Removing a possum from your roof is half the job. Proofing is the other half: finding and sealing every gap a brushtail could use to get back in. In Ballarat, where many homes are old weatherboard or brick with decades of weathering, proofing is usually where most of the work and most of the cost lies. This page sets out what good proofing covers and how to compare quotes.
Ballarat Possum Removal is a referral service, not a proofing contractor. With your consent, we pass your enquiry to an independent local business that inspects and quotes. The work and the warranty are between you and that business.
Why proofing matters more than trapping
Brushtail possums are territorial. If one is excluded or trapped and released within 50 metres, as Victorian rules require, it will try hard to get back in. If it fails, a neighbour possum may try instead. Government guidance across Australia says the same thing: the lasting fix is to maintain the building so that a possum cannot get in. A proofing job is therefore judged on one test. Does the possum stay out once the one-way exit is removed?
Where possums get into Ballarat roofs
A brushtail can squeeze through a gap of about 9 centimetres, which is smaller than most people expect. Typical entry points on Ballarat homes include:
- Eaves and fascia gaps where boards have shrunk, split or rotted after years of wet winters.
- Gable vents and decorative gable infill on period weatherboards.
- Loose ridge and hip capping, slipped terracotta tiles, or lifted corrugated iron at the roof edge.
- Chimneys and flues. Disused fireplaces are common in pre-war homes in Ballarat Central, Soldiers Hill and Ballarat East.
- Junctions between old and new work, where an extension or carport meets the original roof.
- Wall cavities and subfloors that connect up into the roof, especially where weatherboards have pulled away.
- Solar panel edges, sometimes, where a gap under the array lets a possum reach the roof sheeting.
A competent inspection covers the whole roofline from outside, the roof space from inside, and the paths a possum uses to get up: trees, fences, downpipes and power lines.
What a proofing job should include
- Full inspection inside and out, with photos of each entry point.
- Check for occupants and young before anything is permanently sealed.
- Temporary exclusion (a one-way flap) or lawful trapping, so the possum leaves first.
- Sealing with materials a possum cannot chew or push open. Common choices are galvanised or aluminium mesh, folded metal flashing, timber replacement, and properly fixed capping and tiles. Expanding foam or loose chicken wire on its own is not a durable seal.
- Removing access routes where practical: trimming overhanging branches and fitting metal collars to trees or downpipes.
- Cleaning scent marks at old entries, because the possum's scent invites others back.
- A return visit to remove the flap and seal the last gap, plus written warranty terms.
Heritage homes and roof trades
Parts of Ballarat are in heritage precincts. Proofing that changes only how a gap is closed rarely needs approval. However, if a job turns into replacing roof cladding, gable features or chimneys, check with the City of Ballarat whether a Heritage Overlay applies before work starts. Major roof repairs may also need a roof plumber rather than a pest business. A good proofing quote says clearly what it covers and what it leaves to another trade.
What it costs
We do not quote. As orientation only, possum specialists in Melbourne publish fixed prices of roughly $495 to $550 for removal plus proofing on a standard single-storey home, and an Adelaide business cites about $600 to $1,000 depending on the roof. Those are published figures from other cities, not Ballarat quotes. The price rises with:
- the number of entry points and how high or steep they are;
- double-storey access or scaffolding;
- rotten timber that has to be replaced, not just covered;
- complex period rooflines with gables, valleys and chimneys;
- a second visit to reseal if the possum finds another way in.
Comparing quotes
Ask each business to list every entry point it found and how it will seal each one. Ask what the warranty covers and for how long, what it excludes (storm damage and new rot are common exclusions), and whether removal is done by one-way exit or trapping. Victorian rules allow brushtails living in a building to be trapped by owners, occupiers, building managers or licensed wildlife controllers. Ask whether the person doing the work holds a wildlife controller licence, and check that their method follows DEECA's release conditions.
Frequently asked questions
How much does possum proofing cost in Ballarat?
It depends on the number and height of entry points and on repairs. As orientation, Melbourne specialists publish about $495 to $550 for a standard home with removal included. Get an itemised Ballarat quote.
Can I possum-proof my roof myself?
You can seal gaps yourself, but only after you are sure the possum has left. Victoria's guidance is to make sure no animal, and no young, is trapped inside. If you seal a possum in, it will either break out or die in the roof.
What materials stop possums getting back in?
Durable materials that cannot be chewed or pushed aside work best: metal mesh, folded flashing, sound timber and properly fixed tiles or capping. Possums are strong, so soft fillers on their own tend to fail.
How long does possum proofing last?
Good work should last for years, but new gaps appear as timber ages or storms lift roofing. Many businesses offer written warranties of one to two years or more. Read the exclusions carefully.
Do I need to trim trees as part of possum proofing?
It helps. Branches within a jump of the roof make re-entry easy. In Ballarat, check whether a tree is protected by a planning overlay before any major pruning.
Will possum proofing also keep rats out?
Partly. Rats and mice need much smaller gaps, so rodent proofing is finer work. See rats and mice in the roof.
Next step
Send us your suburb, the age and roof type of your home, and any entry points you have noticed. With your consent, we pass it to one independent Ballarat-area proofing business. See how it works or make an enquiry.