The build story

The house that comes to you.

Every home we make is built in our Raglan workshop and driven to your section. Here’s what actually happens between the order going in and the truck rolling up.

SHS tiny home lifted into position by a Hiab crane on a customer site

SHS home being loaded onto a truck as it leaves the Raglan workshop

Why not built on your section?

Everything under one roof.

A traditional home spends 12–18 months on your section — subcontractors coming and going, weather delays, cost creep, materials sitting exposed. We take the whole thing indoors: same crew every day, materials on hand, quality checks at every stage. Weather stops mattering. The price stops moving. And when your home leaves Raglan, it’s ready to live in.

~50%

Less than traditional

Roughly half the cost of a stick-built home.

100%

Built indoors

Weather stops mattering.

The build process

How your home takes shape.

Click through each stage to see what happens.

01 · Walls, roof and joinery

Once your preferred base is confirmed, the walls and roof go up. On Bronze builds, insulated structural panels form the walls and roof and arrive ready-finished, so the shell is complete as they go up. Silver homes are framed entirely in light gauge steel — base, walls and roof — then insulated, lined inside with 10mm Triboard and clad over a cavity batten system. Gold builds are wrapped, battened and clad, with roofing layered over the top and the interior lining painted for its finish. Windows and doors are fitted as the shell takes shape — weather-tight in weeks, not months.

Finished SHS build showing insulated panel walls and roof

01 · Walls, roof and joinery

Interior of a tiny home with fitted kitchen and flooring

02 · Flooring and fitout

Finished tiny home interior with open-plan kitchen and living

03 · Wall finishes and fit-off

SHS tiny home loaded on a flatbed truck for delivery

04 · Delivered to your gate

From order to keys

A clear, step-by-step process.

From your first enquiry through to landing on your site, every build follows the same simple path. Here’s what happens at each stage.

Come visit

You’re welcome to visit the workshop at any stage. Most customers come at the 50% mark to see their build taking shape — just get in touch to book ahead.

1
Get in touch
Quiz, call, or contact form. We talk through what you need.
2
Choose your design
Size, layout, build style, options and finish.
3
Walk through it first
Going custom? Ask about a full-scale virtual tour of your floor plan, so you can walk through the layout before you lock in the design.
4
Confirm and book
Fixed price locked in, deposit paid. Your build slots into the schedule.
5
Workshop build
Under cover, one crew, no weather delays. Come visit.
6
Delivered and landed
Trucked to your gate, set down, connected to services.

Close-up of an SHS home showing the corrugated Coloursteel® cladding

NZ-made materials

Sourced here. Serviceable here.

We source NZ-first wherever we can. When something needs replacing in five or ten years, NZ-sourced parts mean local supply, local trades who know the products, and no offshore shipping delays.

Every material picked because we can service it locally, source replacement parts, and count on it holding up in NZ conditions.

Insulated structural panels
Pre-insulated structural panels that arrive ready to assemble — Metalcraft Coloursteel® EPS panels on our Bronze builds, a full light gauge steel frame (base, walls and roof) with 10mm Triboard linings on Silver, and thermally efficient OSB panels on Gold. Structure and insulation in one, ready for the final finish inside and out.
Coloursteel® finish
The same Pacific Steel weather-tested finish used across NZ homes, in 29 factory-painted colours - colour choices are included with Premium.
NZ-sourced joinery
Kitchen and bathroom joinery from NZ suppliers. Fixtures from established NZ distributors — locally serviceable.

One more decision

Bronze, Silver or Gold?

Every SHS home comes in one of three build styles. The build style is how the home is framed and how much insulation and thermal performance you build in — which changes how comfortable the home feels year-round, and how much you spend running it.

Standard build

Bronze

Our everyday build — warm, dry and ready to live in, priced to be the accessible choice. This is what most SHS homes go out as.

Panel system: Insulated Coloursteel® EPS panels
Insulation: Solid insulation throughout — warm and dry all year
Windows: Double-glazed aluminium joinery as standard
Sealing & air: Draught-sealed and weather-tight
Running cost: Low
Best for: Long-term living at an accessible price
Available on: Tiny homes, transportable homes and cabins

Learn about Bronze builds

Steel frame

Silver

A light gauge steel frame home — base, walls and roof all framed in light gauge steel, insulated to H1 standards, clad over a cavity system and lined with 10mm Triboard for the feel of a traditional home. Steel won’t warp, rot or attract pests, and it’s non-combustible.

Panel system: Light gauge steel frame throughout (base, walls and roof), 10mm Triboard linings
Insulation: Insulated to H1 standards — warm and dry all year
Windows: NZ double-glazed joinery as standard
Sealing & air: Cavity system exterior — weather-tight, drains and dries
Running cost: Low
Best for: A residential-quality home built for long-term durability and greater customisation
Available on: Tiny homes, transportable homes and cabins

Learn about Silver builds

Top tier

Passive-style, enhanced thermal performance

Gold

Borrowed from the international passive house standard — thicker insulation, tighter sealing and high-performance joinery so the home holds its temperature naturally. Upfront cost is higher; running costs are dramatically lower.

Panel system: Thermally efficient OSB panels
Insulation: 2–3× the insulation in walls, ceilings and floors
Windows: Double or triple-glazed high-performance joinery
Sealing & air: Air-tight, with heat-recovery ventilation for fresh air
Running cost: Up to 75–90% less heating energy
Best for: Long-term living where comfort and low bills matter most
Available on: Tiny homes and transportable homes

Learn about Gold builds

Something different?

Prefer to build differently?

Panel construction is what we’re known for — fast, warm and cost-effective. But we’re a workshop, not a production line. If you’d prefer a more traditional on-site approach or another custom method, we can talk it through — made-to-order, with bespoke pricing and timeline.

Talk to us about a custom build

Explore the ranges