Metal roofing in Wellington covers most of the city's homes in one form or another: corrugated iron on a Thorndon villa, a trapezoidal profile on a 1970s Tawa house, or longrun Colorsteel on a new build in Churton Park. Coated steel is light, quick to lay and sheds horizontal rain well when it is fixed and flashed properly. We install new metal roofs, re-sheet tired ones and repair leaks, lifted sheets and corroded laps across Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua.
Choosing metal is the easy part. The decisions that matter are the profile, the coating, the gauge and the fixings, because each one changes how the roof copes with your site. A sheltered section in Stokes Valley and an exposed ridge above the south coast are different jobs. We look at pitch, wind exposure and salt before recommending a product, and we follow the NZ Metal Roof and Wall Cladding Code of Practice for laps, fixings and flashings.
Lightweight, strong and ideal for Wellington's exposed conditions, metal roofing in Colorsteel or corrugated profiles offers long-lasting performance with a wide range of colours and finishes, with honest practical advice.
Metal roofing is properly fixed and detailed to withstand gale-force winds, heavy rain and salt-laden air, giving Wellington homeowners reliable protection with minimal ongoing maintenance requirements, using quality proven materials.
Long continuous sheets reduce joins and potential leak points. We supply and install modern profiles that suit both traditional villas and contemporary architectural designs across the region, from day one.
Metal roofing is sold by profile, which is the shape the flat steel coil is rolled into. The profile decides how much water each rib can carry, how far the sheet can span between purlins, how low the roof pitch can go and, of course, how the house looks from the street.
The classic rolling wave seen on villas, cottages and bullnose verandahs. It suits heritage streetscapes and can be curved. Its shallow ribs carry less water than deeper profiles, so corrugate needs more pitch and is not the choice for very low-slope roofs.
Taller, square-edged ribs with flat pans between them. The deeper ribs carry more water and span further, which makes trapezoidal sheet common on low-pitch extensions, garages and commercial buildings, and a crisp modern look on houses.
Sheets are roll-formed to the full length of the roof, from ridge to spouting, so there are no end laps for wind-driven rain to push through. On long runs we allow for thermal movement and plan delivery and lifting around tight hillside access.
Roofing steel is commonly supplied in 0.40 mm and 0.55 mm base metal thickness. The heavier gauge resists denting from foot traffic and spans further, so it is worth considering on exposed or regularly walked roofs. We explain the trade-off in your written quote.
Each profile has a set cover width, the width a sheet covers once lapped over its neighbour. Where the roof allows, we lay side laps facing away from the prevailing wind, so driven rain is pushed over the lap, not into it.
Corrugated and trapezoidal sheet also work as wall cladding, from vertical corrugate on modern homes to garages and sleepouts. Walls need their own cavity battens, underlay and flashings under Building Code clause E2, so we detail the roof-to-wall junction carefully. See cladding.
ZINCALUME is steel coated with an aluminium-zinc alloy that protects the base metal. Colorsteel starts with that coated steel and adds a primer and a baked paint finish, giving you a colour choice and an extra barrier. Both are made for New Zealand conditions, but neither is indifferent to salt. Manufacturers grade sites into exposure zones, and the closer you are to breaking surf, the more demanding the zone and the more resistant the product needs to be.
In Wellington that matters. Homes in Owhiro Bay, Lyall Bay, Eastbourne and Plimmerton take salt spray whenever the wind is onshore, and suburbs well back from the beach still collect salt in a storm. The weak points are unwashed areas: under overhangs, behind parapets and beneath solar panels, where rain never rinses the salt away. We check the manufacturer's exposure guidance for your address and specify coating and fixings to suit. Manufacturer warranties vary by product and exposure zone. For a side-by-side comparison with older materials, read our Colorsteel vs traditional roofing guide.
The same details decide whether a metal roof stays dry, whether it is a full new roof or a handful of sheets.
