What breaks on Toowoomba roofs, and why
Hail on a city up the range
Hail falls on Toowoomba more often than on many Queensland towns. A hit can crack tiles or dent sheeting with nothing to see from the yard, and the leak shows up weeks later as a ceiling stain.
A wet season packed into summer
February averages 106.3 mm and December 103.6 mm, and most of the year's rain falls between November and March. A roof that seemed fine all winter gets its real test in those months.
Cloudbursts that beat flashings
In the January 2011 storm, rain came down at 144 mm an hour over a ten-minute burst. At that rate water banks up in valleys, around flashings and behind full gutters, and any small gap becomes a drip.
Frost on cracked ridge pointing
Light frost arrives on several winter nights, more often in the western suburbs. Pointing (the top seal on the mortar under ridge caps) that's already cracked lets water in, and cold nights make the cracks worse. Monier recommends repairs with modern flexible pointing compound.
A city of renters too
Almost a third of homes in the council area were rented at the 2021 Census (31.8%). Tenants should report a leak to the agent in writing, with photos, the day it appears.
Which licence does a Toowoomba roofer need?
Queensland splits roofing licences by roof type. The QBCC's Roof tiling class covers tiles, battens, bedding and pointing. The Roof and wall cladding class covers metal sheeting and flashing around skylights and vents. Some jobs need both.
A licence is required once the job is worth more than $3,300, counting labour, materials and GST, and plumbing work needs one at any value. Ask which class they hold, then look them up on the QBCC licensee register.
What you can check, and what to leave to a roofer
You can
- Look for new ceiling stains after the first big storm of summer
- Check the yard and gutters for tile chips after hail
- Take dated photos from the ground for your insurer
- Put a bucket under a drip and move anything valuable
Leave to a roofer
- Replacing cracked tiles and refixing lifted sheets
- Rebedding or repointing ridge caps
- Resealing flashings and valleys
- Anything at all on a wet or frosty roof
What to ask a Toowoomba roofer
- Which QBCC licence class do you hold, and does it cover my roof?
- Is this hail damage, wear, or both, and will you put that in writing for my insurer?
- Is the ridge pointing cracked in one spot or right along the ridge?
- Will you check the valleys and flashings while you're up there?
- If the repair leaks again next wet season, what happens?
If it were our Toowoomba roof
We'd get hail damage looked at before November, so a slow leak never meets a February downpour. If the pointing is cracking along the whole ridge, we'd pay for a full rebed rather than patching a bit each winter. Our national roof repairs page explains the work, and the Toowoomba roofing page covers the city's weather.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.