involved.
Higher roofs carry more risk, so a proper risk assessment and safety setup are essential. A double-storey house costs more to paint than a single-storey one.
This is the factor that surprises people most. A dusty or mouldy roof usually needs a good pressure wash and two coats of paint. A rusty roof needs more work:
4.1. Old, flaking paint has to be scraped off
4.2. An anti-rust coat goes on first
4.3. Then two coats of roof paint, making three coats instead of two
In practice, where your job lands between R50 and R100 per square metre usually comes down to two things: how much preparation the roof needs and how many coats it needs.
1. Roof size: about 205 square metres
2. Condition: dusty and mouldy, but otherwise sound
3. What we did: completed a risk assessment first, pressure washed the roof, then applied two coats of Dulux Roof Guard
4. Preparation: none needed beyond the wash
Total cost to the client: R10,000 to R15,000
1. Roof size: 230 square metres
2. Condition: old paint had to come off
3. What we did: completed a risk assessment first, scraped off the old paint, pressure washed, then applied three coats: an dulux anti-rust primer coat followed by two coats of Dulux Roof Guard.
Total cost to the client: R22,000 to R30,000
The roofs were almost the same size, but the second job cost roughly double. The extra cost came from three things: the scraping, the anti-rust coat and the extra height of a double-storey house.
Because clients supply the paint, I’ll say this plainly: the quality of the paint is the most important part of the job.
Some homeowners buy the cheapest paint they can find, including paint meant for interior walls. On a roof, that paint can be washed off by the first heavy rainfall, and the whole job has to be redone. Use a proper roof paint such as Dulux Roof Guard, and ask your painter or paint supplier to confirm it is suitable for your roof type.
Quality roof paint also comes with the manufacturer’s product guarantee. We don’t offer our own guarantee; the guarantee on the paint comes from the manufacturer.
Buying the cheapest paint. A cheap saving on paint can turn into a full repaint within a year or two. Interior paint on a roof is the worst example.
Hiring the cheapest labour. Low quotes often mean skipped preparation, fewer coats or inexperienced workers. Cheap labour costs more in the long run if the roof has to be redone.
Painters who only paint the visible edges. Most homeowners can’t climb onto their roof to inspect the work. Some painters take advantage of that and only paint the sides of the roof you can see from the ground. Ask for before-and-after photos of the whole roof, and don’t pay for work you can’t verify.
Painting in the wrong season. Paint dries quickly in a Cape Town summer, which is why summer is the best time to paint a roof. Painting in the wrong season can affect how the paint dries and sets. We charge the same price year-round, so there is no cost advantage to waiting for a particular month.
A freshly painted roof does more than improve the look of your home. It makes your house look good. A clean, freshly painted roof changes the whole appearance of a property. It reduces rain noise. During heavy rainfall, a painted roof is noticeably quieter, which Cape Town winters make very relevant.
Here is how we work out your quote:
1. We measure the size of your roof in square metres
2. We check the type of roofing
3. We check the condition of the roof
4. We carry out a risk assessment for painting the roof
From there, we can tell you what preparation and how many coats your roof needs, and what that means for your price.
Expect R50 to R100 per square metre for painting labour, preparation, pressure washing and risk assessment, with paint supplied by you. For a typical 200 sqm roof, that is R10,000 to R20,000 excluding client specified painting product.
No. We charge the same per-square-metre rate for tile, corrugated iron, IBR and asbestos roofs. The price changes with roof condition, height and the preparation needed.
Rusty roofs need old paint scraped off and an anti-rust coat before the roof paint goes on. That adds a third coat and extra preparation time.
No. We charge the same price regardless of season. Summer is still the best time to paint, because paint dries quickly.
The client does. The quality of that paint is critical, so choose a proper roof paint rather than a cheap alternative.
