Burleigh's roofs, oldest to newest
Iron around the headland
From the 1920s, homes around the headland and Burleigh Ridge were generally timber with corrugated iron roofs on timber stumps. The Brisbane Courier counted 300 residences by 1925.
Fibro beach houses
After the war, beach houses went up in timber and fibro, with flat or low-pitched roofs, verandahs and terraces facing the views and breezes. On Burleigh Ridge, the study found 1930s timber houses next to two- and three-storey brick and fibro beach houses from the 1960s and 70s.
Flats with flat roofs
Between Kelly Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway, the study describes mostly 1960s and 1970s flats of two or three storeys with flat roofs. In 2021, 46.7% of the suburb's homes were flats, and 19.5% of dwellings were empty on census night.
Pines and bushland
The heritage-listed Norfolk Island pines on the esplanade were planted in 1934, and Koala Park, built from the 1960s, is ringed by Burleigh Head National Park and three bush reserves. Needles and leaves end up in gutters.
Surf and storms
Burleigh Head rises 80 m at the mouth of Tallebudgera Creek, with Burleigh Beach facing the Coral Sea. The suburb was on the disaster assistance list after the Christmas 2023 storms.
What each kind of roof needs
Low-pitched and flat roofs drain slowly, so leaves, sand and blocked outlets cause more trouble than on a steep roof. Keep outlets and box gutters clear, and have a roofer look at any ponding. Our box gutters page explains why they leak.
Fibro beach houses from before 1990 may contain asbestos in the roof sheeting, ridge capping or eaves. Get a sample tested before anyone drills, cuts or walks on it.
Iron and Colorbond near the surf need the right grade. BlueScope recommends standard COLORBOND more than 200 m from breaking surf, Ultra beyond 100 m and SUPERDURA Stainless closer in. Read more on Colorbond roofing on the Gold Coast.
Heritage places. The 2010 study's draft guidance said new roofs next to heritage places should match their profile and material. Ask City of Gold Coast whether anything applies to your house now.
If it were our Burleigh roof
Whatever the era, we'd start with the gutters and outlets, because pine needles and sand are what flood a flat roof. On a fibro beach house, we'd test for asbestos before inviting quotes. On iron within sight of the surf, we'd only accept Ultra or stainless. Send us your street and the job: if a licence-checked roofer covers Burleigh Heads, your number and email go to that roofer only, and if we haven't got one yet, we'll tell you.
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.