The details make the quote: how much you need, the size or grade, where it must be delivered and how soon. Send one request with them and we pass it to treated pole yards and timber suppliers working in Cape Town and nearby areas of Western Cape.
Gum Poles and Thatching Laths in Cape Town
Need gum poles or laths in Cape Town? List the diameters, lengths and numbers, say what they are for (a thatch roof, lapa, carport or fence), and give the delivery address. Pole yards that deliver to Cape Town and across Western Cape can then quote per pole with transport.
The main gum poles and laths page explains the options, the materials and the costs in more detail.
Cape Town notes on materials & supplies
Cape reed is the local material: it is harvested mostly in the southern Cape and trucked in, costs more than grass, and gives a finer, longer lasting finish. Grass is also used, usually from the eastern provinces. Treated gum poles come from Boland and metro yards. Fire retardant products are widely used given the fynbos fire risk, and a water repellent sealer can help on wet south facing slopes.
Who builds with thatch in Cape Town
Cape Town thatch is Cape reed thatch more often than not. The fine, dense dekriet finish from the southern Cape covers older homes and cottages in Constantia, Bishopscourt, Noordhoek, Hout Bay and Kommetjie, along with farm buildings, restaurants and wine estates on the city edge. Rain comes in winter, driven by north-westerly fronts that test ridges and valleys, while summer is dry and windy, with the south-easter and a real fynbos fire season on the mountain slopes. That makes fire protection and annual checks before winter the two big themes. Some of the oldest buildings are protected, and work on old structures may need heritage approval, so check before stripping a historic roof.
The requests we see from Cape Town usually come from:
- Homeowners: poles for a new garden lapa, a carport or replacing rotten rafters before a re-thatch
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: poles for a new lapa, a shaded parking area or a cottage roof frame
- Wedding venues, schools and churches: poles for a large thatched hall or wedding lapa with long spans
Local tips for Cape Town
Asked for most in Cape Town: cape reed re-thatching, fire retardant and drenchers, pre-winter repairs. Where the thatchers are: cape reed thatchers in the city and Boland; reed from southern Cape harvesters. A useful tip: ask whether the roof is Cape reed or grass, and quote like for like.
Around Cape Town the largest group asking is homeowners, which usually means poles for a new garden lapa, a carport or replacing rotten rafters before a re-thatch. Before you agree to anything: treatment class, straightness and cracks. Getting a crew there: cape reed trucked from the southern Cape; crews based in the metro and Boland.
Service area: Cape Town and surrounds
Requests from Cape Town go to thatchers and suppliers that already serve Century City, Woodstock, Epping, Montague Gardens, Paarden Eiland, Claremont, Salt River and the rest of the area. Say whether you want supply only or supply and install, and whether a site visit suits you.