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Roofers in CanterburyOne region, very different roofs.

Canterbury roofs share the nor'wester, cold snaps and earthquake risk, but Christchurch gets more hail and wind than Timaru, and coastal homes face sea spray that inland ones don't. Tell us about your roof and we'll match it with a Canterbury roofer who specialises in that job where we have one, and tell you straight away if we don't.

What's different about roofs across Canterbury

The nor'wester

NIWA describes warm foehn north-westerlies breaking up Canterbury's cold winter weather, with summer highs often passing 30 °C right across the region. On 1 August 1975 a west-north-west storm set the gust records at both Christchurch Airport (172.4 km/h) and Timaru (164.9 km/h). Flashings and fixings on exposed roofs get tested every year.

Snow on the plains

The June 2006 snowstorm left 30 to 60 cm over much of the plains and about 30 cm in Timaru, and 800 mid and south Canterbury homes were still without power on their 10th day. The metal roofing code of practice says snow straps on spouting are normal in snow-prone areas, and that sites above set altitudes need specific design.

Hail and wind vary by town

Christchurch records hail on about 6 days a year and Timaru on 2. Timaru's mean wind speed is 9.4 km/h against Christchurch Airport's 14.4, and it sees about 34 days a year with gusts over 61 km/h to Christchurch's 52.

Earthquakes

The 2010 and 2011 quakes cost Christchurch many of its unreinforced brick chimneys and shook heavy tiles loose in the hill suburbs, and the magnitude 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake followed in November 2016. If an older house still has a masonry chimney, the Natural Hazards Commission says removing it is the safest option.

Sea spray

Homes within 500 m of the sea or a harbour, or 100 m of a tidal estuary, are in exposure Zone D under NZS 3604. That takes in Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch's coastal suburbs, and Timaru streets close to the sea and the harbour. Have your roofer confirm the zone before choosing steel or fixings.

Different housing stock

Much of Timaru's 20th-century growth was wooden colonial-style bungalows, and its volcanic bluestone shows up in local buildings, while Christchurch's 1930 to 1979 houses carry a lot of heavy tile.

Building consents and code compliance certificates come from your city or district council: Christchurch City Council, Timaru District Council, or the district council elsewhere, such as Selwyn or Waimakariri. Environment Canterbury is the regional council, not the one to ask about a roof.

The rules themselves are national. Schedule 1 of the Building Act exempts repairs and replacements that use a comparable product in the same position. Changing the roofing system is another matter: Wairoa District Council's guidance, for example, says going from corrugated iron to pressed metal tiles needs consent. Councils must decide a standard application within 20 working days, and a consent lapses if work hasn't started within 12 months.

Consented roofing is restricted building work, so a suitably licensed LBP must do or supervise it and give you a record of work, and you apply for a code compliance certificate at the end. In Christchurch, check whether your street sits in a Residential Heritage Area or character area. Anywhere in the region, Heritage New Zealand says work that may modify a pre-1900 structure needs an archaeological authority.

National rules that apply in Canterbury

  • A written contract and the official disclosure information for residential building work of $30,000 or more including GST, and the disclosure at any price if you ask
  • An LBP for restricted building work, checked on the public LBP register
  • Any home built before 2000 may contain asbestos, and removing more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos needs a licensed removalist
  • Earthquake damage to the house goes through your home insurer as an NHC claim, with a $500 building excess for damage on or after 1 July 2024
  • Storm and flood damage to the house itself falls to your private policy, because NHC covers only the land

Our advice for Canterbury roofs

Wherever you are in Canterbury, we'd check flashings and fixings each spring once the worst of the nor'westers has passed, deal with any old brick chimney before the next quake, and ask the council about consent before signing for anything that changes the roofing system. Near the coast, we'd get the roofer to confirm the exposure zone in writing. If you're in Christchurch, our Christchurch page goes further.

Want a roofer to take a look?

Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.

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Cities in Canterbury

Roofing in ChristchurchQuake history, nor'west gales, sudden downpours and heritage streets: what Christchurch roofs deal with.
Questions

Straight answers.

Can you find me a roofer in Timaru or Ashburton?
We only pass a job on where we have a checked roofer who covers that area. Put in your postcode and we'll tell you straight away if we can't help there yet, so you're not left waiting.
Who handles earthquake damage to a roof in Canterbury?
Your home insurer, which manages the Natural Hazards Commission part of the claim on most policies. You have up to two years to lodge it, but NHC encourages claiming within three months. Our NHC guide explains what's covered.
Related help

Helpful next

Roofing in ChristchurchQuake history, nor'west gales, sudden downpours and heritage streets: what Christchurch roofs deal with.Do you need a building consent to re-roof?When a re-roof is exempt, when it needs a consent, and how to find out for your house.How to check a roofer is an LBPHow to look up a Licensed Building Practitioner, and when your roofing job actually needs one.The Natural Hazards Commission and your roofWhat EQC became, what it covers for a damaged roof, the cap, the excess and how to lodge a claim.Chimneys, earthquakes and when to remove oneWhy old brick chimneys fall in quakes, your options, and the consent and character rules.Written contracts, disclosure and warrantiesWhen a roofing contract must be written, what disclosure covers, and the warranties you get by law.

Where this information comes from

Every fact and rule on this page comes from the sources above, checked on the dates shown. How we write and check these pages.

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