An Auckland homeowner says he and his family have been left with a damaged roof and destroyed ceilings that will cost up to $40,000 to fix because of “reckless” activity by roofing platform RoofBuddy.
RoofBuddy connects homeowners with roofers, and is is fronted by The Bachelor’s Art Green.
But Ed Waaka said he was still trying to pick up the pieces from the work done on his property in Auckland.
He said the problem started in 2024 when he was connected, via RoofBuddy, with Life Time Roofing to apply a product then called KiwiSeal. This is a liquid membrane that covers a roof.
Waaka said his job was plagued by delays, poor communication and what he regarded as “substandard roofing practices which left our home with extensive water damage, resulting in the collapse of our master bedroom ceiling”.
He said he felt that he had been chased aggressively for a deposit and progress payment but once that was made, there was no accountability. “Once our job was ‘complete’ they did not send an independent quality assessor to check the quality of the work as advertised on their social media platforms.”
Within six months, the product started to deteriorate and even with a third coat, it did not improve.
The roof was still leaking and had destroyed the ceiling in the house’s office, Waaka said. He was working with his insurance company to determine what he could claim.
Waaka said he did not want RoofBuddy involved with the fix now because in his opinion they had had been “reckless”. He had been told he would need a full reroof, which could cost up to $40,000.
Ed Waaka said the roofing product started to deteriorate within six months. Photo / RNZ / Ed Waaka
He said he felt that the quotes offered for reroofing through the portal were inflated to make the membrane look like the best option. Waaka said, since he posted about his problem online, he had received messages from a number of other people who had been affected.
Roofing Association of New Zealand chief executive Luke Boustridge said he was “deeply concerned” by the claims about RoofBuddy. It is not a member of the association.
“We’ve received a number of calls and emails from concerned homeowners and roofing professionals in recent weeks, and we’ve seen the same emerging on social media. We can’t investigate non-members, but we are taking the wider implications seriously. This is not just about one company - this is about protecting the public and restoring trust in the roofing profession.”
He said when confidence in roofing services was undermined it affected the whole industry.
The roof leaked and had destroyed the ceiling in the house's office, Waaka said. Photo / RNZ / Ed Waaka
He said the licensed building practitioner scheme, which requires people to be licensed to carry out work on homes, did not apply to those involved in residential reroofing.
“Even though re-roofing represents a significant portion of the work happening on Kiwi homes. That’s something we believe urgently needs to change. We’ve long advocated for the LBP scheme to be expanded to include all roofing work, not just new builds or structural components. The risks to safety, durability, and consumer confidence are just as high - if not higher - when re-roofing is done poorly.
“Until those regulations catch up, consumers remain exposed.”
Green referred queries to RoofBuddy chief executive James Logan.
Logan said his organisation had no influence on pricing submitted by service providers on its platform.
He said it was not unreasonable that the quote to reroof Waaka’s house was high.
“Our advice was given that re-roofing was the most suitable option for the property. Given the nature of the substrate …and the brittle quality of the terracotta tiles along with the fact that house had been relocated; it was advised that re-roofing would be the best option of the two presented, however, the customer was budget constrained and wished to proceed with the restoration quote from Life Time Roofing.”
He said the QA check had not yet been done because the work had not been completed by Life Time to the quoted specifications.
“Without consulting us, Life Time Roofing were able to persuade the customer to pay their final invoice despite the absence of our QA sign off. We strongly advise all our customers against this action.”
Logan said mechanical repairs and carpentry were overlooked and not attended, leaving the structure vulnerable to water ingress.
“Secondly correct preparation, priming and application processes were not followed and this caused an adhesion problem with the membrane, resulting in the product peeling and blistering. These issues were clearly evident and my efforts subsequently had been directed to compel Life Time Roofing to return to the property and complete the mechanical repairs, carpentry requirements and correctly reapply the membrane coating. Once this had been done we were standing by to complete the QA check.”
Logan said he took responsibility for not following up “diligently enough” to ensure the matter had been dealt with and not making a direct intervention sooner under RoofBuddy’s customer warranties.
“RoofBuddy’s customer warranties are the provisions under which we ensure the quoted works are completed at the quoted price and those protections should have been activated much sooner. Those are the protections I’m attempting to activate in the customer’s favour now.”
Auckland homeowner Ed Waaka said he had been left with a damaged roof and destroyed ceilings. Photo / RNZ / Ed Waaka
Alex Anderson, director at Life Time Roofing, said his organisation took full responsibility for the experience.
“Regardless of the contributing factors, we understand that expectations were not met, and that the client has been left feeling unsupported. That is not in line with the values we stand for, and I want to be clear that we are committed to making things right.
“We had a date booked to return to site on 16 April, and while we were prepared to carry out the required remedial work, we understand and respect the client’s current decision to pause further site access while their insurance process is under way. We will remain available and ready to return as soon as that process allows.
“In our commitment to supporting the client, Life Time Roofing has already covered the full replacement of the ceiling, along with associated plastering and painting, in the only affected room. This work was completed at no cost to the client as a gesture of goodwill, aimed at restoring comfort and livability while a long-term solution is arranged.
“We are also working closely with RoofBuddy to ensure the client receives a full and lasting resolution. We’re aligned in our desire to deliver the best possible outcome here and are both willing to contribute toward that. Life Time Roofing is prepared to contribute substantially toward whatever remedy Ed and his family determine is the most suitable path forward. We want to see this resolved in a way that restores both their home and their peace of mind.”
He said Life Time Roofing no longer had a working relationship with RoofBuddy.
