How to Quote a Roofing Job: New Zealand Roofer's Pricing Guide

Roofing carries more risk than most trades because access, height, weather and hidden damage all move the real number once you are up there. The quotes that protect you are the ones that itemise the work and set out clearly what happens when you uncover rust or rot under the surface. Here is how to price roofing work accurately for the New Zealand market.

What a roofing quote should include

• Business name, GST number (from IRD), licence and insurance details
• Quote number, date and expiry
• Client name and site address
• Itemised scope with restoration, replacement, repointing and guttering as separate lines
• Roof type and material specified. Long-run COLORSTEEL, metal tile or concrete tile each change the job
• Access and scaffolding as its own line where required
• Materials and labour listed separately, plus GST at 15 percent, payment terms and exclusions

Common roofing rates (2025 NZ market)

• Roof wash and recoat, metal: 45 to 85 dollars per m2
• Long-run COLORSTEEL replacement, supply and install: 90 to 160 dollars per m2
• Metal tile roof replacement: 100 to 190 dollars per m2
• Re-bed and repoint ridge capping: 90 to 140 dollars per linear metre
• Spouting replacement: 35 to 70 dollars per linear metre
• Leak repair or call out: 280 to 700 dollars plus materials
• Roofer labour: 70 to 100 dollars per hour, with height and access loadings

These are guide ranges. Pitch, number of storeys, access and the state of the timber underneath all move the price. Auckland and Wellington typically sit at the upper end, Christchurch and regional NZ a little lower. Never quote a roof you have not inspected.

Weathertightness, LBP and wind zones

Roofing sits squarely under NZ Building Code clause E2 (external moisture), so the quote has to account for weathertightness, not just the sheets. Structural roof work generally requires a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP). Underlay, flashings and fixings must suit the wind zone, classified under NZS 3604, which is why a coastal Wellington roof carries different fixing requirements to a sheltered inland site. Quote the underlay and flashing detail rather than leaving it implied.

How to price materials

Charge sheets, tiles, battens, underlay, fixings and flashings at cost plus 15 to 25 percent. The markup covers sourcing, delivery, lift or crane time and the wastage of cutting sheets to a complex roofline. Quote the material grade explicitly, for example 0.4mm BMT COLORSTEEL, so there is no dispute about what was supplied.

Exclusions that protect you

• "Assumes existing roof timbers and battens are sound. Structural repairs quoted separately."
• "Asbestos discovery halts work. Removal by licensed contractor at client cost."
• "Scaffolding and height access quoted as a separate item."
• "Does not include spouting or downpipes unless listed."
• "Price held for 30 days subject to supplier pricing."

A free roofing quote structure you can reuse

Keep one layout for every roof: business details, roof description and material spec, then line items split into Access, Materials and Labour plus any Disposal, then subtotal, GST, total, payment terms and exclusions. Pull access and disposal out onto their own lines. Those are the two costs roofing quotes most often come up short on.

Related guides

• How to Write a Trade Quote
• See how Insta Quotes works for roofers