Roof and ceiling painting – metal roofs, tiles or indoor ceilings

What roof painting involves

Painting an outside roof mainly applies to metal roofs, but some concrete tiles and other materials can also be painted with special roof paints. The work consists of cleaning, removing moss and loose paint, rust treatment on metal, priming damaged areas and then one or two coats of roof paint.

Ceilings are painted indoors and require the most preparation in the form of filling, sanding and protecting the room. Ceilings are hard to paint evenly, and patches and streaks show clearly in raking light from windows.

Is painting the right solution?

Painting extends the life of a roof that is fundamentally in good condition. If the metal has rusted through, the tiles have cracked or the underlay is in poor condition, painting will not help. Then a repair or roof replacement is needed. Ask the painter to assess the condition and tell you if they recommend something else.

Also bear in mind that some roofing materials are not meant to be painted. Ask for the manufacturer's recommendations for your material.

An indoor ceiling may in turn have problems that painting does not solve, such as recurring cracks, damp patches from a leak above or sagging boards. The cause must then be dealt with first, otherwise the damage will soon show through the new paint again.

What affects the price?

Ask for a quote, as conditions vary between houses. The factors that matter most are:

• The roof's area, pitch and height.
• How much rust, moss and loose paint there is.
• The need for rust treatment and priming.
• Number of coats and type of paint.
• Fall protection, scaffolding or a lift.
• For ceilings: how much filling is needed and whether the room is furnished.

Safety and fall protection

Working on a roof involves a high risk of falling. The company is responsible for planning and carrying out the work safely in accordance with the Swedish Work Environment Authority's rules, which may mean scaffolding, roof edge protection or other approved fall protection equipment depending on height and pitch. Ask how fall protection is arranged and whether it is included in the price.

Old metal roofs may have paint containing lead, and older roofing materials may contain asbestos. Ask how the company deals with this, and ask them not to pressure-wash materials that may contain asbestos. Washing water and paint residues must be collected and must not run into the stormwater system.

ROT tax deduction

The labour cost of painting roofs and ceilings, both outside and inside, at your home normally qualifies for the ROT deduction of 30 %. Paint and materials do not qualify. ROT is capped at SEK 50,000 per person per year, within the overall cap of SEK 75,000 for ROT and RUT. Check that the company shows labour and materials separately.

What the quote should include

• Roof area, roofing material and the assessed condition of the roof.
• Cleaning, moss treatment, scraping and rust treatment.
• Paint type, brand, colour and number of coats.
• Fall protection and scaffolding or lift.
• How flashings, gutters and penetrations are dealt with.
• Labour and materials listed separately plus the estimated ROT deduction.
• Timing and what happens if the weather does not allow painting.

Questions to ask and common mistakes

Ask which roof paint they use and whether it is intended for your particular material, how they treat rust and how long the paint needs to dry before rain. Ask whether they have experience of similar roofs and ask for references.

Common mistakes include painting a roof that has not been properly cleaned and dried, skipping rust treatment, painting in weather that is too cold or damp and painting a roof that really needs replacing.

Getting quotes via Fixtorget

Describe whether it is an outside roof or an indoor ceiling, state the roofing material and approximate area, and upload photos when you create the job on Fixtorget. Up to four vetted companies can contact you. You can see whether the company has a liability insurance certificate reviewed by Fixtorget, which is particularly important for work at height.

Frequently asked questions