About the Job Title "Residential Roofer"

Residential Roofer Job Description

Residential roofers are responsible for the building, repairing and maintenance of the roofs on our homes. To become one, you will need to complete an apprenticeship program.

Residential Roofer Job Profiles: This is a general writeup based on our research into Residential Roofer positions in the Roofer career area. For individual, real-life job profiles of actual people with this type of job, check out our job profiles page.

  • Career Field: Roofer
  • Salary Range: $26540 - $70920

What's it like to be a Residential Roofer?

Duties and responsibilities

A residential roofer is a roofer who works solely on building, maintaining, replacing, repairing and restoring the roofs residential properties. Their typical duties and responsibilities include:

  • Building residential roofs using various materials
  • Smoothening finished roof surfaces and filling in edges with cement
  • Ensuring all projects are completed within a timeline
  • Inspecting damages to roofs and estimating the costs of repair
  • Ensuring the roof is suitable for all weather conditions (e.g, rain or snow)
  • Using hand tools and other equipment (e.g. scaffold, ladder)
  • Setting up vapor barriers, vents, insulation and solar energy systems

Qualifications

To become a residential roofer, you will need a high school diploma or equivalent. You will then need to complete an apprenticeship program, during which you will ‘shadow’ experienced residential roofer and copy them.

Skills and relevant work experience

In order to have the best possible employment opportunities, residential roofers should aim to get as much experience in the construction industry as possible. Residential roofers also need skills such as:

    • Physical fitness and stamina, roofers will have to carry heavy material to heights. They will also have to kneel down and stand up for long periods of time
    • Communication skills are key as residential roofers need to be able to communicate with clients and other construction workers (e.g., roofers)
    • Detail orientation, as residential roofers need to ensure that they measure and fit metal fixing the the exact millimetre
    • Dexterity, as residential roofers must be able to place metal on roofs and secure it with precision
    • Critical thinking, as residential roofers must be able to problem-solve when issues arise in a project. Such issues may include a project running on for longer than expected or the materials ordered being the wrong size

Hours

Residential roofers tend to work full time. Due to weather conditions, such as rain, residential roofers may have to work extra hours to ensure a roof is watertight in time. In winter, roofers hours may drop. However, in summer roofers can expect to be able to work longer days, due to more daylight hours.

Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for roofers was $42,100 in2019. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $26,540, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $70,920. The top paying industries were roofing contractors, where the median annual salary was $42,320 and construction of buildings, where the average annual salary was $39,160.

It is important to note that although roofers work full time, their hours and thus their earning may vary by season. For example, in winter roofers may earn less due to cold and wet weather and less daylight hours. Whereas in the summer, roofers may work overtime. 

Progression

The overall employment of roofers is set to increase over the coming years. Residential roofers can progress easily into supervisor, superintendent, or other construction management positions. Experienced residential roofers may even choose to become independent contractors.

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