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Nowra, New South Wales

Roofers in NowraFire country with 109 beaches.

Around Nowra, the roof job to think about first is ember protection. The Currowan fire burnt more than 258,000 hectares in the 2019 to 2020 season and merged with the Tianjara fire southwest of town. On the coast, from Culburra Beach down to Ulladulla, salt air also decides which roofing lasts. Tell us about your roof and your suburb, and we'll match the job with a local roofer who specialises in that problem, where we have one.

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What's different about Shoalhaven roofs?

Fire keeps coming back. Black Christmas in 2001 to 2002 burnt 97,000 hectares around Huskisson, Vincentia and Sussex Inlet. In January 1994 a house was lost near Ulladulla and Sussex Inlet. Then came Black Summer, when southern NSW lost 1,523 homes, 58% of every home lost in the state that season.

The weather dries things out. Nowra sits on the leeward side of the Great Dividing Range and gets a foehn effect, mostly in late winter and spring, and September is the driest month at 43.1 mm. Leaves that collect in gutters through spring tend to be dry by the time summer arrives.

Most homes are stand-alone houses. At the 2021 census, 87.2% of occupied Shoalhaven dwellings were separate houses and only 2.0% were flats or apartments, so most roofs are the owner's to look after, not a strata committee's.

Nowra and the Shoalhaven, by what roofs have faced

The Currowan fire

Residents of Bawley Point, Kioloa, Depot Beach, Pebbly Beach, North Durras and Pretty Beach were told to leave or stay and defend. By 2 January 2020 the fire was out of control and had joined the Tianjara fire in Morton National Park.

Storm damage in South Nowra

The severe storm of 16 December 2015 damaged roofs in South Nowra. February and March are the wettest months at the HMAS Albatross station, at 138.7 mm and 138.2 mm.

Flood after fire

Storms from 7 to 10 February 2020 flooded Lake Conjola, about six weeks after the fire went through. After a fire, it pays to clear ash and debris from gutters and downpipes before heavy rain arrives.

160 km of coast

Most Shoalhaven residents live in the north-east around Nowra, Jervis Bay and Sussex Inlet. Close to breaking surf, Lysaght recommends COLORBOND Ultra at 100 to 200 m and SUPERDURA stainless within 100 m. BlueScope does name Jervis Bay, as exposed water, and that carries the same distances as surf, so near Huskisson or Vincentia standard COLORBOND only suits homes more than 200 m back. The Shoalhaven River isn't named, so have your roofer confirm the class there.

Homes that sit empty

On census night 2021, 23.1% of private dwellings in the Shoalhaven were unoccupied. If your place goes weeks without anyone there, nobody notices a blocked gutter or a slipped tile until it's a stain on the ceiling.

Jobs that come up most around Nowra

Gutter cleaning before summer. The NSW RFS says 85% of the houses it loses go to ember attack, and embers can land more than 100 metres ahead of a fire front. Gutter cleaning in Nowra has the local timing.

Ember-proofing the roof edge. RFS building guidance asks for roofing that's non-combustible and properly sealed, and for gutter and valley guards that are non-combustible and installed to AS 3959. It also suggests avoiding box gutters. See ember guard for how it's done.

Storm repairs and coastal re-roofs. Lifted sheets and cracked tiles after a summer storm are roof repairs, and a new roof near the surf needs the right steel grade, which Colorbond roofing explains.

If we owned a house in the Shoalhaven

We'd check the bush fire prone land map first, using the RFS online tool or the property's Section 10.7 planning certificate. If the block is mapped, we'd have gutters and valleys cleaned every spring and price non-combustible guards. Upgrading an existing home isn't compulsory, but the RFS strongly recommends it. Near the beach, we'd want the steel grade in writing before any re-roof.

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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.

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Services

Roofing jobs in Nowra

Gutter cleaning in NowraDry springs, foehn winds and a long fire history: why gutter cleaning around Nowra is about embers first.
Questions

Straight answers.

Do I have to upgrade my Nowra roof for bushfire?
No. The NSW RFS says upgrading an existing home is recommended but not mandatory. Bush fire prone land maps change from time to time, so check with Shoalhaven City Council before you start any work.
Is Jervis Bay surf, exposed or calm water for roofing?
Exposed. BlueScope's TB-35 table lists Jervis Bay among its protected coastal waters, which it puts in the exposed class: open salt water facing onshore winds, without regular breaking waves. Exposed gets the same distance rules as surf, so BlueScope recommends standard COLORBOND more than 200 m away, COLORBOND Ultra more than 100 m, and SUPERDURA Stainless closer than that. Its list is a guide only, so ask your roofer to measure from the high water mark.
Who do I call after storm damage in Nowra?
For an emergency, the NSW SES on 132 500, then your insurer. When things are safe, tell us about the repair and we'll pass it to one licence-checked roofer near you if we have one.

Ready for a roofer to look at it in Nowra?

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 NowraDry springs, foehn winds and a long fire history: why gutter cleaning around Nowra is about embers first.Ember guard for bushfire areasNon-combustible gutter mesh for bushfire areas: what the RFS says, how BAL fits in, and what to do before fire season.Colorbond and metal roofingProfiles, coastal grades, colour and heat, and upkeep for Colorbond and metal roofs.Hail and storm damage repairsAfter hail or a big storm: signs of roof damage, what to do first, and how repairs and claims usually go.The best gutter guard for your roofMesh, plastic or ember guard? How to pick by roof profile, gutters, trees and bushfire risk.Roofers in New South WalesThe $5,000 and $20,000 lines, HBCF cover, deposits and roof licence categories in NSW.

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.

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