What re-roofing involves in Cairns
Larry drew the line between old and new
After Cyclone Larry in 2006, a damage survey found most contemporary houses stayed structurally intact, while those built before the higher cyclone standards suffered more. In nearby Babinda, up to 80% of buildings were damaged. The age of the frame under your roof matters as much as the sheets on top.
No rating, no assumption
For Cairns homes built before the mid-1980s, the QRA recommends a qualified building professional check that connections are strong enough and members are still serviceable. Homes built before the 1990s may not have a wind classification, so the roofer shouldn't guess one.
Region C, then your block
Cairns sits in Wind Region C, designed for gusts of 250 km/h. Each house is then classed C1 to C4, from 180 km/h to 310 km/h. The QRA says homes on hillsides or open terrain need a higher class, so ask which class the roofer has used for your block.
Salt changes the steel
The building code wants heavily galvanised or stainless structural steel on homes within one kilometre of the shoreline. For the sheets, Lysaght says salt exposure is the deciding factor, and Colorbond Ultra is made for harsher spots near breaking surf. BlueScope counts the Cairns Strand areas as exposed water, which it treats like surf: standard Colorbond only beyond 200 m, Ultra beyond 100 m, stainless closer in. Northern Beaches homes from Machans Beach to Ellis Beach aren't named, so get that checked.
Queenslanders, newer estates and the old roof
Wikipedia notes the steel roofs on classic Queenslanders could be reused after cyclone damage. The sheets often outlast the fixings, so re-roofing an old high-set house is mostly about what holds the roof on. Cominos House in Manunda is heritage-listed partly for construction methods rarely seen around Cairns, a reminder that older houses weren't all built the same way.
Newer homes on former cane land at the edges of the city's long north-south spread are built to current rules. If one of those needs a new roof already, ask whether it's a defect. Under Queensland's Home Warranty Scheme, a defect that lets water in counts as structural.
The Household Resilience Program used to help with cyclone upgrades, including roof replacement, but it closed to new applications on 2 October 2026. Insurers can get a pool discount for a new roof, but each decides whether to pass it on, so don't build it into your budget.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What wind classification are you fixing the new roof to, and who worked it out?
- Will an engineer or builder check the frame and tie-downs once the old roof is off?
- Which steel grade suits my distance from the sea?
- Is home warranty insurance included, and is the deposit within the legal limit?
- Does the work need building approval, and who's handling it?
- Will you check for asbestos in the old roof and eaves before starting?
If it were our house
We'd pay for the frame to be checked before choosing any roofing product. On a pre-1990s Cairns house, that check decides whether you need new battens and straps, and it's far cheaper to do with the roof off. Then we'd get two quotes for the same scope, fixed to the same wind class, so they can be compared fairly.
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.
The paperwork on a job this size
Most re-roofs pass $20,000, which in Queensland means a Level 2 contract, a deposit of no more than 5%, and progress payments that track the work done. You usually get five business days to cool off after receiving the signed contract and the Consumer Building Guide. Check the roofer's QBCC licence before you pay anything.
Send us your suburb and the roof you've got now, and we'll look for one licence-checked roofer for it. More on our national roof replacement page and the Cairns hub.