Frequently Asked Questions | Alpine Buildings

GENERAL FAQ's

See the benefits of using an Alpine building system at www.alpinebuildings.co.nz/why-choose-alpine

We use a combination of durable structural steel and versatile timber. Our commercial range typically uses RHS structural steel to achieve greater span lengths, while our typical design uses timber poles.

Alpine offers you free delivery direct to your site (conditions apply). All kitsets are delivered with all materials supplied and packed in order of construction.

We deliver many buildings throughout NZ every week. We can deliver right from Cape Reinga down to Bluff, and for other locations such as the Chatham, Great Barrier, Stewart & Waiheke Islands we supply direct to the nearest mainland port.

The team at Alpine take great pride in having well-loaded trucks. If you have already had a kitset delivered to your place, you will know that you get updates as the kitset leaves our yard, and further updates while it's in transit.

Once building consent is approved, typically we can deliver your shed within 2-3 weeks, but we understand requirements change.

Should you get a delay our team can put off delivery until it suits you. At Alpine, we give you at least 6 months to take the shed at the signed price.

Or if you need your building quickly, we hold timber in stock and our team will do all they can to speed the process up.

Hot-dip galv. is 2.5 times thicker than any other pre-galv steel protection coating available, making the Alpine steel rafter system even better than before.

Hot-dip galv. joins the growing list of benefits that our building system offers; including 'Zero-Bird-Perch' designed rafters & 'Slot & Bolt' purlin hangers. A Hot-Dip Galvanised Rafter will give you these added benefits:

The longest life expectancy.
Most reliable & predictable finish.
Tidiest long-term result.

You can request a price for a shed at https://www.alpinebuildings.co.nz/shedbuilder or call our friendly team on 0800 428 453.

The team at Alpine go the extra mile for the generations to come. Alpine work with your local council to provide a 50-year building consent (the maximum available). Replaceable accessories such as doors, guttering, clearlight and most claddings have their own life expectancies based on product warranty.

There’s nothing worse than having to store your equipment inside a bird haven. The Alpine steel rafter is a fully enclosed RHS, and the purlins bolt between the rafters so there is nowhere for birds to perch in the roof space.

ORDERING FAQ's

You can request a price for a shed at https://www.alpinebuildings.co.nz/shedbuilder or call our friendly team on 0800 428 453.

This can be found at the bottom of your quote; If it is an 'estimate', give your sales contact a call to see if they can lock the price in for you. If in doubt, feel free to ask the team for assistance.

You can find the steps from ordering to install here.

Currently, we only accept payment by bank deposit

No, generally we only require a deposit to help us get the plans underway. Your payment terms will be stated on your agreement once you have ordered your shed. If in doubt or you need special terms, please talk to your salesman.

CONSTRUCTION FAQ'S

Depending on a number of factors, your shed could take as little as one week to build. The time will vary depending on the size of your shed, the number of builders, weather conditions, etc.

You will need to scrape out your site and make it level before starting building work. If you have purchased a kitset, you will also need to drill post holes. Ensure you are aware of any buried water mains or electricity cables before you start digging. We also recommend that you spread the site with gravel (and compact it well if you are having a concrete floor).

We do provide an installation service and have many loyal and experienced builders throughout New Zealand. If you need help sourcing a reliable builder, we can help you out.

Your shed won't require a lot of ongoing maintenance. The hot dipped steel rafters are well protected and won't need repainting with time like required with other systems. Depending on your location, the exterior cladding should be washed down regularly with water and a soft brush such as a car-wash brush.

Absolutely! You don't need to be a qualified builder to install an Alpine shed. Alpine’s kitsets cater for every skill level, from home handyman to the serious builder. All Alpine’s timber is pre-dried, making it lightweight, straight and safe to build. With the triple checking, extra grading and pre-cutting of beams, you can be assured of the fastest building on the NZ market to install. If you have ever tried our Steel rafter system you will know first-hand the pre-welded J-hangers make the install of purlins quick and easy. We also include full instructions with all our kitsets just in case anyone actually needs them!

