Ridge capping rebedding and repointing

Rebedding means lifting the ridge and hip capping tiles off a tiled roof, clearing the old mortar and laying the capping back down on fresh bedding. Repointing is the thinner finishing layer over that bedding, now usually a flexible pointing compound instead of the rigid cement used on older roofs. A Victorian cost guide puts rebedding and repointing ridge capping at $40 to $80 per lineal metre, so the length of ridges and hips on your roof drives most of the price.

Frankston Roof Repairs takes the enquiry. An independent roofer from the area decides what your capping needs, prices it in writing and does the job.

Repoint only, or rebed as well?

The question a provider has to answer on the roof is whether the bedding under the capping is still sound.

	Repoint only	Rebed and repoint
When it suits	Bedding is firm, capping does not move, only the outer pointing has cracked or crazed	Capping rocks or lifts, bedding is crumbling, mortar has washed out, capping tiles have slipped
What is done	Clean the old pointing, apply new flexible pointing	Remove capping, remove old bedding, lay new bedding, reset capping, then point
Relative cost	Lower	Higher, because the capping comes off
Risk if chosen wrongly	New pointing over failed bedding cracks again within a few years	None if done properly

New pointing laid over bedding that is already breaking up has nothing firm to hold onto, so the cracks come back. Ask the provider to show you photos of the bedding before you decide.

Signs your capping needs work

• Cracks along the pointing on the ridge or down the hips, visible with binoculars from the street.
• Pieces of mortar in the gutters or on paths below the eaves.
• Capping tiles that are out of line or have gaps underneath.
• Leaks or stains near the top of internal walls, or in rooms under the ridge line, especially in wind-driven rain.
• Moss or lichen growing along the capping joints, which holds moisture against the mortar.

What a provider will check or need

Useful details in an enquiry are the suburb, single or double storey, whether the roof is terracotta or concrete tile, the shape of the roof (a simple gable has less capping than a hip roof with several hips), and photos of the ridge. On the roof, the provider checks:

• whether the capping is loose along its length or only in sections;
• the condition of the tiles under the capping, since cracked tiles along the ridge are often replaced at the same time (see broken tile replacement);
• valleys and flashings on the same roof, because tired pointing and rusted valleys often turn up together on roofs of the same age (see valley iron and flashing replacement);
• safe access, edge protection and where materials can be stored.

What the work involves

1. The roofer sets up access and fall protection. WorkSafe Victoria lists controls such as scaffolds, guardrails, perimeter screens and harness systems for work at height.
2. Capping tiles are lifted, numbered or stacked in order and cleaned.
3. The old bedding is chipped off the ridge and the tile edges are cleaned.
4. New bedding mortar is laid and the capping is reset in a straight line with even joints.
5. Flexible pointing is applied over the bedding and tooled smooth, usually in a colour matched to the capping.
6. Debris is cleared from the roof and gutters.

The installation of roof tiles, including ridge and hip capping, is covered by AS 2050. Ask the provider which pointing product they use and whether it is applied to the manufacturer’s instructions.

A full ridge and hip rebed on a typical house can take one to two days. Rain affects curing, so jobs are often rescheduled around the weather.

Cost

Item	Typical Victorian range
Rebed and repoint ridge capping	$40 to $80 per lineal metre
Replace a few broken tiles found during the job	$200 to $600
Whole roof repair and restoration, 100 to 150 square metres (national average)	$3,000 to $4,700

The per-metre range comes from a published 2026 Victorian cost guide and the restoration figure from a national cost guide. To compare quotes, ask each provider for the total metres of ridge and hip they measured. The Frankston roof repair cost guide covers the other factors.

Rules and permits

Tile roofing is outside the roofing stormwater plumbing class, which excludes roof coverings of non-metallic tiles, concrete or slate according to the Building and Plumbing Commission. A larger domestic job sits under building law instead. If a single contract goes above the major domestic building contract threshold, the builder must be registered and use a written major domestic building contract under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995. The BPC’s agreements and contracts page states the current threshold.

What a careful provider will refuse to do

• Repoint over bedding that is already loose.
• Point in wet weather or when rain is due before the product has cured.
• Leave old mortar in gutters and downpipes.
• Paint over cracked pointing as a shortcut.

Local angle

Post-war houses across Frankston, Seaford and Frankston North were built with sand and cement bedding and rigid pointing, and that mortar has had sixty years or more of sun, rain and wind off the bay. Newer homes in Carrum Downs, built mostly from the 1980s onward, are reaching the age when owners first notice cracked pointing.

What to do next

Photograph the ridge from the ground, note how many hips the roof has and request a rebedding and repointing quote. A local provider will measure the capping and tell you whether repointing alone will do.

Send a job enquiry