Karori · Wellington

Roof inspection in Karori, in plain English.

Karori has some of Wellington's most varied housing stock, from original villa-era homes to mid-century bungalows to modern townhouses. We're a Wellington roof inspection service. We assess every roof type used in the suburb and use drone access on the steep hill sections that are hard to reach safely from the ground.

What we cover in Karori.

Aerial Assess provides roof inspections and assessments across all of Karori, from the lower suburb around the village shops up through the hill streets to the bush edges. We come out, look at the visible and accessible roof areas, use the drone for anything too steep or too high to reach safely, and send you a plain-language written assessment letter.

Karori is one of the most varied roofing suburbs in Wellington. On any given week, we'll inspect a villa-era home with original concrete or terracotta tile, a 1970s bungalow with decramastic pressed-metal tile, a more recent build with long-run Coloursteel, and a renovation with a small butynol or WeldTech section over a rear extension or dormer. We're set up for all of them.

We've worked across the full range of Wellington roofs: tile, long-run metal, decramastic and membrane. That background matters in Karori specifically: the suburb has one of Wellington's widest roof-type mixes (tile, metal, decramastic, plus the odd butynol or TPO section on rear extensions and dormers), and identifying what's actually on a roof is half the work.

What we typically find on Karori roofs

The Karori building report problem: Karori has a high proportion of tile roofs and homes on steep hill sections. Both make it hard for building inspectors to safely access the roof. If your Karori building report says "the roof was not accessed" or "a licensed roofer should be contacted", you're in the situation we exist to solve.

The roofs we see most often.

Villa-era and Edwardian homes (pre-1930s)

Original terracotta or early concrete tile is common, sometimes replaced with long-run metal during a re-roof. Wear points: ridge cap pointing, individual tile cracks, aged underlay visible at the eaves, and flashings around original chimneys (which are often character features but the lead and zinc work around them is well past its design life).

1930s-1960s bungalows

Concrete tile dominates this era. Many original tiles are still performing, but the bedding mortar holding ridge caps is often well past its design life. We frequently see lifted ridge tiles, broken pointing, and the occasional slipped tile after a particularly strong southerly.

1970s-1990s homes

Decramastic pressed-metal tile is the workhorse of this era in Karori. Lightweight, looks like tile from the street, but with its own wear pattern: stone-chip loss on weather-facing slopes, edge corrosion at the laps, and aging clip fixings. Many are due for recoating or replacement, but plenty are still performing well.

Modern townhouses and recent builds

Long-run coated metal (Coloursteel and similar) is the standard. Newer roofs are generally in good order, but we still look for missed details: penetration flashings on solar mounts, edge folds at gutters and parapets, and any signs of installer shortcuts.

Renovations with flat-roof sections

Many Karori renovations add a rear extension with a low-slope membrane section, or have an original dormer with a small butynol roof. We treat these as a separate inspection point and assess the membrane system, seams, upstands, and any pooling.

Steep sections, steep roofs.

Karori's geography is a big part of why so many local building reports say the roof was "not accessed". Many homes sit on hill sections where the downhill side is two storeys above ground, with steep pitches that are hard to reach safely without scaffolding. Older tile adds another reason inspectors stay off: it is fragile and easily damaged.

Drone access solves both. The drone gets in close to the roof surfaces that matter and photographs them from multiple angles, catching detail from above without putting any load on the roof. For Karori specifically, this means we can give you a full picture of the upper roof, ridge details, chimney flashings, and dormer surrounds that ground-level and ladder-edge inspection can't reach.

For more on this, see our guide on why building inspectors can't access steep Wellington roofs.

Karori roof inspection FAQs.

Do you do roof inspections in all of Karori?

Yes. We cover all of Karori, from the lower suburb around the shops up through the hill streets to the bush edges. If your address is in Karori, we cover it.

How much does a Karori roof inspection cost?

It depends on the property: roof type, size, access, and what you need from the letter. Karori has a wide mix of property types, so we price each job. Get in touch with the address and what you need and we'll give a fixed price up front.

How quickly can you fit me in?

Usually within a few days of enquiry, and often sooner if you're on a tight contract clock. Tell us your timing when you get in touch.

What if my Karori roof is too steep or high to access safely?

That's exactly when drone access comes in. We can capture detailed imagery of every accessible surface without putting anyone on the roof. Many Karori jobs are entirely drone-based for this reason.

Can you assess tile roofs?

Yes. Terracotta and concrete tile roofs are a regular part of Karori work. We focus on the details where tile roofs tend to leak, the ridges, valleys, flashings and overall tile condition, and use drone access wherever a roof is steep, high, or hard to reach. Either way you get close-up detail on the areas that matter, not a guess from the ground.

I'm buying a Karori villa, can you inspect before unconditional?

Yes, this is one of our most common jobs in Karori. Tell us the property address and your conditions deadline when you get in touch and we'll work to fit in.

Related services and guides

Need a roof inspection in Karori?

Tell us the address and what you need. We'll come back with a fixed price and a time that works.

Get a quote for your roof.

Leave your details and we'll get back to you with a fixed price and a time that works, no obligation. Prefer to talk? Call 022 058 7070.

Sorry, that didn't send. Please email us directly at ryan@aerialassess.co.nz and we'll pick it up.

We'll only use your details to reply to your enquiry.

Call us Get a quote