Mount Victoria · Wellington

Roof inspection in Mount Victoria, in plain English.

Mount Victoria has some of Wellington's oldest and most architecturally distinctive housing. Heritage villas, Edwardian character homes, and turn-of-century cottages with the original roofing details still intact. We're a Wellington roof inspection service. We come out, look at the roof properly, and write up a plain-language assessment. Drone access is one of the tools we use for the roofs that are hard to reach safely.

What we cover in Mount Victoria.

Aerial Assess provides roof inspections and assessments across all of Mount Victoria, from the lower streets near Courtenay Place up to the homes against the Town Belt. We come out, look at the visible and accessible roof areas, and send you a plain-language written assessment letter. Where a roof is too steep, too fragile or too high to reach safely, we use drone access to photograph it in detail.

Mount Victoria is one of the most heritage-heavy suburbs in Wellington. A lot of the housing stock dates from the 1880s to the 1920s, and the roofs reflect that: complex multi-pitch designs, dormers, multiple chimneys, decorative ridge tiles, and original lead, zinc or galvanised flashings. Some have been carefully maintained for decades; others carry layers of patch repairs no one ever wrote down, and both are common.

We've handled the full spread of Wellington roofs, from heritage tile and slate to long-run metal, lead and zinc flashings, and membrane. That background matters in Mt Vic specifically: heritage homes have a mix of original systems and decades of patch repairs from different eras, and identifying what's actually on a roof, and recognising the failure mode specific to each system, is often half the work.

What we typically find on Mount Victoria roofs

Why Mt Vic building reports stop at the roofline: Mt Vic homes typically have steep pitches, multiple roof planes, fragile original tile, and ground-level views that don't see most of the roof. It's no surprise so many Mt Vic building reports say "the roof was not accessed" or "engagement of a qualified roofer is recommended". A close-up roof assessment is exactly what fills that gap.

The roofs we see most often.

Late Victorian and Edwardian villas (1880s-1910s)

The classic Mt Vic villa. Often a complex multi-pitch design with one or more chimneys, dormers, and original tile or slate (or a much later metal re-roof). The flashings are usually where the issues live: original lead and zinc rarely lasts the life of the house, and most of it is overdue for attention. We look closely at chimneys, dormers, valleys and the connections between roof planes.

Edwardian and early 20th century cottages

Smaller footprint, often single pitch with one chimney, sometimes a small lean-to at the rear. Roof types vary, original tile, replacement long-run metal, or in a few cases slate that's still hanging on. Wear points are similar to the villas: aged underlay, tired flashings, and ridge pointing past its design life.

1920s-1940s bungalows

Less common in Mt Vic than in suburbs like Hataitai or Berhampore but they exist. Mostly concrete tile, occasionally Marseille terracotta. Original tiles are often still serviceable, but bedding mortar and ridge pointing are the usual concerns.

Townhouses, apartments and modern infill

Mt Vic has plenty of recent townhouse and apartment infill, especially in the lower streets. Long-run coated metal (Coloursteel and similar) is standard. Newer roofs are generally tidy but we still look for parapet flashings, edge folds, and the small details that get missed on tight infill sites.

Renovations with flat-roof sections

Many Mt Vic homes have been extended over the years, often with a butynol or TPO membrane section at the rear, over a deck, or above a dormer addition. We treat these as a separate inspection point and assess membrane condition, upstands, and any pooling separately to the main roof.

Heritage, height, and fragility.

Mt Vic is a textbook example of where drone access is the only sensible way to inspect a roof closely. The pitches are steep. The roofs are often two or three storeys above ground. Original tile and slate is fragile and easily damaged, so any load on it risks creating the problem you came to inspect. And the most leak-prone details (chimney flashings, valleys, decorative ridge work) are all up high and out of sight from ground level.

The drone solves all of that. We can hover within a metre of any roof detail, photograph it from multiple angles, and capture every chimney, valley, dormer flashing and ridge cap on the property without anyone setting foot on the roof. For a Mt Vic villa, this is usually the only way to get a complete picture of what's actually up there.

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

Mount Victoria roof inspection FAQs.

Do you inspect heritage and character homes?

Yes, that's the majority of our Mt Vic work. Heritage villas, Edwardian character homes and turn-of-century cottages are what we see most. We're set up for original tile, slate, and the lead and zinc flashings typical of these roofs.

How much does a Mount Victoria roof inspection cost?

It depends on the property: roof complexity, size, access, and what you need from the letter. Older Mt Vic homes often have multiple pitches, dormers and chimneys which take longer to assess properly. We price each job and give a fixed price up front.

My villa has original lead flashings, can you assess those?

Yes. Lead and zinc flashing condition is one of the things we look at most closely on Mt Vic villas. We can't predict exactly how long an aged flashing has left, but we can tell you what condition it's currently in and what the practical options look like.

Can you assess tile and slate roofs without damaging them?

Yes. It's a non-invasive, visual assessment, we record the condition of the tile or slate from close up rather than lifting or disturbing it, and we use drone access wherever a roof is steep, high, or hard to reach. You get close-up detail of the ridges, valleys, and flashings where these roofs tend to leak.

How quickly can you fit me in?

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

My building report says to get a roofer to assess the roof, is that what you do?

Yes, that's exactly what we're here for. See our building report flagged the roof guide for more on how this works.

Related services and guides

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