Roofers aim to call you within the hour.
Find my roofer
Albany, Western Australia

Roofing help in AlbanyRainbow Coast weather, and WA's oldest houses.

Albany roofs get a little rain on a lot of days, sit beside a sound that's open to the east, and include the oldest houses in Western Australia. When ex-tropical cyclone Alby came through in 1978, most homes in Albany had partial or complete roof failure. Tell us what's going on with yours, and if a licence-checked Albany roofer covering your area specialises in that problem, we'll match you with them.

Find a specialist roofer in Albany

  1. Your postcode and three quick questions
  2. We match you with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in your job
  3. They call you to arrange a quote. No obligation to go ahead.

What's different about roofs in Albany

Drizzle, showers and few clear days

Albany averages 857.4 mm a year on 121.2 days of 1 mm or more, and it's promoted as the Rainbow Coast for days of sun and showers together. It averages only 44.8 clear days a year, slightly fewer than Melbourne's 48.6. Roofs stay damp for long stretches, which suits moss and lichen and keeps gutters soggy.

Wet July, dry February

July is the wettest month (128.5 mm over 16.4 days) and February the driest (20.3 mm). Summer can still be fierce: the town's record is 44.8 °C and the airport has reached 45.6 °C. That dry late-summer window is the natural time for coatings and bigger roof work.

Alby took the roofs

On 4 April 1978, ex-tropical cyclone Alby brought winds of 150 km/h to Albany, and most homes had partial or complete roof failure. Two people died in Albany Harbour from the swells. The lesson still applies: Building and Energy found replacement roofs over-represented in WA storm and cyclone damage, and says a lighter roof may need extra tie-downs.

Big rain can come in spring

On 20 November 2008, violent storms swept the Great Southern and Albany flooded after 113.8 mm fell in 24 hours, the most since records began in 1877. So the gutters can't always wait for winter.

Sheltered harbours, an open sound

The city centre sits on Princess Royal Harbour, part of King George Sound, with Middleton Beach closest to town and Frenchman Bay and Emu Point further out. The harbours are well protected, but the sound is open to the east. BlueScope's TB-35 table doesn't name any of Albany's waters, so get the roofer to confirm the class for your street. Don't assume the gentler calm-water figures, though: open water like the sound may well count as exposed, which has the same limits as surf. Near surf or exposed water, Zincalume needs more than 200 m and SUPERDURA Stainless suits any distance, while near calm water Zincalume needs more than 100 m.

Bushfire maps cover most of the fringe

The City of Albany's information sheet shows the bushfire-prone designation covering most of the land around the urban area. For additions and alterations to a home built before 1 May 2016, a BAL is needed at building permit if the work is worth more than $20,000 and/or increases the fire ignition risk.

WA's oldest town

Albany was founded on 26 December 1826, more than two years before Perth. Patrick Taylor Cottage, from about 1832, is the state's oldest surviving dwelling, and the City has 471 heritage-listed places, 95 on the State Register. All of WA counts as termite country too, so timber roof framing needs termite management.

The jobs that come up in Albany

Damp roofs bring moss, lichen and blocked gutters, so gutter cleaning in Albany and moss removal come up often. Leaks follow when the winter rain finds a cracked tile or tired flashing; our national page on roof repairs explains the usual fixes.

On older and heritage homes, careful repair and restoration matter more than speed. Our page on slate and heritage roofs covers what to ask. Near the harbour or Middleton Beach, a new metal roof should be chosen by distance from the water, which our Colorbond roofing page explains.

Wet roofs and storms

Drizzle on so many days means Albany roofs are often slick, so look from the ground, never from up top. In a storm emergency, the SES is on 132 500. Don't stand under a ceiling that's sagging with water, and turn the electricity off at the switchboard if it's dripping near a light.

What we'd do in Albany

We'd book any bigger roof work for late summer, when February is the driest month, and get the gutters cleared before winter. On an older home, we'd ask the roofer to check how the roof is fixed down, not just whether it leaks, because Alby showed what wind does here. Near the harbour or the beaches, we'd let measured distance from the water decide the steel.

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.

Find my roofer

Finding a roofer through us

We don't do roofing work, and Albany is a regional city, so we're upfront about coverage. Send us the job and your suburb, whether that's Spencer Park, Yakamia, Bayonet Head or Little Grove. If a licence-checked roofer we work with covers it, we'll pass the job on; if not, we'll tell you straight away.

Check any roofer's registration on the WA Online Licence Search before they start.

Services

Roofing jobs in Albany

Gutter cleaning in AlbanyWhen to clear Albany gutters, why February is the window, and what a proper clean includes.
Questions

Straight answers.

Does Albany get cyclones?
It's unusual, but Alby in April 1978 showed it can happen, with 150 km/h winds and most homes suffering partial or complete roof failure. A well-maintained, properly fixed roof is the best preparation for the rare big blow.
Do I need a BAL to re-roof in Albany?
It depends on the work and your block. For additions and alterations to homes built before 1 May 2016 in a bushfire-prone area, the City of Albany requires a BAL at building permit if the work is worth more than $20,000 and/or increases the fire ignition risk. Ask the City whether your re-roof counts.
Is my house heritage-listed?
The City of Albany has 471 heritage-listed places, 95 of them on the State Register. If your home is old, check with the City before changing roof materials or colours.

Ready for a roofer to look at it in Albany?

Your postcode and three quick questions. We match you with a local roofer who specialises in your job, and tell you straight away if we don't have one near you.

Related help

Helpful next

Gutter cleaning in AlbanyWhen to clear Albany gutters, why February is the window, and what a proper clean includes.Roofers in Western AustraliaPermits, builder and painter registration, deposits and cyclone rules for WA roof jobs.Moss and lichen removalWhy moss and lichen take hold on a roof, how a roofer clears them, and how to slow the comeback.Slate and heritage roofsHow slate and heritage roofs are repaired, why fake slate can be asbestos, and when council rules apply.Colorbond and metal roofingProfiles, coastal grades, colour and heat, and upkeep for Colorbond and metal roofs.How to check a roofer's licenceWho licenses roofers in each state, the dollar thresholds, and the register to search.

Where this information comes from

Every fact and rule on this page comes from the sources above, checked on the dates shown. How we write and check these pages.

Find my roofer