WHEN Cyclone Marcia ripped through Central Queensland, the devastation was as widespread as it was massive.

Yet the renovation and construction industry has been the silver lining after benefiting in a big way and, for some local businesses, saved entirely.

State-wide, Queenslanders are renovating in record numbers; 13.2% in the last year, bolstered by Central Queensland at a monster 36% due to the cyclone.

For Rockhampton building company Hotondo Homes, Cyclone Marcia was a blessing in disguise and actually kept them above water.

Owner Brett Louttit said while the increase helped out massively at the time, work has dried up almost completely.

"Well without Marcia we would have had very little work last year, so that helped us out massively," Brett said.

"Particularly in the middle of last year we saw busy periods for a few months and then it would be sporadic.

"Since Christmas however, we have really struggled. I am down to my smallest work crew in 12 years.

"It is pretty doom and gloom, we are working a lot on our new house market but the confidence of the clients is not there.

"We are expecting a little pick-up soon, hoping to pick up three houses shortly. We are hoping that people get more positive and look to build more new homes."

In Rockhampton, residents spent a staggering $95.9 million on renovations but with the work completed Master Builders are remaining optimistic about the industry's future after the most "prolonged downturn the region had seen".

"I think on the positive side, while nobody wants to see a cyclone, it definitely helped the industry stay reasonably active at a time when it was slowing down," Master Builders Central Queensland's Dennis Bryant said.

"A lot of the work was done by local businesses too; not all of it, but most went local.

"It has been pleasing to see the extent of the total dollars spent.

"The building industry itself has been very slow over the last year, way down, 50% from 2014.

"I don't think we can go any lower, it's probably the worst we have ever had and the most prolonged downturn we have had. I don't know if we will charge back up to great figures but I am confident that we have hit the bottom and will go upwards from here."

Master Builders deputy executive director Paul Bidwell said Queensland renovations had hit an historic high that had never been seen before. "There are signs that we are at or near the peak, with each of the results over the past three months dropping," Mr Bidwell said.

"Now is the time to get out there and get work done. Builders are geared up but may not have the large amounts of work on their books that they've had the past year."