To thatch a roof on a new building, the work starts long before the grass arrives. The plans, the pole and lath frame, the fire barrier, the electrics and the lightning protection all have to be right first, because they are hard to change once the thatch is on. This page walks through the steps of a new thatch roof, what to decide at each one and what drives the cost. Send one request and thatchers who build new roofs in your area quote you directly.
Plans and approval first
The National Building Regulations apply to thatched buildings, and Part T of SANS 10400 deals with fire protection, including safety distances from boundaries and other buildings. A new thatch roof usually needs approved plans: check with the municipality before you start. In an estate, the HOA or body corporate usually has its own architectural guidelines and approval step. Your insurer may also have conditions, so ask now rather than after the roof is on.
Show the plans to your thatcher early. They can point out a pitch that is too low, a valley that will be hard to keep dry, or a chimney too close to the thatch, while it is still cheap to change.
The frame and the fire barrier
The roof structure is usually treated gum poles as rafters and purlins, with laths fixed across them at a regular spacing. The poles should be pressure treated and the right hazard class for where they are used: ask. The pitch is usually at least 45 degrees, and steeper is better.
In a new roof you can fit a fire barrier, a fire resistant board or membrane between the thatch and the roof space. It is far easier to add now than later. See thatch fire protection.
Laying the thatch and the ridge
The thatch is laid in courses from the eave upwards, butts down, each course covering the binding of the one below. It is sewn to the laths with binding wire or tarred twine using a long needle, then beaten tight with a leggett. A finished grass layer is commonly 150 to 200 mm thick: ask what thickness is quoted.
The ridge closes the top. A cement ridge is common here; a metal ridge cap or a grass ridge are other options. Valleys, dormers and chimneys need extra care, because that is where leaks start. Choose grass or Cape reed before you order.
Electrics, lightning and cost drivers
- Electrics: plan cable routes before thatching. No exposed wiring in the thatch, fittings kept clear of the grass, and a registered electrician who issues a certificate of compliance.
- Lightning: a free-standing mast set away from the building, installed to the relevant SANS standard, with surge protection.
- Cost: roof area and pitch, the material, thickness, the frame, ridge type, fire barrier, scaffolding and travel.
How long it takes depends on the size, the weather and grass supply. Ask each thatcher.
What to put in your request
- Plans, approved or in progress
- Building size, shape and pitch
- Who builds the pole and lath frame
- Grass or Cape reed, and the ridge type
- Fire barrier and lightning mast wanted
New Thatch Roofs for homes, lodges, farms and venues
- Homeowners: a new house or extension under thatch, with plans, fire barrier and mast planned from the start
- Estate homes and HOAs: a new estate home built to the HOA's thatch guidelines and approved before work starts
- Game lodges and bush camps: new chalets or a main lodge roof built with fire protection for veld fire country
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: a new thatched guest cottage or extra rooms that match the existing roofs
- Farms and smallholdings: a new farmhouse, lapa or wedding barn under grass thatch with a firebreak around it
- Restaurants, pubs and beach bars: a new thatched restaurant roof planned with fire distances and the insurer's conditions
- Resorts and holiday parks: a row of new thatched units built to one design and one frame detail
- Wedding venues, schools and churches: a new thatched hall or chapel with a long span and a fire barrier
- Builders, architects and developers: a thatcher to quote the roof on a new build from the architect's plans
Frequently asked questions
Will you build the roof for me?
Can the builder put up the frame and the thatcher do the rest?
What is the best time of year to thatch a new roof?
Do I need a fire barrier?
New Thatch Roofs by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg