2021 Australian Roofing Survey Report

2021 Australian Roofing Survey Report

When designing the survey for 2021, we wanted to hone in on a few key topics:

• The makeup and focus of respondents.
• The industry’s attitude to innovation.
• The impact of COVID-19.
  

Overall, we had 55 respondents who participated in the survey and filled out the questions. While this was less than previous years, we felt we were still able to gain quite a few useful insights into the industry’s state and where it might be going in the future.

Survey Demographics

Who Answered The Survey?

In 2020, we had participants from a range of backgrounds, including roofers (20%), builders (15%), store owners (13%), and homeowners (40%). These diverse demographics provided us with a complete picture of the roofing industry, from the eyes of all involved.

Interestingly, the two largest respondents were those with under 5 years experience (40%), those with 20+ years experience (35%), and the rest falling somewhere in between. 

This paints an exciting picture and shows two positive truths. Firstly, the industry’s roles are still in high demand, with close to half of the respondents being newcomers. 

The other is that the industry has a high rate of ‘lifers’ who have 20+ years of experience, which all can agree is a testament to the industry’s strength. Despite constant changes, a significant portion of the industry is dedicated to professional growth and capable of adapting.

The location demographics were also diverse, with the vast majority being from NSW (40%) and VIC (20%). The remaining 40% of respondents were spread across the nation in small numbers of 5 to 10%.

Most respondents were also part of small businesses in the range of 1 – 10 employees (45%), with about 30% from mid-and large-sized businesses.

What Roofing Projects Were They Focused On?

Another interesting finding was that the majority (53%) of respondents were focused exclusively on residential properties. There was also a significant portion (30%) focused on a mix of both. While we didn’t get many respondents in the commercial sector, it’s safe to say the rest would have been in there.

When it came to the type of projects our respondents focused on, we found that most (43%) were focused on renovations, and 15% were focused on new builds. In reality, we feel the numbers here would be more balanced, especially with the vast flux of new properties sparked by hefty rebates, etc.

The State of Innovation in Australia

When it came to judging Australia’s willingness to adapt to new products and procedures, we asked many questions. We felt the most telling answers could be gained from assessing our most used roofing materials, and our willingness to look aboard for superior solutions.

What Roofing Materials Do You Use Most Frequently?

This question was intended to assess how we have progressed towards newer, more sustainable/efficient products and practices. In 2020, it seems that more than 95% of respondents were still using more traditional roofing materials such as slate, tile, and colorbond/metal. 

While we did not have any respondents report that they were frequently using green roofs or solar tiles, we know that these products are rarely used. It’s still early days, and adoption takes time, but we feel like it is something for everyone in the industry to reflect on. 

Do You Look Overseas For New Practices and Products?

With many local and overseas roofing experts believing Australia to be ‘behind the curve’, we decided to add this question to the survey. It would seem that the consensus could be true, as almost all (70%) of respondents reported that they do not look outside of Australia’s borders for better practices and products.

This could be why solutions such as dry ridging, which is the most popular ridging method globally, have not caught on in Australia. According to overseas experts, this is a sign that the Australian roofing industry needs to consider the opportunities available as they could add significant value to those affected by local roofing practices.

The Impact of COVID-19 in 2020

Since COVID-19 is such a hot topic, we felt asking respondents about the impact of the pandemic on their work and business. In the end, the results we got were the opposite of what we were expecting, which we are pleased about.

Have You/Your Colleagues Been Restricted Site Access Due To COVID-19?

We thought we’d include some questions about COVID-19 to judge the pandemic’s impact on the roofing industry as a whole. Surprisingly, we had an overwhelming (78%) of respondents report that they had not experienced any COVID-19 related site access restrictions in 2020. 

How Has Your Workload Been Impacted By COVID-19?

We also asked respondents if their workloads had been affected by COVID-19 and got some surprising results. 

While more balanced, we found that around 65% of respondents reported being positively impacted or not impacted at all. Only 33% of respondents reported a negative impact on their workload during COVID-19. 

Again, this is a refreshing testament to the never-ending demand for the services this industry provides. 

Have Any Questions

As always, we want to thank all of you who took part in the 2020 survey. We always find this activity insightful and hope you all have too. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to email us at info@evobuild.com.au.