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Roofer Job Description + Free Template [2024]

category-iconRoofing

Want to hire more roofers for your business? Creating a roofer job description is the first step, but it’s tricky. To find the right roofer, you must decide what essential skills to highlight to attract top candidates.

In this guide, you’ll discover:

  • A job description template you can edit to match your business needs and hire your next roofer.

  • An overview of roofer duties and tasks you should be able to expect on the job site.

  • Roofers need to be able to handle the responsibilities of day-to-day operations.

  • Common roofer requirements and skills you should look for in job interviews.

First, here’s a quick job description template to get you started.

Roofer Job Description Template

Hiring job seekers with the right skill sets is an important part of growing your roofing business. Roofers come with a wide range of expertise, from apprentices to certified technicians. It’s a good idea to think about which skills are non-negotiable and which are optional but nice to have.

This roofer job description template comprehensively lists some of the primary skills you might need. It’s for educational purposes only, and shouldn’t be copied as is—instead, take a look at the responsibilities and requirements and adjust as necessary for your business. 

For example, if you have primarily residential customers, you’ll probably want a shingler, whereas commercial jobs will need someone with expertise in asphalt roofing.

Click here to download our free roofing job description template. 

Roofer – Full-time

We’re seeking a roofer with residential and commercial roofing experience to join our team. 

The right candidate will have two years of roofing experience working with various materials, including shingles, asphalt, thermostat (EPDM) roof membranes, clay and concrete tile systems, and metal panel roofs.

You’ll be required to assess roof damage, provide advice, give estimates, and guide laborers. We’re looking for a self-starter who can maintain positive relationships with the team and provide professional, efficient service for our clients. 

Primary responsibilities:

  • Build and maintain roofs, ensuring proper adherence to commercial and residential building codes. Assess roof damage and provide options and quotes for repair.

  • Work with roofing cement, clay, architectural metal flashings, EPDM systems, metal panel roofs, modified bitumen systems, and thermoplastic roofing systems.

  • Securely set up ladders, scaffolding, and barricades.

  • Operate ladder hoists and stock roofs with materials for general laborers.

  • Drive and operate a roofing crane truck, ensuring proper safety protocols.

  • Install and repair window fixtures on roof surfaces and fabricate HVAC ductways.

  • Clean gutters and remove hazards before roof maintenance and repair, including hedge and tree trimming.

  • Work with hot roofing materials, including tar and asphalt.

  • Thoroughly clean the site when the job is complete.

  • Transport materials to and from the job site using company vehicles.

  • Track materials used on the job.

  • Communicate with clients using mobile software.

  • Follow up with residential and commercial customers for scheduled maintenance with a roofing CRM.

  • Operate hand tools and power tools, including nail guns, shingle cutters, and circular saws.

  • Ensure unfinished roof work is properly protected.

  • Guide general laborers on best practices for roofing and safety on the job.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:

  • Understanding of roofing systems, with the ability to accurately assess damages and recommend a roofing system.

  • Ability to supervise general laborers to ensure proper installation of roofing systems.

  • Ability to use proper safety equipment and PPE in accordance with OHSA guidelines.

  • Comfortable using technology to estimate costs and track time and materials.

  • Ability to use roofing tools, including nail guns, roofing hammers, circular and hand saws, and roof brackets.

Educational/certification requirements:

  • 2-3 year apprenticeship with roofing trade certification.

  • 2+ years of experience in roofing.

  • Valid driver’s license (Class C commercial) with a clean driving record.

  • OSHA 10 certificate.

Environmental conditions:

  • Occasional work in extreme weather conditions, esp. heat.

  • Exposure to vapors from hot roofing materials.

  • Exposure to construction dust.

  • Loud noise, climbing, and heavy lifting.

Physical requirements:

  • Ability to climb, crawl, and lift heavy materials up to 50+ pounds.

  • Balance and comfortable working with heights, climbing ladders, and working on scaffolding.

  • Manual dexterity with hand tools and detailed work.

  • Natural or corrected vision for normal close, distance, and peripheral vision with normal depth perception.

What Does a Roofer Do?

A roofer can install, replace, or repair roofs for residential and commercial businesses.

