Newtown was laid out in the 1840s but stayed largely farmland until the 1870s, when its flat land attracted housing. The tram service established in 1879 drove significant residential development, and much of the housing dates from the 1890s.
Newtown is mostly villas and cottages on small, narrow rectangular lots, with painted weatherboard or corrugated iron walls under corrugated iron roofs, minimal side yards and parking mostly on the street. The District Plan identifies it as one of the city's pre-1930 character areas, which shapes how roofs here are replaced. We measure on site for free and put the quote in writing, line by line.
Roofing Services in Newtown
Every roofing service we offer in Newtown, and what each one covers:
- Re-Roofing: A full re-roof replaces your old roofing, underlay and flashings with a new COLORSTEEL roof built to today's Building Code.
- Roof Replacement: When repairs no longer make sense, we replace the roof completely and leave you with a roof that is good for decades.
- Tile to Metal Re-Roofing: Swapping heavy concrete tiles for lightweight steel removes weight from the frame and ends the cycle of cracked tiles and leaks.
- Asbestos Roof Removal: Older Super Six and fibre cement roofs can contain asbestos.
- Decramastic Roof: Decramastic tiles lose their chip coating and rust from the inside.
- Roof Repairs: Leaks, loose sheets, failed flashings and cracked tiles repaired properly, with photos of what we found and fixed.
- Roof Leak Repairs: We track a leak to its source, which is often nowhere near the stain on your ceiling, and fix the cause.
- Emergency Roof Repairs: Storm damage made safe fast, then repaired with the photos and reports your insurer needs.
- Tile Roof Repairs: Cracked and slipped tiles replaced, ridges rebedded and repointed, and leaks under tiles traced and sealed.
- Roof Flashing Repairs: Flashings around chimneys, skylights, walls and valleys cause most leaks.
- New Roofs: New roofs for new builds, extensions and minor dwellings, installed to plans and signed off for your Code Compliance Certificate.
- Metal Roofing: Longrun COLORSTEEL roofing in corrugate and trapezoidal profiles, rolled to length for your roof.
- Membrane Roofing: Flat and low-pitch roofs, decks and gutters waterproofed with butynol and modern membrane systems.
- Skylights: Roof windows and skylights installed or replaced with proper flashing kits, so the light comes in and the water does not.
- Spouting and Gutters: New spouting, gutter replacement and repairs in steel and PVC, sized to carry heavy downpours.
- Gutter Cleaning: Gutters and downpipes cleared by hand, flushed and checked, with before and after photos of what we found.
- Downpipes and Fascia: Downpipes and fascia replaced or repaired, often alongside new spouting or a re-roof.
- Roof Painting: Roof painting that starts with proper preparation: wash, treat, repair and prime, then two coats of roof paint.
- Roof Cleaning: Moss, lichen and grime removed with the right treatment for your roof type, without damaging the surface.
- Roof Inspections: A detailed roof report with photos and honest repair or replace advice, for owners, buyers and insurers.
- Roof Ventilation: Roof and ceiling space ventilation that reduces condensation, mould and heat build-up.
- Commercial Roofing: Re-roofs, repairs and maintenance plans for commercial, industrial and multi-unit buildings.
Newtown Homes and Their Roofs
Newtown's villas and cottages have corrugated iron roofs, so a re-roof in longrun corrugate keeps the street's character. Original roofs can hide old chimneys, lean-to additions at the back and internal gutters between joined roofs, and these details need as much attention as the sheets. Narrow lots with minimal side yards mean scaffolding is planned carefully, sometimes with the neighbours.
What Newtown Conditions Mean for Your Roof
Newtown sits on flatter ground than the surrounding hill suburbs, but Wellington wind still reaches it, and wind-driven rain tests flashings on older roofs. Fixings need to suit the wind zone for the site. As a pre-1930 character area, Newtown homes may be subject to District Plan rules, so check whether your property is in a character precinct before changing how the roof looks.
Roofers Newtown FAQs
Can I re-roof my Newtown cottage in a different colour?
Usually, but if your home is in a character precinct the District Plan may control changes that affect how it looks from the street. Check with Wellington City Council first. We can supply colour and profile details for the check.
Our lean-to at the back leaks. Can that be fixed on its own?
Yes. Lean-tos often have a low pitch and a weak junction with the main roof. We can reflash the junction or re-roof the lean-to in a profile suited to its pitch without touching the main roof.
Do you replace spouting on character houses?
Yes. We can fit a traditional profile in steel, so the house keeps its look while the water goes where it should.
Can you work around street parking on our narrow lot?
Yes. We plan deliveries and skip placement around street parking, and if materials or scaffolding need to go on the road or footpath we arrange the permit. Access is shown on the quote.