Roofing PS3, Record of Work & consent: the NZ roofer’s paperwork

A roof that leaks is never just a roofing problem. It becomes a council, insurer and owner problem, and the paper trail you leave decides who carries the cost. This guide walks through the documents a New Zealand roofer is expected to produce: working out whether a re-roof needs a building consent, who is allowed to do the work, what a PS3 producer statement is (and is not), the LBP Record of Work, the asbestos check on older buildings, and the warranties you hand over at the end.

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Does a re-roof need a building consent in NZ?

Often it does not, but only when the job stays inside the exemption. Under section 42A and Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004, repair, maintenance and replacement are exempt from consent when you use a comparable product in the same position. A like-for-like replacement of corrugated steel with corrugated steel is the standard example. The exemption has limits written into Schedule 1 itself: it does not cover replacement of a product that contributes to structural behaviour or fire safety, and it does not cover repair or replacement (other than maintenance) of a product that has failed the Building Code’s durability provisions, for example a roof that failed early by leaking. Changing to a different or heavier material, altering the roof structure, or adding new roof area is not like-for-like, so plan on a consent. Schedule 1 has no roof-area threshold, so a small roof is not exempt just because it is small. Councils also have a discretionary exemption power, so a short email to the building consent authority before you price is cheap insurance. Exempt does not mean unregulated: the finished roof must still meet the Building Code. See also our plain-English Schedule 1 summary.

Who can do the work: restricted building work and LBP Roofing

On a home that needs a building consent, work that affects weathertightness is restricted building work (RBW). MBIE’s guidance lists roof and wall cladding under weathertightness, and RBW must be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner in a suitable class. Roofing is one of the LBP classes, with areas of practice for metal, tile and membrane roofs, each assessed separately, so check that your area of practice matches the roof you are laying (our LBP classes guide lists them). If the roof is exempt under Schedule 1, it is not restricted building work, but the quality bar and your warranty obligations do not drop. Approved owner-builders have their own exemption for their own home.

PS3 and Record of Work: two different documents

People mix these up constantly. A Record of Work is a statutory document. Under section 88 of the Building Act, an LBP who carries out or supervises restricted building work gives a record of that work to the owner and to the council, and it goes in with the Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) application. An LBP cannot contract out of providing it, and failing to provide one without good reason is a ground for LBP disciplinary action. A PS3 (Producer Statement, Construction) is different: it is the contractor’s own statement that the work was done in accordance with the building consent documents and the product requirements. Producer statements are a way of giving the council confidence rather than a statutory requirement. Councils are not obliged to accept one, and some only accept them from authors they have approved, so ask your council what it wants before you finish the job, not after. Where the consent conditions require a PS3 and you do not supply one, the CCC can stall. A PS3 is not a substitute for the Record of Work, and the Record of Work is not a substitute for the PS3.

In Toolie, the job screen has a Record of Work (Form 6A) button that pre-fills from the job and your LBP details in Settings, and a reminder that appears on completed restricted building jobs where the Record has not been marked as recorded. Toolie also has a PS3 certificate template with roofing wording (E2 and the Metal Roof and Wall Cladding Code of Practice) that you issue from the same job. Both are aids: you still read and sign what goes to council.

The Metal Roof and Wall Cladding Code of Practice and minimum pitch

The NZ Metal Roof and Wall Cladding Code of Practice, published by the NZ Metal Roofing Manufacturers (NZMRM), is the detailed design and installation guide that supports Acceptable Solution E2/AS1 and is a recognised related document to it. It is published online and updated through the year, so cite the version you worked to on your handover paperwork. Two practical points come up on almost every job. First, the profile sets the minimum pitch: a long-run corrugate and a concealed-fix tray do not have the same minimum, and tile and membrane systems depend on the manufacturer. Check the profile against the actual pitch before you order, because a roof laid below its minimum becomes your warranty problem. Second, pitch changes the area you buy: true roof area is the plan area divided by the cosine of the pitch, which is why a flat per-square-metre quote on plan area under-prices steep roofs. Our roofing types guide summarises common profiles, and the manufacturer’s literature always has the final say on the product.