Building a shed can be a brain drain if you aren’t sure where to start. With Alpine, all materials are provided except the concrete and any concrete related components. We will provide all screws, bolts, nails, and all other components you require.

Yes, we provide simple and straight forward instructions ... just in case you actually need them!

Absolutely! Structurally, our sheds don't usually require a concrete floor; but we can include a concrete floor on your plans if required.

Structurally, our sheds don't usually require a concrete floor; but we can include a concrete floor on your plans to your required thickness and specification.

Yes, this is possible. We have sold many of our field day display sheds which have then been relocated to a new site. You may however need to use new poles as these are concreted into the ground.

Yes, this is also possible; however it is always more cost-effective to do it all in one go.

SHED DESIGN FAQ's

Find information to help you plan your shed build here. You may also be interested in our blog that covers 8 ways to ensure you future-proof your shed investment.

We can supply sheds from 9m up to 75m clearspan, and however long you want to go!

We can clearspan up to 75m and have done bays up to 12m wide, however our standard bay sizes are 4.8m to 8m.

Bay widths vary depending on the construction and can be tailored to suit your needs or adjusted for maximum efficiency.

We can supply zinc or coloured steel cladding in corrugated or 5-rib profiles. Our standard cladding is zinc corrugated on the roof and zinc 5-rib on the walls.

For colour examples you can view the cladding colours or browse the gallery.

The cost to upgrade to coloured cladding depends on a number of factors, we can easily add an option for this upgrade on your quote.

Reach out to team today via email or give us a call on 0800 428 453

Yes, all of our sheds are designed for the wind and snow load at your specific location.

Every job has a number of elements that affect how the shed needs to be designed. These factors can include the following:

Snow loads
Wind zone
Terrain / Height above sea level
Salt spray / Exposure zone
Earthquake zone

With Alpine, you can rest assured that your shed will be designed especially to suit your proposed site location.

Yes, we can arrange that for you. Just let the team know when you are requesting a quote and they will make sure it happens for you.

We can supply roller doors and PA doors. We can also supply the cladding for sliding doors, but we recommend you get these made by a local engineering company. We can source other doors as requested; please talk to your salesman for further advice.

Yes, that is no problem at all. You can have a canopy or an overhanging roof on your shed.

We can custom design any shed to suit your requirements. We offer gable roof sheds, lean-to's, and can also supply steel portals for larger spans.

Yes, that can be arranged. However, it is a lot easier to work out what you need from the start, and it often works out cheaper.

Absolutely, all of our buildings are 'custom made'. Just let us know what you are after and we'll do our best to accommodate your needs.

All Alpine sheds are designed in New Zealand to the NZ building code and signed off by an engineer.

Alpine is not set up to supply habitable sheds, as we specialise in large clearspan and commercial XL buildings only.

CONSENT & COUNCIL FAQ's

Yes, your farm building should have a building consent, find out more about building consent costs and exemptions here.

The standard exceptions are:

a) Your shed is less than 110m2 in size. Or a carport 20m2 or less.
b) You are building within the footprint area of a previous shed that you are replacing or repairing.

See Schedule 1: Part 1.7 of the Building Act 2004 for more details.

Part of Alpine’s service includes working with your local council to supply you with the approved building consent.

Alpine get the building consent for standard farm sheds, saving you countless hours of time and effort.

Our experienced team does a number of building consents every week and have worked with every council in New Zealand.

This depends on the setback regulations stated in your council's district plan. If you are having trouble finding out, feel free to call your local council or one of our staff on 0800 428 453.

Councils aim to process a consent in 20 working days or less. This can vary quite a bit depending on how busy the council are or how complex your project is. If an RFI (request for further information) is put on your project, the clock is stopped. However, if we receive an RFI for your project, we work with you to get the extra information quickly so this doesn't hold your project up.

You can start building as soon as your consent is approved, as long as all other requirements are met, such as needing a resource consent. If you don’t start work within 12 months (or other time limit specified by the Building Consents Authority) the building consent will lapse. You can ask for more time if required.