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What does a roof foreman do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read

A roofing foreman is in charge of a roofing project and all the people working on the project. They oversee the project, ensure the safety of the workers, and communicate with the client. They provide leadership and directions to the roofing crew. Their duties and responsibilities also include identifying and enforcing safety regulations for all members of his/her or her crew.

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Roof foreman responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real roof foreman resumes:

  • Train and manage roofing crews to achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
  • Manage tools and 4 man crew installing TPO and shingle roofs.
  • Supervise subcontractors and conduct onsite inspections to ensure exceptional project outcomes achieve on-time and within budget.
  • Install EPDM, TPO and PVC roofs.
  • Renovate APP modify torch down, DORO-last PVC, slate, shingles, and TPO roofs.
  • Install new flat roof material, include but not limit to, PVC, TPO and EPDM according to manufacturers warranties.
  • Direct craft on assignment and installations of electrical equipment per the NEC and drawings.
  • Install shingles, asphalt, metal, foam, single-ply and others materials to make roof water tight.
  • Install roofs (EPDM), replace gutters and leader pipes.
  • Start up and troubleshoot injection molding machines.
  • Use of acetylene torches are also require.
  • Train technicians/molders to work on machines and troubleshoot.
  • Structure and maintain a safe working environment according to OSHA regulations.
  • Adhere, ballast, and mechanically fasten Versico EPDM roof systems.
  • Oversee the completion and installation of electrical components per NEC code.

Roof foreman skills and personality traits

We calculated that 28% of Roof Foremen are proficient in Roofing, OSHA, and PVC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.

We break down the percentage of Roof Foremen that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Roofing, 28%

    Supervised and coordinated activities of workers engaged in covering roofs with roofing materials.

  • OSHA, 13%

    Involved in the training of new hires and making sure OSHA guidelines were adhered to along with company safety policies.

  • PVC, 11%

    Installed approximately 2.5m s/f of acrylic roof coating, as well as 3m s/f of thermoplastic PVC membrane.

  • Ladders, 9%

    Set ladders, scaffolds and hoists in place for taking supplies to roofs.

  • TPO, 6%

    Installed build up roof for NYCHA TPO System for DDC

  • Scaffolding, 5%

    Set up scaffolding to provide safe access to roofs.

"roofing," "osha," and "pvc" are among the most common skills that roof foremen use at work. You can find even more roof foreman responsibilities below, including:

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a roof foreman to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Roof foremen often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "ensured correct measurements of roofing bids for accurate purchasing of needed materials and exact cost for customer. "

Dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling roof foreman duties is dexterity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." According to a roof foreman resume, here's how roof foremen can utilize dexterity in their job responsibilities: "use of sky jack, ladder, forklift and any type of machinery needed to load, and unload roofing materials. "

Troubleshooting skills. This is an important skill for roof foremen to perform their duties. For an example of how roof foreman responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a roof foreman: "job duties: installation and troubleshooting of all types of electrical systems. ".

All roof foreman skills

The three companies that hire the most roof foremans are:

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Compare different roof foremen

Roof foreman vs. Assistant superintendent

In a construction setting, an assistant superintendent is primarily in charge of supervising workers to ensure that the construction project's completion will be within the expected time and allotted budget. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assisting the superintendent with their tasks, creating schedules, and meeting with clients. Furthermore, an assistant superintendent must also coordinate with all construction workers and build rapport with them, all while implementing the safety policies and standards for a safe and productive work environment.

The annual salary of assistant superintendents is $17,833 higher than the average salary of roof foremen.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both roof foreman and assistant superintendent positions are skilled in osha, safety procedures, and project management.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between roof foremen and assistant superintendent. For instance, roof foreman responsibilities require skills such as "roofing," "pvc," "ladders," and "tpo." Whereas a assistant superintendent is skilled in "customer service," "quality standards," "construction management," and "construction projects." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Assistant superintendents tend to make the most money working in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $76,938. In contrast, roof foremen make the biggest average salary, $59,875, in the construction industry.On average, assistant superintendents reach higher levels of education than roof foremen. Assistant superintendents are 7.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Roof foreman vs. Private contractor

Field supervisors are referred to as the generals for various industries such as engineering, construction, and energy. These supervisors oversee and manage field staff's performance. Their responsibilities include the training and supervision of their staff members for significant guidance. Supervisors should be equipped with communication skills, analysis, and participation. They take charge of projects involving construction, building and landscape maintenance, and engineering. Also, they protect a facility against vandalism and theft.

On average, private contractors earn a $13,777 lower salary than roof foremen a year.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, roof foreman responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "roofing," "osha," "pvc," and "ladders." Meanwhile, a private contractor has duties that require skills in areas such as "windows," "snow removal," "ran," and "mowing." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

In general, private contractors achieve higher levels of education than roof foremen. They're 8.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Roof foreman vs. Field supervisor

A site supervisor oversees the work operations in a construction site, ensuring the efficiency of workflow and safety of the workforce. The tasks of a site supervisor primarily revolve around conducting inspections and assessing risks, managing and evaluating workers, and coordinating with site foreman and suppliers. They also work on producing reports and making sure that all processes adhere to the safety guidelines and regulations. Furthermore, it is also the task of the supervisor to ensure that the progress is completed within the budget and set timeline.

On average scale, field supervisors bring in lower salaries than roof foremen. In fact, they earn a $16,557 lower salary per year.roof foremen and field supervisors both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "osha," "safety procedures," and "cpr," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a roof foreman is likely to be skilled in "roofing," "pvc," "ladders," and "tpo," while a typical field supervisor is skilled in "customer service," "quality standards," "emergency situations," and "payroll."

Field supervisors make a very good living in the energy industry with an average annual salary of $54,470. On the other hand, roof foremen are paid the highest salary in the construction industry, with average annual pay of $59,875.Most field supervisors achieve a higher degree level compared to roof foremen. For example, they're 6.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Roof foreman vs. Site supervisor

Site supervisors tend to earn a lower pay than roof foremen by an average of $11,201 per year.According to resumes from roof foremen and site supervisors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "safety procedures," "cpr," and "construction sites. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between roof foremen and site supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a roof foreman might have more use for skills like "roofing," "osha," "pvc," and "ladders." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of site supervisors require skills like "customer service," "incident reports," "hr," and "site supervision. "

In general, site supervisors earn the most working in the technology industry, with an average salary of $54,313. The highest-paying industry for a roof foreman is the construction industry.site supervisors reach higher levels of education compared to roof foremen, in general. The difference is that they're 6.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of roof foreman

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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