Render · design intentVaka One
PSF-V1- Floor area
- 86 m²
- Bedrooms
- 2
- Best for
- First home, small family, rental
Cook Islands
Steel framing for Cook Islands homes
Wall frames, roof framing and kitset home frames, made in New Zealand for builds on Rarotonga, Aitutaki and the outer islands. Many of our recent clients are building in the Cook Islands, often while living here in New Zealand.
Freight
We welcome enquiries from throughout the Pacific. Freight availability, container requirements and delivery costs are confirmed individually for each destination and project.
Render · design intent- 01 · ManufactureNew ZealandRolled, labelled and flat-packed
- 02 · Port of entryRarotongaFreight via our shipping handler
- 03 · Onward transferAitutaki and the outer islandsWhere the site needs it
Building on Rarotonga and beyond
Typical Cook Islands projects include family homes on family land, second dwellings beside an existing house, and buildings for churches and community groups. A steel frame suits each of them: it arrives labelled to the drawings, and a local builder stands it up in the order it was packed.
Steel framing does not provide a food source for termites, and it does not shrink, twist or warp like timber, which matters in a humid climate where the frame may sit for a while before the roof goes on.
Steel framing can be designed for the project’s specific wind and cyclone requirements when supported by the appropriate site information and engineering. How the building performs also depends on foundations, hold-downs, connections, cladding, roof design and correct installation, so we ask about your site early.
More on why steelWhat we frame in Cook Islands
- Family homes, from a kitset or your own plans
- Second dwellings and guest accommodation
- Churches, halls and community buildings
- Staff accommodation and multi-unit housing
We are a steel frame manufacturer and supplier only. Cladding, roofing, doors, windows and services are arranged separately by you or your builder. Engineering and installation support can be arranged on request.
Shipping
Getting the frame to the island
Freight from New Zealand to the Cook Islands usually arrives through Rarotonga. Projects on Aitutaki or another outer island need an onward transfer from Rarotonga, which is planned with the shipping handler from the start.
We hand your labelled, flat-packed frame to our own third-party shipping handler and can put you in direct contact with them. Freight, customs and delivery are then coordinated between you and the handler. Freight availability, container requirements and delivery costs are confirmed individually for each destination and project.
Shipping and deliveryWhat we would ask you
- Which island the project is on
- Whether an onward transfer from Rarotonga is needed
- Who will receive and unload the container
- Where you are up to: an idea, a design, or drawings
From New Zealand
Running a Cook Islands build from New Zealand
Choosing a design, drawings, quotation and manufacture all happen here in New Zealand, so you can work through them with us without travelling. You only need to be on the island, or have someone you trust there, when the container arrives.
On the island, the standard method is assembly by a local builder working to the erection drawings we supply. Where required, we can help coordinate independent engineers and experienced New Zealand builders. These services are quoted separately and remain subject to availability and project location.
Read the step-by-step guide
Render · design intentKitset homes
Designs that suit Cook Islands sites
Three of our seven kitset designs. Each is the structural steel framing package, not a finished house, and can usually be adjusted. Specifications are indicative and confirmed at quotation.
Render · design intent
Render · design intentReef 70
PSF-R70- Floor area
- 70 m²
- Bedrooms
- 3
- Best for
- Family home, small household
Render · design intentFalae 36
PSF-F36- Floor area
- 36 m²
- Bedrooms
- 1
- Best for
- Sleepout, guest room, first build
FAQ
Cook Islands questions
Yes. Our seven kitset designs and custom frames can be supplied to Rarotonga. A kitset is the structural steel framing package; cladding, roofing, joinery, linings, insulation, services, foundations and site works are arranged separately and confirmed in the quotation.
We welcome enquiries from throughout the Cook Islands. Outer-island delivery usually needs an onward transfer from Rarotonga, which is confirmed with the shipping handler for your project.
The standard method is assembly by a local builder at the destination, working to the erection drawings we supply. For suitable projects we can help coordinate experienced New Zealand builders who may travel. They are independent businesses, not our employees, and are quoted separately.
Local building requirements are set by the Cook Islands authorities, and your designer or builder should confirm them before you order. We supply manufacturing and erection drawings for the frame, and engineering may be arranged through trusted independent engineers where required.
Building in Cook Islands?
Tell us the island, the building type and roughly how big. We will tell you what applies to your project and what we would need next.