In addition to finishing roofs on new houses, they can assess roof damage, such as mildew, leaking, or structural damage, and offer professional advice on repair. They should also be able to give quotes that include materials and labor costs to complete the work and plan any regular maintenance.

When they set up a site, they ensure that ladders, scaffolding, hoists, and roofing cranes are set up properly and safely. They might work with laborers on various roofing systems, such as clay, concrete, tile, shingle, and hot roofing, and may specialize in one or more of these systems.

Roofers working with commercial clients should also understand hot roofing techniques such as asphalt, tar, and thermoplastic roofing. On commercial jobs, roofers often set up scaffolding and safety barriers to protect public safety.

They’ll need to take on some core responsibilities to ensure all their work is completed professionally.

Common Roofer Responsibilities

How does a roofer get the job done well? 

Here are some of the common responsibilities you should expect your next roofer to manage:

  • Assess damage and estimate costs: Provide residential and commercial clients with cost estimates based on roofing type. This may also include estimates for future maintenance.

  • Install, maintain, and repair roofing systems: Complete roofing projects from scratch, conduct regular maintenance, and repair leaky and damaged roofs.

  • Set up the site: Transport materials and set up ladders, roofing crane trucks, hoists, and other systems necessary to ensure swift and safe work.

  • Supervise general laborers: Provide job training for general laborers in proper procedures, equipment, and processes.

  • Ensure safety: Ensure all workers on the site and safety equipment meet OSHA standards.

  • Manage administration: Use roofing apps to produce estimates, track equipment, and follow up with customers.

To ensure a roofer is up to the task, ask behavioral interview questions. These are questions about what they would do in scenarios where carrying out the responsibilities listed below might be challenging.

Next, we’ll cover some requirements and skills you should look for when hiring your next roofer.

Common Roofer Requirements and Skills

Roofers need more than just a rough job understanding in an increasingly competitive industry. They should have the proper certifications, including:

  • A high school diploma or GED, which signals a baseline level of common knowledge required for the job.

  • Professional membership or certification: This may be a general membership, such as the roofer certifications offered by the National Roofing Contractors Association or a state roofing license.

  • Specialized experience is particularly important for businesses with commercial or high-ticket clients looking for cutting-edge roofing materials.

As Matt Swanson of Guardian Roofing notes, reputation is critical: “You can be a 4.5- to a 5-star shop. But if you're down in the low fours or 3.9, you have so much profit to gain in the business by just getting better at what you're doing rather than trying to grow what you already have.”

To maintain a good reputation, you’ll also need experienced roofers with good general skills, including:

  • Being a team player: Working well with general laborers will make a roofing job go much more smoothly.

  • Excellent carpentry skills can give roofers a competitive edge, particularly for higher-end clients who value aesthetics.

  • Attention to detail: When leaks and damage go unnoticed, it’s bad for business. Look for roofers that take pride in getting the details right.

  • Communication skills: Essential for keeping clients up to date on the status of jobs. A good experience will help you win maintenance work down the road.

  • Keeping current on industry trends and best practices can give your business a competitive edge, as can using the latest tools and techniques.

Maintaining an excellent reputation also means providing top-tier service. With ServiceTitan’s Field Service app, contractors can help roofing techs stay fully informed, provide accurate estimates, and close more sales. 

With the app, techs have the right info on hand at all times, including:

  • Customer preferences and past orders

  • Forms and pricebooks

  • Critical details about the job

This helps them give customers the quick, efficient service they expect. ServiceTitan streamlines paperwork so roofers can focus on what they do best.

ServiceTitan is an all-in-one platform for end-to-end roofing business management. From roofing equipment management and lead generation to field operations, payments, and reputation management, ServiceTitan is your A-Z tool for unlocking better performance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Still have questions about your job description? Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions when companies consider hiring a roofer.

What is the average salary of a roofer?

On average, roofers make $37k–$53k per year, but this may vary depending on the type of roofing services they offer. Shinglers tend to earn more, while hot roofers tend to earn less. 

But with a skilled labor shortage in the US, it’s a good idea to keep your salary offer competitive.

What are some good characteristics of a roofer?

Roofers should be knowledgeable, hardworking, and reliable. Since roofing is a dangerous trade, they should also take safety seriously, especially if they’re responsible for supervising a job. 

Customer service skills are necessary to put your company’s best foot forward and keep your reputation strong.

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