Commercial Roller Doors NZ — Buyer's Guide for Business Owners
Commercial roller doors are not domestic doors scaled up. They use heavier-gauge steel curtains, industrial-grade guides, different gearing systems, and must be sized and specified correctly for the building and use case. Getting the wrong door — or the wrong spec — is an expensive mistake on a commercial project.
This guide covers what NZ business owners, builders, and property managers need to know when buying a commercial roller door: the key differences from domestic doors, the two NZ-made ranges available through DoorsNZ, how sizing works, what drives the price, and how to order supply-only for your own installation or trades team.
What Makes a Door "Commercial"?
The term is used loosely, but in the context of NZ-manufactured steel roller doors there are meaningful differences between domestic and commercial grades:
- Curtain thickness: Domestic doors typically use 0.4mm BMT (base metal thickness) steel. Commercial and industrial doors step up to 0.55mm BMT — significantly stiffer and more resistant to wind pressure and impact.
- Guide size: Commercial doors use 50mm aluminium guides (vs 25mm on domestic). Wider guides provide greater curtain engagement and wind resistance.
- Gearing: Taller and heavier commercial doors require planetary gearing rather than direct drive — the load is too great for a simple spring-counterbalance system. Heights from approximately 3.3m and above typically require planetary gearing.
- Locking: Commercial doors use internal locking (tongue and body) rather than external centre-lift handles — more secure and better suited to high-traffic environments.
- Sizing: Commercial doors are available up to 4.8–4.9m wide and 5.0m high — well beyond the domestic range.
If your opening is under 2.4m high and under 3.2m wide, a domestic door may well do the job. For anything larger, or any application with regular heavy traffic or significant wind exposure, a commercial-grade door is the right choice.
The Two Commercial Ranges Available Through DoorsNZ
DoorsNZ supplies commercial roller doors from two NZ manufacturers: Windsor Doors and Garador (a B&D brand). Both are made to order in New Zealand and delivered direct to site nationwide.
Windsor Series B Commercial Roller Doors
Windsor have recently updated their design and use a new deep dish strong profile in their Series B range which means they can gain commercial strength with a 0.4mm Colorsteel® or Zincalume® curtain in the full Windsor colour palette. Series B doors are available up to 4.8m wide and 4.8m high — suitable for most workshop, shed, warehouse, and light-industrial applications.
Key specifications:
- 0.4mm BMT pressed steel curtain in Colorsteel® or Zincalume®
- 40mm guide system standard up to 4.0m wide, 63mm guides over 4.0m wide, also available as an upgrade on smaller doors
- Direct drive operation (lower heights) or planetary gearing (taller doors)
- Full Windsor Colorsteel® colour range
- Windlock guides available for High wind areas.
- Custom-made to your opening size — minimum 2.0m wide
- Available with factory Matched Doorworks automated openers
Windsor Series B is a great choice where you need a wide colour range and a door up to 4.8m in either dimension. It's widely used in NZ commercial, industrial, and farm building applications.
Garador Series 2 Industrial Roller Doors
Garador's Series 2 is a true industrial-grade roller door, manufactured from 0.55mm BMT steel — heavier than the Windsor Series B curtain. This additional mass makes Series 2 doors stiffer and suited to larger spans and higher wind load requirements.
Key specifications:
- 0.55mm BMT pressed steel curtain in Colorsteel® or Zincalume®
- 50mm guide system (standard) or high-wind guides (windlock)
- Available in high-wind configuration — tested to AS/NZS 4505:2012 and compliant with NZ Building Code wind requirements
- Heights from 2.4m to 5.0m; widths up to 4.9m
- Planetary gearing required for 3.3m height and above
- Available with GDO-10 Toro or GDO-12 Hiro opener
The Garador Series 2 high-wind version is the appropriate choice for buildings in NZ Wind Regions B1, B2, C, or D — coastal locations, exposed hilltop sites, and other high-wind environments. The windlock guides and heavier curtain are specifically engineered to meet NZ wind action requirements under AS/NZS 1170.2.
Garador Series 3 Semi-Commercial Roller Doors
Sitting between the domestic and full industrial ranges, Garador's Series 3 (also known as semi-commercial) is popular for large domestic garages, small workshops, and farm buildings where a full commercial specification is not required but a domestic door is too light.
