What Northcote roofs are dealing with
Villas from the 1880s
Northcote built its first suburban housing between 1880 and 1910, and many of those 1880s villas are still here. On a house that old, the timber under the iron and the flashings around chimneys and valleys matter as much as the sheets.
Northcote Point's special character
Northcote Point is one of three North Shore areas in the Unitary Plan's Special Character Areas Overlay (Residential). Restoration and repair are permitted there, while external alterations or additions need resource consent.
The harbour on the doorstep
The suburb sits on the northern shore of the Waitematā Harbour, with Shoal Bay to the east. NZ Steel counts harbour foreshores in its Severe category for COLORSTEEL, and asks to confirm the warranty for anything within 100 m of saltwater.
State houses and a new building wave
A small state housing development went up in central Northcote in the 1950s. About 1,700 new homes are planned for the 2020s under the Unitary Plan, on top of the 4,116 dwellings counted at the 2023 Census.
Re-roofing a villa on the Point
Like-for-like work is the easier path. Schedule 1 of the Building Act lets you repair parts, or replace them with a comparable product in the same position, without a building consent. That exemption doesn't cover a part that failed by letting water in, or a substantial replacement of something structural, so have your roofer confirm which applies.
Going heavier is a different story. MBIE's guidance says swapping old corrugated iron for concrete tiles needs a building consent because of the extra weight. On the Point, a change to how the roof looks may also need resource consent, and Plan Change 120, notified on 3 November 2025, may shift those rules.
Some of these houses predate 1900. Heritage New Zealand says works that may modify or destroy a pre-1900 structure need an archaeological authority, so ask before anything bigger than a re-roof, such as taking out a chimney. Our guides to re-roofing a villa and villa re-roofs go further.
Newer Northcote homes
In one of the new terraces or apartments, a leak is first a question for the builder, or the body corporate if you own under a unit title. Every residential building contract carries warranties by law that the work is done properly with suitable materials, and you can notify defects within 12 months of completion. Our guide to written contracts and disclosure explains what you should have been given.
Questions to ask before a villa re-roof
- Will you lift a few sheets first to check the purlins and sarking?
- Is this like for like, and does any part of the job need a building consent?
- Have you checked whether my street is in the Northcote Point special character area?
- Which COLORSTEEL product and fixings suit my distance from the harbour, and will you name them in the quote?
- Who is the LBP on the job, and will I get their Record of Work at the end?
If it were our villa in Northcote
We'd re-roof like for like in corrugated steel, keep the original roof shape and details, and have the purlins checked while the old sheets are off. If you want anything that changes the look, sort out the council side before you sign a contract, not after. It saves a stalled job with the roof half open.
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.