How to start a roofing business?

To start a roofing business, you should complete market research, gather supplies, and obtain all required permits. Roofing businesses often work with many other people in construction, so it's important to try to make connections and network while starting your business.

How To Become A Roofer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a roofer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A roofer is a skilled tradesman who installs and repairs roofs on buildings. Any time a roof leaks, a roofer is contacted to fix broken tiles and seal areas to make them waterproof.

Roofs have been around for a while, so this profession had time to evolve and accumulate wisdom over millennia. Just the sheer variety of materials used for roofs reflect the time humankind has had to think about roofs. Thatch, clay, stone, metal, aluminum, straw, wood, slate, asphalt, just to name a few.

An important thing to consider, before taking on this position, is whether you are afraid of heights. Being a roofer entails working in difficult conditions under all kinds of weather: heat, wind, rain, snow, performing physically demanding feats to make roofs safe for the people underneath.

ScoreRooferUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,294

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.2

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.53%

Asian 0.81%

Black or African American 7.84%

Hispanic or Latino 29.62%

Unknown 3.46%

White 56.72%

Gender

female 4.56%

male 95.44%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

7.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a roofer

Explore roofer education requirements

Most common roofer degrees

High School Diploma

58.2 %

Diploma

18.1 %

Associate

10.6 %

Start to develop specific roofer skills

Skills	Percentages
Roofing	25.73%
Asphalt	16.20%
Ladders	10.53%
Shingles	8.96%
TPO	5.45%

Complete relevant roofer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New roofers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a roofer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real roofer resumes.

Research roofer duties and responsibilities

Repair damage structure and replace roofing material IE shingles, EPDM, TPO, metal panels or tile.
Work on rubber roofing and PVC roof systems
Job descriptions include flash heat welding the EPDM roofing material to ensure no leaks occur.
Use hand tools such as shovel, rakes, pruning saws, hedges and brush trimmers.

Prepare your roofer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your roofer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a roofer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable roofer resume templates

Build a professional roofer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your roofer resume.