New Zealand has grappled with building code reform since the ‘pre code’ era of the 70’s and 80’s. Significant reform was passed in the early 90’s then there was the leaky home crisis resulting in a significant overhaul in the early 2000’s. The 2010s saw additional reform in response to the Christchurch earthquakes. The theme that emerges here is one of being reactive, until something breaks it’s ‘she'll be right’ on the status quo.
Due to high construction and consenting costs alongside our penchant for leverage; demolition and replacement of residential dwellings is rare. It follows that the majority of our residential housing stock was built before implementation of the current standards resulting in significant ambiguity for many trades, like reroofing.
The resulting ambiguity and complexity is left for homeowners and service providers to navigate. Flat or ‘draped’ roofs are a scourge along with double skinned roofs, tile to iron conversions, repitching, apron flashings and what should be considered a ‘like for like’ replacement. Many complexities abound and the standards are opaque. With unlimited budget and efficient consenting timeframes, all would be well - however ‘technically correct’ can be out of reach for homeowners in favour of what's practical, pragmatic and affordable. The next few decades will see increased re-roofing requirements as more roofs reach the end of their serviceable life.
The roofing association of New Zealand (RANZ) have been pushing for legislative change on the back of extensive reporting outlining the necessity for minimum standards and other sensible reform recommendations; as yet no action has been planned or taken.
At Roofbuddy we impose minimum standards for service providers to transact on our marketplace. An active LBP certification, current public liability insurance certificate and evidence of substantial and relevant industry experience. We have also developed a rigorous framework for quality assurance via a post installation assessment; designed to align reroofing works with the minimum expected standards - much like a council inspection does for new builds. This has been an iterative process in collaboration with our roofing partners; additionally we have sought guidance and input from RANZ on the structuring and implementation of this framework for potential improvements.
Roofing Quality Assurance Assessment
Without guidance, clarification of expectations and legislative change service providers and customers are both at risk. Pragmatic and cost effective ‘on site’ solutions exist and are commonplace; but the rules are unclear and often not observed - more risk. Reroofing is an extremely complex and multidimensional trade discipline and the stakes for all parties couldn't be higher - the roof coming off is the proverbial cracking of the ribcage. The kiwi psyche enshrines the hallowed status of the family home; as these structures increasingly come up for roof replacement, let's form a coalition of the willing to motivate legislators to take action and reduce both cost and risk.
James Logan
CEO
Roofbuddy
15/6/2025