Asbestos before you strip a pre-2000 roof

The Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 apply the refurbishment rules to structures built before 1 January 2000. Before refurbishment, a competent person must check whether asbestos is present, and asbestos likely to be disturbed must be identified and, so far as reasonably practicable, removed first. Older NZ roofs are a classic source: “super-six” corrugated cement sheet, decramastic-type tile backing and some bitumen products. WorkSafe’s technical bulletin on refurbishment versus maintenance gives a roofing example: taking off and replacing a cement sheet is refurbishment, whereas hand-drilling a few holes to attach a fitting is maintenance. WorkSafe’s information on asbestos-cement sheet says that removing more than 10 m² needs a licensed removalist. A re-roof is almost always refurbishment, so on any pre-2000 building put the survey in the programme before you price the strip-out, and tell the owner it is coming. Our asbestos guide for builders covers the wider picture.

On a re-roof take-off, Toolie asks for the approximate year the building was built. If it is before 2000, the quote gets an asbestos warning and a placeholder line for the survey and licensed removal (priced after the survey, not guessed), and the job’s compliance check lists the asbestos inspection as required before strip-out. If you leave the year blank it prompts you to enter it. The decision stays with you and your surveyor; the app just stops the step being forgotten.

Warranties, maintenance and the handover file

Owners usually get two warranties with a roof: the manufacturer’s material warranty and your own workmanship warranty. Material warranty terms vary with the product, the coating and the exposure of the site, and are often shorter near the coast or in geothermal areas, so quote the grade that suits the site and read the warranty rather than quoting a headline figure. Many manufacturers also require ongoing maintenance, such as washing areas that rain does not clean and keeping gutters and debris clear, so a roof that was never maintained can lose its cover. Building Code clause B2 sets the durability expectation for roofs (a minimum of 15 years for roof cladding), which is the baseline your product choice has to meet. At handover, a tidy file helps everyone: product and batch details, the COP version, the warranty documents, your workmanship warranty, the Record of Work and PS3 if applicable, and photos of flashing details before they were covered.

Toolie’s roofer pack includes a roof warranty and maintenance register. For each roof you enter the manufacturer warranty term, whether it is registered, your workmanship warranty and a maintenance log, and the register works out when each warranty ends and when the next maintenance visit is due. The term is whatever you type in from the manufacturer’s document; Toolie does not assume one.

Working at height is part of the paperwork too

Falls from height are the leading cause of serious harm in NZ construction, and roofing is where that risk is at its sharpest. WorkSafe’s position is that there is no safe height: any place where a fall could hurt someone needs a risk assessment and controls, chosen from the top of the hierarchy down, with edge protection and scaffold ahead of harnesses. Put the plan in writing before the first sheet goes up, make sure edge protection is inspected before access, and record fragile roofing, skylights and wind as hazards. Our working at height guide sets out the hierarchy of controls in more detail.

Sources

Official sources this guide relies on. Rules change, so check the current version before relying on a date or threshold.

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Common questions

Do I need a building consent to re-roof a house in NZ?

Not always. Under the Building Act 2004 (section 42A and Schedule 1), replacing a roof with a comparable product in the same position is exempt from consent. Changing to a different or heavier material, structural changes, new roof area, or replacing a roof that failed the Code’s durability provisions (for example by leaking) generally needs a consent. The council decides, so confirm with your building consent authority first.

What is a PS3 for roofing in NZ?

A PS3 is a Producer Statement (Construction) in which the roofing contractor states that the work was carried out in accordance with the building consent documents and the product requirements. It is used to give the council confidence for the Code Compliance Certificate. Councils are not obliged to accept a producer statement, so check what your council requires for the job.

Is a PS3 the same as a Record of Work?

No. A Record of Work is a statutory document: under section 88 of the Building Act 2004 an LBP who carries out or supervises restricted building work gives one to the owner and the council. A PS3 is a contractor’s producer statement. A consented roof can need both, and one does not replace the other.

Does re-roofing a house built before 2000 need an asbestos check?

Yes, in practice. The Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 apply the refurbishment rules to structures built before 1 January 2000. A competent person must check for asbestos before refurbishment, and asbestos likely to be disturbed must be identified and, so far as reasonably practicable, removed first. Roofing materials such as cement sheet are common sources.

Who can legally carry out roofing work that needs a consent?

On a home, weathertightness work that needs a building consent, including roof cladding, is restricted building work. It must be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner in a suitable class. Roofing is an LBP class with areas of practice for metal, tile and membrane roofs. Approved owner-builders can do restricted building work on their own home.

What warranties should a roofer give the owner?

Typically two: the manufacturer’s material warranty for the roofing product, and the roofer’s own workmanship warranty. The manufacturer’s term depends on the product, coating and site exposure, and it may require regular maintenance such as washing. Always take the term from the manufacturer’s documents for the specific product and site.

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