Ridge Capping Rebedding and Repointing in Perth
The ridge is the top of your roof and the first place Perth’s summer heat and winter fronts break down. We rebed caps that have moved, repoint with flexible compound that won’t crack in the heat, and tell you straight whether your roof needs a full rebed or just a repoint.
Targeted Rebedding
Old Mortar Removed
Flexible Pointing
Photos of Every Ridge
What Is Ridge Capping?
Ridge capping is the row of curved tiles that covers the joint along the top of a tile roof (the ridge) and down its sloping edges (the hips). The caps sit on a bed of mortar, called bedding, and are sealed along the edges with pointing. Together they stop rain and wind getting into the gap where two roof slopes meet.
On metal roofs, ridge capping is a folded steel cap screwed over the ridge. That’s a different job, covered on our Colorbond and metal roof repairs page.
Call → get a ridge capping quote
Signs Your Ridge Capping Needs Work
Check from the ground, and from the roof space with a torch:
Quick check: repoint or rebed?
What Is the Difference Between Rebedding and Repointing?
Rebedding means lifting the ridge caps, removing the old mortar bed underneath, and re-laying the caps on fresh bedding. Repointing means applying a new layer of pointing over the existing bedding to seal it. Repoint when the bedding is still solid; rebed when caps rock, have slipped, or the bedding has crumbled.
|
Repointing |
Rebedding |
|
|---|---|---|
|
What’s done |
New pointing over the existing bed |
Caps lifted, old bed removed, caps re-laid on new bed, then pointed |
|
When it’s right |
Bedding is solid, caps don’t move, only the outer pointing has cracked |
Caps rock or have slipped, bedding is cracked or missing, daylight shows under caps |
|
Cost |
Lower |
Higher, more labour |
|
Common shortcut |
Pointing over crumbling bedding, which fails within a year or two |
Rebedding only the worst sections without telling you |
Does my roof need a repoint or a rebed?
Push a ridge cap gently. If it moves, or you can see gaps or daylight under it, that section needs rebedding. If caps are firm and the only problem is cracked or flaking pointing on the surface, a repoint is usually enough. Most Perth roofs need a mix: rebed some sections, repoint the rest.
It’s common for three Perth roofers to give three different answers on the same roof. The difference is usually who actually got on the roof and checked the caps, and who quoted from the driveway. We photograph each ridge and hip and show you which caps are loose before we quote.
Why Does Ridge Capping Crack in Perth?
Mostly heat and movement. Perth roofs go through big daily temperature swings in summer, with around 26 days a year over 35°C, and the roof expands and contracts every day.
01. Rigid old pointing
Old ridge pointing was rigid sand and cement. It can’t flex, so it cracks, the pointing comes away, and wind-driven winter rain gets in.
02. The house settling
As a house settles, the roof frame moves slightly and the bedding under the caps cracks and loosens.
03. Installers walking on tiles
Solar, aerial and aircon installers walking along the ridge can crack caps and break the bedding.
04. Cheap repairs
New pointing smeared over old, loose bedding. It looks fine on handover and lets water in within a year or two.
What Does Repointing Do?
Repointing seals the bedding under the ridge caps with a fresh layer of pointing, so wind and rain can’t get underneath. Modern flexible pointing compound bonds to the caps and bedding and flexes as the roof heats and cools, so it’s far less likely to crack than old cement pointing.
What is flexible pointing?
Flexible pointing is a ready-made, acrylic-based compound used in place of the old rigid sand-and-cement pointing. It stays slightly flexible after curing, comes in colours to match your tiles, and is the standard for ridge work on Australian tile roofs today. It still needs a solid bed underneath to work.
What is the best mortar mix for roof tiles?
For bedding ridge caps, roofers use a sand-and-cement bedding mortar mixed to the manufacturer’s or industry recommendation, then finish with flexible pointing. Ready-made ridge capping mortar from hardware stores can work for small repairs, but the bigger risk is technique: old bedding must be removed and caps set firmly on the new bed.
How Much Does Ridge Capping Cost in Perth?
It depends on how many metres of ridge and hip need work and whether they need rebedding or just repointing. Independent Perth cost guides (November 2026) put a full rebed and repoint at about $1,500 to $4,500 for a typical home, or roughly $45 to $95 per metre, with partial repairs from about $420. Perth homeowners report repointing quotes on the same roof ranging from about $1,400 to $4,800, which shows how differently roofers scope the job. Always compare what each quote includes.
|
What’s quoted |
Questions to ask |
|---|---|
|
Repoint only |
Have you checked the caps aren’t loose? Which sections? |
|
Rebed and repoint |
All ridges and hips, or only sections? How many metres? |
|
Old mortar removal |
Will you remove the old bedding before rebedding? |
|
Broken caps |
How many replacement caps are included? |
|
Pointing product |
Flexible pointing? What colour? |
Estimated Perth costs, November 2026, from independent Perth cost guides. Indicative only, not a quote: your price depends on your roof. WA Consumer Protection advises getting more than one written quote, and prices must include GST.
How Long Does Ridge Capping Last?
Properly rebedded and repointed ridge capping with flexible pointing typically lasts 10 years or more, often much longer. Old cement pointing on 1970s–1990s Perth homes has usually cracked by now. How long new work lasts depends mostly on whether the bedding underneath was solid, not just on the pointing on top.
How often should a roof be repointed?
There’s no fixed schedule. Check the ridges every few years and after big storms, and repoint when the pointing cracks or flakes. A roof done properly with flexible pointing over sound bedding may not need attention again for a decade or more.
Can I Do My Own Ridge Capping With a Bunnings Kit?
You can buy ridge capping mortar and flexible pointing at Bunnings, and a careful DIYer can fix a cap or two on a single-storey roof. Whole ridges are harder.
01. A cap or two
Fine for a careful DIYer on a single-storey roof.
02. Whole ridges
Removing old bedding, setting caps straight and level, and getting a clean pointing finish takes practice.
03. Fall risk
Working on a tile roof is a fall risk, especially on two-storey homes and steep pitches.
04. The common mistake
Pointing over loose bedding. It looks fine for a summer and lets water in by winter.
Our Ridge Capping Process
1. Inspect every ridge and hip
Push-test caps, photograph loose sections.
2. Written scope
Which metres need rebedding and which only repointing.
3. Lift and clean
Loose caps lifted, old bedding removed.
4. Rebed
Caps set on fresh bedding, straight and firm.
5. Repoint
Flexible pointing in a matching colour.
6. Clean-up and photos
Debris removed, after photos sent.
How we work: Fix My Roof Perth connects your booking with a licensed, insured local roofer who carries out the work. You get photos of every ridge and hip and a written scope showing which metres need rebedding and which only need repointing, before any work starts.
Ridge Capping FAQs
Straight answers to the ridge capping questions Perth homeowners ask most. If yours isn’t here, call and ask.
Call (08) 5550 0123
Related: Tile roof repairs · Roof restoration · Roof leak repairs
Get an Honest Ridge Capping Quote
Call (08) 5550 0123. We’ll check every cap, show you photos and tell you which sections need rebedding, and which don’t.
Fill out the form and we’ll call you back.
Roof repairs, restorations and roof plumbing across Perth, from Yanchep to Mandurah and the Hills.
Call (08) 5550 0123
Email info@fixmyroofperth.com.au
Services
Areas We Serve
All of Perth, north and south of the river
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Fix My Roof Perth is a referral service. We connect Perth homeowners with independent, licensed local roofing contractors, who are responsible for the work they carry out, including their licensing, insurance and workmanship warranty. Always check a contractor’s licence before work begins.