A thatch roof is priced by its area, and the area comes from the size and the pitch. Put both in one request for a new thatch roof in Eastern Cape and we pass it to thatching contractors and roof builders working in towns and cities across Eastern Cape.
New Thatch Roofs in Eastern Cape
Building a new thatch roof in Eastern Cape? Say what the building is, its size and shape, the pitch on the plans and whether the plans are approved. Thatchers who build new roofs in Eastern Cape and Eastern Cape can then quote for the frame, the thatch, the ridge and any fire barrier.
The main a new thatch roof page explains the options, the materials and the costs in more detail.
What to know locally in Eastern Cape
In St Francis Bay, owners often follow local architectural guidelines that ask for a <a href="/thatch-houses/">thatched roof</a> and white walls, so check the rules before planning. Game reserves around Makhanda and the Sundays River valley ask for chalets and bomas. In rural areas around Mthatha, Butterworth and the Wild Coast, <a href="/rondavels/">rondavels</a> are built and re-roofed in the traditional way. Gqeberha suburbs such as Walmer and Lorraine have garden lapas.
Eastern Cape: the buildings, the weather and the thatchers
Few provinces have as much variety under thatch as the Eastern Cape. Round homesteads with grass roofs are part of village life across the former Transkei around Mthatha and the Wild Coast. The private game reserves between Makhanda, Alicedale and Port Alfred have thatched lodges and bomas. Coastal towns such as Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Kenton-on-Sea and Port Alfred have holiday homes, and St Francis Bay is known for its white walls under dark thatch roofs. Gqeberha and East London have garden lapas. The weather swings from wind and salt on the coast to dry Karoo heat around Graaff-Reinet. Grass grows in the east of the province, and Cape reed comes from the southern Cape.
The requests we see from Eastern Cape usually come from:
- Homeowners: a new house or extension under thatch, with plans, fire barrier and mast planned from the start
- Farms and smallholdings: a new farmhouse, lapa or wedding barn under grass thatch with a firebreak around it
- Game lodges and bush camps: new chalets or a main lodge roof built with fire protection for veld fire country
Local tips for Eastern Cape
Common here: coastal holiday homes, game reserve lodges, rondavels, re-thatching older roofs. Ask each supplier about this: in St Francis Bay, ask for the local roof guidelines before you get quotes. Where they work from: gqeberha, East London and St Francis Bay; rural crews in the Mthatha area.
Sizes vary: A garden lapa to a large lodge building. Here, homeowners lead the requests, typically for a new house or extension under thatch, with plans, fire barrier and mast planned from the start. One local point to raise: crews from Gqeberha and East London; reed from the southern Cape.
Service area: Eastern Cape and surrounds
We pass Eastern Cape requests to thatchers and suppliers based in or regularly working in Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Makhanda, Jeffreys Bay, Port Alfred, Graaff-Reinet. Rural requests should give the nearest town, so travel is quoted honestly.