What Townsville asks of your roof plumbing
Six months of work, six months of rest
Most of Townsville's rain falls from November to April, while the winter months are mostly fine. February averages 338.1 mm and January 252.6 mm at the airport. Downpipes that block during the dry often aren't found until the first heavy storm overflows them.
Flashings face the wind
The QRA says cyclonic winds force rain up valley gutters and under the flashings where walls meet the roof. Those are roof-plumbing jobs. Flashings with enough cover and valleys with enough depth matter more here than in a city where rain mostly falls straight down.
Rainfall isn't even across the city
Central Townsville averages 1,136 mm a year, while Woodstock in the south-west averages 853 mm. Both get big wet-season storms, but the inner suburbs carry more water through the year.
Air conditioners and hot water units
BlueScope says air conditioner condensate should be piped to the ground, not into gutters. Copper-rich overflow from hot water systems corrodes coated steel, so discharge pipes should run past the roof edge, ideally to the ground. In a city that runs air conditioning through a humid summer, check where yours drains.
Who's licensed to do it
The QBCC has several licence classes that touch roof plumbing. A Plumbing and drainage licence covers gutters, fascias, roof cladding and skylights, and anyone doing regulated plumbing also needs an occupational plumbing licence. A Metal fascias and gutters licence covers rainwater goods and external flashings. A Roof and wall cladding licence covers rainwater goods and flashing around penetrations like skylights and vents.
Plumbing contractors must show their licence number in every ad, whatever the job's value. If you can't find one, the QBCC says that's a sign they may not be licensed. Check them on the QBCC register or call 139 333.
What the code expects: gutters fall at least 1:500, each downpipe serves no more than 12 m of gutter, and downpipes sit as close as possible to valleys. A roof plumber should be able to tell you whether yours do. See our national roof plumbing guide for the full list.
Questions for a Townsville roof plumber
- Which QBCC licence classes do you hold, and do they cover this job?
- Are there enough downpipes for my gutter lengths and valleys?
- Is there an overflow path if a gutter blocks in a storm?
- How will you flash where the roof meets the walls, so wind can't push water under?
- Where do my air conditioner and hot water overflow drain now?
- Will you use sealant and rivets that suit Colorbond or Zincalume?
Where we'd start
Get the roof plumbing checked in the dry months, around the time you'd clean the gutters anyway. Ask for flashings, valleys and downpipe capacity to be looked at together, because in a Townsville storm the water finds whichever one is weakest. Fixing one piece and ignoring the others rarely holds.
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.
Let us know your suburb and what's going wrong, whether it's overflowing gutters, a leak where the roof meets a wall or a downpipe that backs up. We'll pass it to one licence-checked roof plumber where we have one. The Townsville hub covers the rest of the roof.