Check the roof twice a year, around September before storm season and again around April after it, plus after any major storm. From the ground look for slipped or broken tiles, lifted sheets, rust, sagging lines and blocked gutters. Inside, check ceilings and cornices for stains. In the roof space, look for water marks, daylight and damp insulation. Do not climb the roof; call a contractor for anything on it.
When to inspect
The Gold Coast's roofing calendar is set by storm season. A good rhythm:
- September: before storms arrive, check gutters, valleys and anything loose.
- April: after the season, look for damage you might have missed.
- After any major storm or hail: check from the ground and inside the house.
- Before buying, selling or renovating.
Keep your notes and photos together each time so you can see changes.
Safety first
Do not climb onto the roof. Use binoculars from the yard and the street, a stable ladder at the gutter line only if you are confident, and the roof-space hatch with care. In the roof space, step only on joists, never on the ceiling between them, and watch for electrical cables. If you see anything that might be asbestos cement, leave it alone.
Checklist 1: From the yard and street
Walk around the house and across the street. Use binoculars.
Tile roofs
- [ ] Any cracked, broken or missing tiles?
- [ ] Tiles slipped out of line?
- [ ] Ridge and hip caps straight and complete, pointing intact?
- [ ] Broken tile pieces in gutters or garden beds?
- [ ] Heavy lichen or moss, especially on shaded faces?
- [ ] Surface looking chalky and porous?
Steel roofs
- [ ] Any lifted or loose sheets, especially at edges and ridges?
- [ ] Rust at laps, screw heads, cut edges or under overhangs?
- [ ] Missing or loose screws?
- [ ] Dents from hail?
- [ ] Flashings lifted or cracked?
- [ ] Rust spots from swarf on newer roofs?
All roofs
- [ ] Ridge line straight, no dips or waves?
- [ ] Gutter line straight, gutters not sagging or pulled away?
- [ ] Gutters and valleys clear of leaves, palm fronds and sand?
- [ ] Downpipes connected and not overflowing in rain?
- [ ] Flashings around chimneys, skylights, vents and solar mounts in place?
- [ ] Trees overhanging or touching the roof?
- [ ] Antennas, satellite dishes and solar frames secure?
Checklist 2: Inside the house
- [ ] Stains or brown rings on ceilings?
- [ ] Peeling paint or bubbling near cornices?
- [ ] Musty smells in particular rooms?
- [ ] Damp patches on walls under the roof edge?
- [ ] Any drips during heavy rain?
Note the room and the weather when you see a problem. Wind direction helps a contractor find the source.
Checklist 3: The roof space
Only if access is safe. Take a torch and your phone.
- [ ] Water stains or dark streaks on rafters and battens?
- [ ] Daylight visible through the roof?
- [ ] Damp, compressed or displaced insulation?
- [ ] Sarking present and intact, or torn and sagging?
- [ ] Soft, split or rotten timber?
- [ ] Rusty nails or fixings?
- [ ] Signs of pests: droppings, nests, termite mud trails?
- [ ] Bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans ducted outside, not dumping moist air into the roof space?
That last point matters in a humid climate. Exhaust fans venting into the roof space push moisture onto timbers and the underside of the roof.
Checklist 4: After a storm
- [ ] Debris on the roof or in gutters?
- [ ] Tiles, caps or sheets moved?
- [ ] New ceiling stains?
- [ ] Gutters bent or pulled away?
- [ ] Hail dents on steel, gutters, skylights or solar panels?
- [ ] Photographs taken for insurance?
If there is damage, make the house safe without climbing up and contact your insurer. Ask the roofer for a written report.
Reading what you find
Minor, routine: blocked gutters, light lichen, a single cracked tile, a failed seal around a vent. Book a repair.
Worth a professional look soon: several cracked tiles, loose ridge capping, rust at laps, lifted sheets, ceiling stains, damp insulation.
Urgent: active leaks, sagging lines, large areas of damage, anything that might be asbestos and is broken.
If many items on the lists are ticked, read signs you need a roof replacement.
Gold Coast extras
- Near the beach: look closely at the underside of overhangs and around gutters, where salt is not rinsed by rain. Hose those areas down every few months on steel roofs.
- In the hinterland: keep gutters clear of leaves and bark, especially in mapped bushfire hazard areas.
- On canal and lake homes: humidity is high; check roof-space ventilation and mould.
What a professional inspection adds
A roofer can walk the roof safely, lift tiles to check battens and sarking, test suspect areas with a hose, and photograph everything. Ask for photos and a written summary. Call 07 5241 1403 or use the form below for a free inspection and quote.
General information about roofs on the Gold Coast, not advice about your roof. Rules, products and programs change; check with the body named (QBCC, City of Gold Coast, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland) before you act.