Roofing in the Free State
From Sasolburg to Zastron, Free State roofs face big early-summer hail, violent storm gusts and, in the north-east, frequent lightning. Here's how to plan around them.
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The Free State is a province of two climates. The hot, dry west gets roughly 450 mm of rain a year, while the cooler north-east around Bethlehem and Harrismith gets up to about 1,200 mm. Either way the rain comes in summer, mostly from thunderstorms, and those storms bring the hail and wind that do most of the damage to roofs here.
Timing matters too. A study of the province's rainy season found it starts earliest in the north-east, by mid-November in four years out of five across Thabo Mofutsanyane and most of Fezile Dabi, and later in the west, around early December in central and western Lejweleputswa. Thabo Mofutsanyane also has the longest season, and western Xhariep the shortest.
November is hail month
University of Pretoria hail modelling shows November as the peak month across most of the summer-rainfall region. In November, the zone where hail bigger than 3 cm is expected at least once a month extends west to take in the Free State. The same study, and older weather-station records, show a pocket of higher hail frequency around the meeting point of the Free State, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape. The researchers link hail above 2 cm to roof damage, and above 3 cm to damage to buildings generally.
So the sensible window for re-roofing or replacing cracked tiles is winter and early spring, before the first big storms. If you're replacing sheeting, ask the roofer what thickness they're quoting and how it'll cope with hail, and get the answer in writing.
Storm winds that lift roofs
Hail isn't the only threat. On the night of 6 December 2023 a storm hit Bloemfontein so hard that many formal houses were left without roofs and hundreds of informal homes were flattened, with Mangaung's disaster teams called out to assess the damage. Loose fixings and tired battens are worth sorting out before a gust like that finds them.
- Ask the roofer to check that sheets and ridge capping are fully fixed, not just the visibly loose ones.
- Have timber battens and wall plates inspected for rot while the roof is being worked on.
- After a big storm, check the roof from the ground and the ceiling space before climbing up.
Lightning and thatch in the north and north-east
The South African Weather Service's lightning climatology recorded 10 to 15 ground flashes per km² a year over the northern and north-eastern Free State. SANS 10400-T requires thatched buildings and lapas in areas with a flash density above 7 to have a lightning protection system, designed and installed by a competent person to SANS 10313 and SANS 62305. If your thatcher hasn't mentioned it, ask.
Dry air, with one industrial exception
Most of the Free State interior is gentle on metal roofs. A national corrosion study measured mild steel corroding at only about 4 µm a year at Gariep, near the province's southern border. Sasolburg is the exception: in its industrial heart the rate was about 50 µm a year, more than twelve times higher. If you live near the petrochemical plants, a cheap uncoated sheet or fixing will not last as long as it would in Bloemfontein.
Roofing prices in the Free State
Published price guides don't give Free State figures, and we haven't found a reliable source showing that roofing costs more or less here than the national ranges. One Gauteng contractor's guide adds 10 to 15% for jobs in rural inland areas, to cover transport and crew accommodation, which may apply in smaller towns far from a supplier.
Use the roofing cost guide to judge whether a quote is in range, and ask for travel costs as a separate line.
Where in the Free State
You can request quotes from anywhere in the province, including Mangaung, Bloemfontein, Welkom, Bethlehem, Kroonstad, Sasolburg, Parys, Harrismith. Choose your region and suburb in the form, and providers who cover your area will quote.
Roofing in the Free State: questions
When should I get my roof fixed in the Free State?
Before the storms start. The rainy season begins around mid-November in the north-east and early December in the west, and November is the peak hail month across most of the summer-rainfall region. Booking repairs in winter or early spring gives you time to compare quotes and lets the roofer work in dry weather.
Is hail really a big risk for roofs in Bloemfontein and Welkom?
It's one of the main ones. University of Pretoria hail modelling shows the zone of large, damaging hail extending over the Free State in November. Older records also show a hail hotspot where the Free State meets the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape. Check your roof after every severe storm, and photograph any damage for your insurer.
Does a thatched lapa near Bethlehem or Harrismith need lightning protection?
Very likely. SAWS lightning data shows 10 to 15 flashes per km² a year over the north-eastern Free State, and SANS 10400-T requires lightning protection on thatched buildings and lapas where the flash density is above 7. Lapas built with wire sways need it where the density is above 3. A competent person must design and install the system.
How do I get roofing quotes in the Free State?
Through Home Improvement Hub you can describe the job once and get up to 3 quotes, free. Ask each roofer to price the same covering, sheet thickness and fixing method so the totals are comparable. Start on our [roofing page](/services/roofing).
Sources
- Provincial Climate Narratives, Free State Climate Change Information System, SAEON
- Rainy season characteristics of the Free State Province of South Africa with reference to rain-fed maize production, Moeletsi and Walker, Water SA 38(5), 2012
- An ERA-Interim HAILCAST hail climatology for southern Africa, Dyson, Pienaar, Smit and Kijko, University of Pretoria, 2021
- One child dead and several people injured in devastating Bloemfontein storm, GroundUp, 8 December 2023
- Lightning climatology of South Africa with a special focus on lightning risk maps, Gijben, South African Weather Service
- Key issues relating to fire protection of thatched roofs, Thatchers Association of South Africa, 2024 (quoting SANS 10400-T)
- Corrosion map of South Africa's macro atmosphere, Janse van Rensburg, Cornish and van der Merwe, South African Journal of Science 115(7/8), 2019
- Complete Roofing Contractor Pricing Guide South Africa, Builders in Gauteng, undated
Last updated 28 October 2026.
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