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Re-roofing in Cairns

When a roof is past saving, replacing it (often tiles to Colorbond) fixes the problem for decades.

Free matching service run by OneRoofer. This site does not carry out or quote the work; one independent local business quotes you directly and pays for the introduction.

Signs it is time

Many broken or porous tiles
Widespread rust through metal sheets
Sagging rooflines
Repeated leaks after repairs

What to know in Cairns

Mostly metal roofs built for cyclones. Cyclones, heavy wet seasons, mould and strong UV, which is what usually decides when a roof needs work.

Cairns is in wind region C, the cyclonic band.

Cyclone Jasper in December 2023 was the wettest tropical cyclone on record in Australia. The Barron River beat its 1977 flood record and Cairns Airport went under water, which is a good reminder of what gutters and downpipes here have to carry.

Work on a roof here has to meet the cyclone standard: cyclone-rated screws and washers on metal, and properly fixed ridge and hip caps on tiles. Ask the roofer how they fix them and whether the job will be certified for your wind rating.

Calm water such as a bay, canal or river is gentler on steel than surf, but bare Zincalume still wants to be more than 100 metres back. Coated COLORBOND is fine at any distance from calm water.

If the house was built before 1990 the old roof may be asbestos cement. Asbestos was banned in Australia from 31 December 2003, and NSW's asbestos agency says most homes built before 1990 contain some. Removing an asbestos roof needs a licensed removalist, so ask for that to be priced separately.

What is usually included

Strip the old roof and dispose of it
Check and replace any damaged battens or timbers
Install new sarking or insulation blanket
Fit the new roof, flashings and gutters

Questions to ask

Is asbestos removal included if the old roof has it?
Are new gutters and downpipes in the price?
Who handles council approval if it is needed?

Cost

Guide only, not a quote

$12,000 to $40,000