What Brisbane asks of its gutters
Built for bursts, not averages
Brisbane's wettest day on record was 21 January 1887, with 465 mm, and its wettest month was February 1893, with 1,025.9 mm. Gutters can't be built for every extreme. The NCC sizes eaves gutters for intense five-minute bursts of rain and requires an overflow path so the excess spills outside, not into the house.
Galvanised gutters under a steel roof
BlueScope says zinc-coated (galvanised) gutters can corrode early under Colorbond or Zincalume roofs and glazed terracotta, and recommends Colorbond or Zincalume steel gutters instead. If you're re-sheeting an old tin roof in Colorbond, it's the time to swap old galvanised gutters too.
Profiles for character houses
Lysaght's Ogee profile has a scalloped front suited to heritage homes, and its Half Round has a curved base that Lysaght says cleans itself better and carries plenty of water. On a pre-1947 Brisbane house, the gutter profile is part of the period look, so matching the original is usually worth it.
Timber fascias behind the gutters
Until recently, most Brisbane homes were built of timber, and on many older houses the gutters hang off timber fascia boards. When gutters overflow for years, the fascia behind them can rot, so a good roofer checks the boards before fitting new gutters.
What replacement involves
The old gutters come off, the fascia is checked and repaired, and new gutters go up with enough fall to drain. The NCC asks for a fall of at least 1:500 and brackets no more than 1.2 m apart, and BlueScope says joints should be lapped and sealed with neutral cure sealant. Downpipes are often replaced at the same time.
In Queensland, gutters come under the QBCC's metal fascias and gutters licence. A job over $3,300 needs a written contract and home warranty cover, which the QBCC says includes repairing a gutter or downpipe.
What to ask a Brisbane roofer about new gutters
- What profile and size are you quoting, and will it carry the water off my roof area?
- Will the gutters be Colorbond or Zincalume, to suit my roof, rather than galvanised?
- How will overflow work: front slots, a back gap or a lower front bead?
- Will you check the fascia boards and replace any that have rotted?
- Is the old gutter asbestos cement, and if so, who handles its removal?
What we'd book
We'd replace gutters in the cooler months, well before the November storms, and match them to the roof metal so they don't corrode early. On a character house, we'd keep the original profile. Our national gutter replacement page covers the job in more depth, and the Brisbane hub has the local picture.
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.