We set up access to suit the site, following WorkSafe guidance on working at height, with scaffold, edge protection or anchors as needed. Longrun sheets catch the wind like sails, so we hold off lifting them onto the roof in strong Wellington gusts.
Before new sheets go down we check purlins and battens for rot, replace soft timber and lay a suitable roof underlay. On older homes this is often the first time anyone has seen the framing in decades, so we report what we find.
Fastener type, spacing and pattern follow the Code of Practice and the wind design for your site. Exposed ridges and edges get closer fixing, and coastal jobs get fasteners rated for the exposure so the screws do not corrode before the sheet does.
Ridges, barges, aprons and pipe penetrations are where most metal roofs leak. We fold flashings to suit the profile, turn up sheet ends under ridges and seal penetrations with proper boots. Our flashing installation and repair service also covers retrofits.
Cutting steel throws off tiny metal filings that rust on the paint surface and leave orange spots. We cut away from the roof where possible, sweep every sheet as we go and clear the spouting before we leave.
Lifted sheets, popped nails, rusted laps and leaking screws can often be fixed without a full re-roof. Where corrosion has gone through, we replace sheets in a matching profile, which is often the sensible step before reroofing the whole house.
Rinse unwashed areas with fresh water as the manufacturer recommends, keep spouting clear so water cannot back up under the ridge or into laps, and keep leaves and lichen off the pans where they hold moisture against the paint.
Watch for incompatible materials. Copper pipes, lead flashings and run-off from some timbers can corrode coated steel below them. Once a painted roof has chalked and faded but the steel is still sound, recoating can extend its life before replacement is needed.
Metal roofing suits Wellington well, but only when it is fixed and detailed to cope with gale-force wind and salt-laden air. Our contractors install Colorsteel, corrugated and other profiles with correct fixing patterns, quality flashings and sealed laps, so the roof stays secure and watertight through every season. We help you choose a profile and colour that suits your home, from traditional villas to contemporary builds. Long continuous sheets reduce joins and potential leak points, and our crews handle them with care to avoid damage or marks. You get clear quotes, tidy workmanship and a lightweight, long-lasting roof that needs very little maintenance. Ask us anything before you commit.
Metal roofing work often overlaps with these services, from partial sheet replacement and flashings through to full roof replacement and repainting.
Call our team if you need advice for your property or roofing project.
04 888 0115It depends on how close you are to the surf and how much of your roof is unwashed. Unpainted ZINCALUME may not be recommended for the harshest marine sites, while pre-painted products come in grades designed for more severe exposure. We check the manufacturer's exposure zone for your address before recommending a product, because using the wrong grade for the site can affect warranty cover.
We don't recommend it. Laying new sheets over old hides rotten battens, traps moisture between the layers and makes ridges, flashings and penetrations difficult to detail properly. Stripping back lets us check the framing, replace the underlay and fix the new roof into sound timber, which is what keeps it on in a strong northerly.
Like-for-like re-roofing is often exempt from building consent, for example replacing corrugated steel with new corrugated steel on the same framing. Changing to a different material, changing the roof's weight or altering the structure may need consent. We'll confirm with council before work starts, so you are not caught out later.
Ticking and creaking as the sun comes out is usually the steel expanding and moving on its fixings, which is normal. Rattling or banging in wind is different: it usually means a loose screw, a lifted sheet or a flashing that has come away. Have it checked soon, because a loose sheet is exactly what a southerly gust can peel back.
It depends on exposure and maintenance. A well-specified roof on a sheltered site, with spouting kept clear and unwashed areas rinsed, can perform for a long time. The same product near breaking surf with no maintenance will age much faster. We will tell you what your site needs and what the manufacturer expects for warranty purposes. If yours is already showing rust, see our roof repairs service.
Experience a top-notch roofing services wherever you are in Wellington. Get in touch with our team and will come back with you a free, no-obligation estimate for any roofing service.