The Series 3 uses 50mm guides and is available in heights up to 3.3m with direct drive, making it well-suited to oversized residential garages, granny flat garages, or small commercial premises with relatively modest opening heights.
Browse the full commercial range: Commercial Roller Doors.
Sizing a Commercial Roller Door
Commercial doors are custom-made to your daylight opening (DLO) — the clear opening width and height. The manufacturer adds the curtain overlap into the guides on each side (50mm per side for commercial 50mm guides), so you measure and order by the opening, not the door itself.
Key sizing rules for commercial doors:
- Minimum width: 2.0m DLO with standard 50mm guides (guide tracks require 130–225mm clearance each side of the opening depending on drive selections)
- Maximum width: 4.8–4.9m DLO depending on manufacturer and specification
- Headroom: Commercial doors — especially taller ones with planetary gearing — require more headroom than domestic doors. Allow at least 400–600mm above the opening for the drum and gearbox. Confirm with your supplier before finalising lintel heights.
- Gearing transition: At 3.3m height (Garador) or equivalent, the door weight requires planetary gearing rather than direct drive. This affects the headroom requirement and the automation options available.
If you're in the design phase, it's worth confirming the exact headroom and side-room requirements with DoorsNZ before setting the lintel height or specifying the structural opening.
The DIY hub on DoorsNZ website has various documents to help with the framing details and installation process so you can properly plan your project.
Commercial Roller Door Prices NZ
Commercial roller doors are priced by height and width, with larger doors costing more due to the additional steel and hardware involved. As a guide, DoorsNZ published prices for commercial doors start from $2,453.36 for a Windsor Series B, with Garador commercial pricing from similar entry points.
Price drivers to be aware of:
- Height: The biggest variable. A 5.0m high door uses significantly more curtain steel and requires planetary gearing — expect prices roughly double that of a 2.4m door of the same width.
- Width: Prices step up with width, but less dramatically than height. Moving from 3.0m to 4.0m wide typically adds $300–$600 depending on height and specification.
- Steel finish: Zincalume is the base price. Colorsteel® adds a premium of approximately $80–$200 depending on door size.
- High-wind guides: Adding aluminium windlock guides (Garador Series 2 high-wind) adds a meaningful premium but may be required to meet building consent in exposed locations.
- Automation: The GDO-10 Toro ($1,073) and GDO-12 Hiro ($1,399) are the compatible commercial openers. The GDO-12 is required for larger, heavier doors.
- Delivery: Commercial doors are large freight items. Nationwide delivery is available; rural surcharges may apply.
Still unsure, contact DoorsNZ directly: Get in touch.
Do You Need Building Consent?
In most commercial and industrial applications, yes. A new roller door in a commercial building will typically require a building consent, particularly if the opening is being created or modified. Replacing an existing door with a like for like size does not normally require a building consent. In NZ, any building work that doesn't fall under Schedule 1 exempt work requires consent — and commercial buildings generally don't qualify for the exemptions that apply to some residential work.
If you're in a high-wind zone (Wind Regions B1, B2, C, or D), your consent application will need to demonstrate that the door specified meets the wind load requirements for the site. Garador Series 2 high-wind doors come with structural engineering drawings and wind load tables that can be supplied to your building consent officer or structural engineer.
Supply-Only: How It Works
DoorsNZ is a supply-only business. We manufacture your door to order through Windsor or Garador, and deliver it direct to your site. You or your contractor handle the installation.
For commercial projects this model works well when:
- You have a builder, fitting Engineer or trades team on-site who can handle the installation
- You're managing a project and want to source the door independently of labour
- You're a contractor or developer who regularly specifies commercial doors
Commercial doors are designed for installation by competent trades or DIY — they're not typically amateur DIY installations, particularly at larger sizes. The structural fixing, guide installation, and gearbox setup require appropriate equipment and experience.
Lead times vary — contact us with your specification and required delivery date and we'll confirm availability.
Ready to Specify?
If you know your opening size and have a sense of the application, get in touch and we'll confirm the right product, gearing type, and pricing for your project.