How to Report a Pothole in Wellington — 2026 Guide
- PotholeExpert
- May 9
- 3 min read
Service status (May 2026): Rapidpatch is currently onboarding our approved-partner asphalt specialists across New Zealand outside Auckland. Auckland repairs run as normal — photo quote in 10 minutes, repair within 48 hours.
Outside Auckland: submit your photo and we'll respond within 5 business days — either with a quote and a confirmed local specialist, or with an ETA for when an approved partner is onboarded in your region. Urgent jobs: call 027 737 2858.
If we can't deliver in time: we'll refer you to a vetted independent installer in your region, or send our quote and your photos back to you with no charge and no obligation, so you can take the job to any contractor of your choice. You're never locked in waiting on us.
Wellington's road network is split across four territorial authorities — Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, and Porirua City Council — plus NZTA Waka Kotahi for state highways. Reporting a pothole means getting the right authority on the first try, otherwise it bounces and the repair waits.
This is the 2026 reporting guide for the whole Wellington region.
Wellington City Council
Covers central Wellington, the suburbs from Karori to Miramar, and most of the Wellington peninsula.
FixIt portal: wellington.govt.nz/fixit (preferred — auto-creates a tracked job)
Phone: 04 499 4444 (24/7)
Severity-rated response: safety-critical within 24 hours, routine 5–10 business days
Snap Send Solve also accepted
Hutt City Council (Lower Hutt)
Covers Lower Hutt — Petone, Naenae, Wainuiomata, Stokes Valley, Eastbourne.
Online contact form: huttcity.govt.nz/contact
Phone: 04 570 6666
Snap Send Solve accepted
Upper Hutt City Council
Covers Upper Hutt — Trentham, Heretaunga, Silverstream, Totara Park.
Online: uhcc.govt.nz
Phone: 04 527 2169
Email: askus@uhcc.govt.nz
Porirua City Council
Covers Porirua — Whitby, Cannons Creek, Titahi Bay, Pāuatahanui, Plimmerton.
Online: poriruacity.govt.nz request
Phone: 04 237 5089
Snap Send Solve accepted
NZTA Waka Kotahi (state highways through Wellington)
State highways in the Wellington region include SH1 (north–south through the CBD via Vivian St / Karo Drive, the Centennial Highway up the Kapiti Coast, and the Ngauranga interchange), SH2 (Hutt Valley to Wairarapa), SH58 (Porirua to Hutt Valley), SH59 (Plimmerton to Pukerua Bay).
Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 444 449) — 24/7
Online: nzta.govt.nz contact form
24-hour response for safety-critical (depth >100 mm or width >300 mm)
How to tell which authority owns your pothole
If the pothole is on a road marked SH1, SH2, SH58, or SH59 — it's NZTA
If the pothole is on the road outside your house and the road isn't a state highway — it's your local council (one of WCC, HCC, UHCC, PCC)
If you have to cross a kerb crossing or driveway entrance to reach the pothole — it's private property and neither NZTA nor the council will repair it
If the pothole is on private property
Driveways, body-corp roads, retirement villages, school grounds, hospital forecourts, service station forecourts, supermarket carparks, churches, and industrial yards are private. The property owner is responsible. Rapidpatch services Wellington private-property potholes via the approved-partner network: photo quote in 10 minutes, repair within 5–7 business days at fixed price.
Wellington-specific pothole pressures in 2026
Wellington's high winter rainfall and frequent freeze-thaw on the higher suburbs (Karori, Khandallah, Wadestown) accelerate pothole formation
The hilly topography means runoff concentrates at certain road junctions — these are repeat offenders for council repair backlogs
Historic clay-bound subgrade in inner-city suburbs (Mt Victoria, Newtown, Aro Valley) means pavement movement after wet winters is common
Common questions
How long does Wellington City Council take to fix a reported pothole?
Severity-critical (deep, on busy bus routes, near schools) usually within 48 hours. Routine residential street potholes 5–10 business days. WCC's FixIt portal shows the live status.
Why do some Wellington streets have repeat potholes in the same spot?
Usually one of two reasons: (1) underlying base failure that needs reconstruction, not just patching — council programmes that for capital works budget; (2) the spot is a stormwater pinch point and repeat water saturation breaks down each new patch.
Can I claim damage from Wellington City Council if a pothole damaged my car?
Yes — submit through the FixIt damage claims process. Success depends on whether WCC had been notified and didn't respond within reasonable time. Photographic evidence of the pothole + damage is essential.
Does Rapidpatch service Wellington directly?
Wellington is currently serviced via our approved-partner network — same fixed-price photo-quote workflow, local crew. Direct service is Auckland-wide.
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