How to Cut PVC Roofing Sheets: Cutter and Tools

Mr Quyen - Santiago. Posted 14/11/2026

The simplest way to cut PVC roofing sheets is to cut very little: Santiago cuts each sheet to the length you order, the tile sheet in 219 mm steps. On site, Santiago's installation video shows sheets trimmed with metal shears. For long straight cuts, installers commonly use a fine-tooth saw or a grinder with a fine blade, with the sheet supported, on the ground, and eye protection on.

Installers fixing grey tile sheets on a roof, seen from above, Vietnam

Installers fixing grey tile sheets on a roof, seen from above, Vietnam

Why order PVC roof sheets cut to size?

Every cut on site takes time, makes dust and leaves an offcut. Santiago cuts sheets to your length list at the factory, so most sheets go onto the roof without a single cut. The tile sheet is cut in 219 mm steps, one tile row per step, so each sheet ends on a full tile.

Roof face, ridge to eave edge	Working	Ordered length
3.0 m	3.0 ÷ 0.219 = 13.7, round up to 14 steps	3.066 m
4.5 m	4.5 ÷ 0.219 = 20.5, round up to 21 steps	4.599 m
6.0 m	6.0 ÷ 0.219 = 27.4, round up to 28 steps	6.132 m

Measure each roof face on the finished frame, not from the drawing, and include the eave overhang before dividing. Corrugated sheets are also cut to the length you order. What is left for the site is mostly trimming the width of the last sheet in a row, cutting the angled edges on hip roofs and making notches around a wall or post.

Which plastic roof sheet cutter should I use?

Tool	Suits	Site notes
Metal shears (shown in Santiago's video)	Short cuts, notches, trimming corners	Cut steadily; support the part you keep
Fine-tooth hand saw	Long straight cuts along or across the sheet	Hold the sheet flat on both sides of the line
Grinder with a fine blade	Long cuts across the waves, angled hip cuts	Eye protection; let the blade do the work and keep the sheet steady

These are common site practice rather than Santiago rules. Whichever tool you use, a fine blade and a sheet that cannot move give the cleanest edge.

Installers laying grey tile sheets on the steel frame of a small roof, Vietnam

Installers laying grey tile sheets on the steel frame of a small roof, Vietnam

How do I mark a cut on a corrugated or tile sheet?

Measure the space on the frame twice and write the size on the sheet.
Mark on the coloured ASA face, which is the side you see when cutting from above.
For a cut across the sheet, draw the line square with a long straight edge laid over the tops of the waves.
For a cut along the sheet, follow one valley from end to end; it gives a straight guide line.
Check which edge will lap and which will sit under a ridge, hip or wall flashing before you cut.

Should I cut along a valley or across the waves?

The direction depends on what you are trimming. A cut across the waves changes the length of the sheet; with sheets ordered to length, this is mainly for angled hip ends and notches. A cut along the sheet changes its width, usually for the last sheet of a row where the roof is not an exact number of cover widths. On a 12 m face, for example, 12 ÷ 0.96 = 12.5, so the thirteenth tile sheet is trimmed lengthwise.

For a lengthwise cut, follow a valley line so the cut edge runs straight. Keep the full side lap of one wave on the side that overlaps its neighbour, and put the cut edge where a flashing or ridge piece will cover it.

Grey tile sheets being laid on a small steel-framed roof, Vietnam

Grey tile sheets being laid on a small steel-framed roof, Vietnam

How do I drill the screw holes?

Pre-drill 6 mm holes. Each hole goes through the top of the wave, directly over a purlin, never in the valley where water runs. Fix with 70 mm screws, 4 – 5 sets per m², and fit an ASA cap on each screw. Purlins are less than 700 mm apart (440 or 660 mm under the tile sheet, one under each tile step foot), so mark the purlin lines on the sheet before drilling.

What safety steps apply when cutting PVC roofing?

Wear eye protection for every cut.
Support the sheet on both sides of the line so it does not snap or swing.
Cut on the ground or a bench, never on the roof.
Keep offcuts and cutting dust out of drains and gutters.
Carry long sheets with enough people so they do not bend.

What are the common cutting mistakes?

Mistake	What goes wrong	Do this instead
Cutting on the roof	The sheet is not supported and the cutter is off balance	Cut on the ground and lift the finished sheet up
Ordering standard lengths and cutting each one down	Long offcuts and more site work	Order every face to length in 219 mm steps
Cutting a tile sheet between steps	The eave ends part-way through a tile	Round lengths up to a whole step
Drilling in the valley	Water runs straight into the hole	Drill at the top of the wave over a purlin
Skipping the 6 mm pilot hole	The screw is forced through the sheet	Pre-drill every hole at 6 mm
Leaving offcuts in the gutter	Blocked drains in the first rain	Clear the roof and gutters before you leave

A grey tile roof over a glass-walled pavilion, Vietnam

A grey tile roof over a glass-walled pavilion, Vietnam

What happens when you cut an ASA/PVC sheet with shears?

Mr Quyen stands in the Santiago factory in Vietnam and bends and cuts beige and orange sheets with metal shears while he explains in English, with captions, how the sheet holds up. Cutting with shears is a demonstration; a roof still needs purlins less than 700 mm apart.

Bending and cutting test on Santiago ASA/PVC sheets (Santiago video on YouTube).

Santiago – a leading exporter of ASA/PVC roofing from Vietnam

Santiago roofing is produced and loaded into containers at our factory in Vietnam. It has been exported to India since 2023, Thailand since 2024 and the USA since 2025. Every export shipment comes with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and a certificate of origin (C/O) issued by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, which importers use to claim the duty preference of their trade agreement.

Item	Details
HS code	3925.90.00 (ASA/PVC roofing sheets)
Certificate of origin	Form D (ASEAN), Form AI (India), Form AK / VK (Korea), Form AJ / VJ (Japan), Form VC (Chile), CPTPP proof of origin
Shipped from	Vietnam, by container

Certificate of origin Form AI (ASEAN–India) for Santiago ASA/PVC roofing sheets, HS 39259000, certified on 24 September 2026. Buyer details are hidden.

Certificate of origin Form AI (ASEAN–India) for Santiago ASA/PVC roofing sheets, HS 39259000, certified on 24 September 2026. Buyer details are hidden.

The Santiago team beside a loaded export container at the factory, November 2024

Loading Santiago roof tiles into an export container

Frequently asked questions

What is the best plastic roof sheet cutter?

Santiago's installation video shows metal shears for trimming. For long straight cuts installers commonly use a fine-tooth saw or a grinder with a fine blade, with the sheet supported on both sides of the line.

Can I order PVC roofing sheets cut to size?

Yes. Santiago cuts every sheet to the length you order; the tile sheet is cut in 219 mm steps so each sheet ends on a full tile.

How do I cut corrugated plastic roofing along its length?

Mark the line along one valley, support the sheet on both sides, cut with a fine-tooth saw or fine-blade grinder, and keep the one-wave side lap on the overlapping edge.