How to choose a roofer in New Zealand

What should you check before choosing a roofer?

• Legal business name and contact details.
• Who will carry out or supervise the roofing work.
• Relevant roofing experience and recent comparable projects.
• References you can contact.
• Appropriate LBP status where the work is restricted building work.
• Public liability or other relevant insurance information and what it covers.
• A written scope showing product, removal, access, flashings, underlay, drainage work and exclusions.
• Warranty terms and maintenance conditions.
• Payment schedule, start assumptions and variation process.

Building Performance recommends checking references, obtaining more than one quote, using a written agreement and checking the appropriate licence where restricted building work applies. Sources: Building Performance.

Does every roofer need to be an LBP?

The legal requirement depends on the work. Restricted building work is residential work in the relevant consent/RBW framework that affects primary structure or weathertightness. Where the roofing work is RBW, an appropriately licensed LBP must do or supervise it. Sources: Building Performance.

For work outside that category, a roofing licence is not automatically the only measure of competence. Experience, scope, references, safety systems, product knowledge and contract quality still matter. Sources: Building Performance; Roofing Association of New Zealand.

How many quotes should you get and how should you compare them?

Building Performance recommends presenting the project to at least three contractors and reviewing the quotes before signing. Consumer Protection also recommends several written quotes where practical. The useful comparison is like-for-like scope, not just the cheapest total. Sources: Building Performance; Consumer Protection.

When is a written building contract mandatory?

Building Performance says residential building work costing $30,000 or more including GST must have a written contract. At that threshold, or if the homeowner asks, the contractor must provide the consumer-protection checklist and disclosure statement. Sources: Building Performance; Building Performance.

What does trade-association membership tell you?

RANZ membership can be a useful industry signal and RANZ publishes consumer guidance and a roofer directory. Building Performance notes more generally that industry-association membership can indicate professionalism and experience, but does not replace a legal licence or qualification where one is required. Sources: Roofing Association of New Zealand; Building Performance.

What should make you ask more questions?

• A quote with no clear roof product or major inclusions.
• Pressure to accept immediately without time to read scope/terms.
• Unclear GST treatment or payment schedule.
• No explanation of who will actually perform or supervise the work.
• No process for hidden timber damage or other variations.
• Warranty years quoted without the actual warranty terms or maintenance obligations.
• Requests to bypass consent or licensing requirements that appear to apply.

Related questions

Sources and review notes

Prepared by RoofHub editorial team. Reviewed 21 October 2026. A source check confirms what a page states, not an independent inspection or invoice audit. Published project accounts are attributed to their publishers.

1. primaryBuilding Performance: Choosing a building practitioner (2026-09-09) - Current NZ guidance on finding, checking and comparing practitioners. Recommends references, multiple detailed quotes, written agreements, appropriate licensing and checking scope rather than headline price alone. Page checked 2026-10-21. Publication date shown above. · government
2. primaryBuilding Performance: Restricted building work (2026-01-15) - Explains restricted building work and the requirement for appropriately licensed practitioners where residential work is consented and affects primary structure or weathertightness. Page checked 2026-10-21. Publication date shown above. · government
3. primaryBuilding Performance: Contracts for your building project (2026-01-15) - Building Performance guidance last updated 15 January 2026. Residential building work costing $30,000 or more including GST requires a written contract; disclosure and checklist requirements also apply at that threshold or when requested. Page checked 2026-10-21. Publication date shown above. · government
4. primaryRoofing Association of New Zealand: Choosing a Roofer - Current RANZ consumer guidance on researching roofing companies, defining the required work and checking professional information. Industry-association membership is useful context but does not replace statutory licensing where licensing is required. Page checked 2026-10-21. Publication date not stated. · industry-technical
5. primaryConsumer Protection: Quotes and estimates - NZ government consumer guidance reviewed 21 October 2026. Distinguishes quotes from estimates, says accepted fixed quotes can only change where a variation is agreed, and states there is no legal requirement to pay a deposit; if one is requested, its consumer guidance says not to pay more than 10% of total cost. Page checked 2026-10-21. Publication date not stated. · government
6. primaryBuilding Performance: Protection for homeowners - Homeowner consumer-protection guidance covering the $30,000 including GST contract threshold, disclosure/checklist requirements and documents that contractors must supply when work is completed. Page checked 2026-10-21. Publication date not stated. · government

Original calculations are labelled as examples. Historical prices stay dated, missing fields stay unknown, and conflicting specifications are flagged. Sources are not endorsements or paid rankings. Read our methodology or report a correction.

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