Roofing and Gutters

The roof is a very integral part of your property. This is something your building inspector (if you use one) will inspect closely, but as a guide to building materials, this is what you will typically see.

Metal / Coloursteel

These are common and very popular – most weatherboard houses and older villas use this. Lightweight, low maintenance and looks good. When buying, take a quick look at the roofing – make sure there’s no rust, and all the roof nails look like they’re in. A builder will check a bit more in-depth, but that’s no excuse for you to not look at it too.

Tiles

A tile roof is a long-lasting, weather-resistant roofing option typically made from either concrete or clay tiles. It’s popular because of its durability, classic look, and strong performance in Auckland's mixed climate conditions, especially in areas with high winds or coastal exposure. Tile roofs offer excellent insulation and noise reduction, and individual tiles are easy to replace if damaged. However, they are heavy and require a strong roof structure, and they can crack if walked on or hit by falling branches. While they often last 40–60 years or more, they do need periodic maintenance such as clearing moss, checking flashings, and replacing broken tiles.

Bitumen

A bitumen (torch-on) roof is a durable, waterproof membrane roofing system commonly used on flat or low-slope roofs, roof decks, and gutters. It consists of layers of modified bitumen sheets—It provides excellent long-term waterproofing, typically lasting 20–30 years, though it requires regular maintenance such as clearing debris, checking flashings, and ensuring proper drainage. It’s more expensive than metal roofing but performs better on flat roofs, and is widely used on modern homes and renovations throughout the country.

Guttering and Downpipes

External Gutters

An external gutter is a type of house gutter that sits on the outside edge of the roofline, usually attached to the fascia board, and is fully visible from the exterior of the home. It’s designed to catch rainwater as it runs off the roof and channel it into downpipes that carry the water away from the house foundation. External gutters are easy to access for cleaning and repairs, less prone to hidden leaks compared to internal gutters, and come in various profiles and materials like steel, aluminium, and PVC. Because they sit outside the roof structure, they’re simpler to install, cheaper to maintain, and provide better drainage performance than internal gutters in heavy New Zealand rainfall. When you look at a house in the rain, leaks from the gutter are worth investigating further.

Internal Gutters

An internal gutter (also called an internal box gutter) is a gutter system that sits within the roof structure, usually between two sections of roof or behind a parapet wall, rather than hanging on the outside edge of the house. Instead of being visible on the fascia, it’s built into the roof and lined with a waterproof membrane to collect water and direct it to internal downpipes or rainwater heads. Internal gutters are often used in modern architectural designs or where two roof planes meet, but they require very precise installation and regular maintenance because any blockage or membrane failure can cause leaks directly into the ceiling. They’re discreet and visually clean from the outside but are more complex and higher risk than external gutters if not well maintained.

Downpipes

As the name implies, downpipes connect the gutters to the stormwater system. Make sure this isn't broken.