12/09/2026
20 YEARS ON ROOFS. FIRST FALL. ⚠️
I want to set the record straight about what happened, because falling from a roof is something worth talking about properly.
I was between coats and installing a whirlybird on a Colorbond roof when, out of nowhere, a cloud rolled over and the first drops of rain started.
The moment I felt rain, I started making my way off the roof.
Within seconds, the heavens opened.
I tried to control it and slowly slide myself down, but once a wet Colorbond roof decides you’re going down, you’re going down.
I slid straight off.
Thankfully, through years of experience, I knew how to brace myself and position my body for the fall. I didn’t hit my head. No chest injuries. No major internal injuries.
The ladder actually caused the worst of it, cutting my knee badly enough to require 12 stitches.
My other heel took a fair bit of the impact, so walking isn’t exactly enjoyable right now, along with a few scratches and bruises.
But I can walk.
I can move.
I went home to my family.
And that is the part that matters.
This was my first fall in around 20 years working in this industry, and it definitely makes you think.
You can have experience.
You can understand roofs.
You can know what you’re doing.
You can take precautions.
And conditions can still change in seconds.
A roof that is perfectly safe and dry one moment can become incredibly dangerous with a handful of raindrops.
Tradies sometimes become comfortable around the risks we deal with every day because they’re familiar to us.
Yesterday was a reminder that familiar does not mean harmless.
I’ve got some healing and recovery ahead of me, but compared with what could have happened, 12 stitches and a sore heel is a very fortunate outcome.
For every roofer, tradie and homeowner who gets on a roof:
Don’t underestimate it.
Don’t rush it.
Don’t think “it’ll be right.”
Sometimes it only takes a few seconds for everything to change.
Respect the height. Respect the weather. Respect the risk. 🏠⚠️
