Roofer

Do you like working outside? Do you get along well with others? Are you physically fit and keen on exercise? Could you work in high places? Do you like working with your hands? Are you comfortable in hot temperatures? Then, you could become a roofer!

What the work is like

Roofers install, repair and replace roofs. They may also waterproof basements, foundations and decks.

As a roofer, you will be employed by roofing and general contractors for construction or repair jobs, or you may be self-employed.

Roofers work in the new home building and renovation, and institutional and commercial construction sectors.

Your duties

As a roofer, your duties may include:

• Installing, repairing or replacing roofing systems using materials such as asphalt and gravel
• Installing, repairing or replacing shingles and other roofing tiles
• Applying waterproof coatings to concrete surfaces
• Installing and repairing metal roofs using hand and power tools
• Installing scaffolding to provide safe access to roofs
• Estimating required materials and costs

Work conditions

The standard work week for roofers is 40 hours (8 hours a day, 5 days a week). As with many careers in construction, there are peak periods that will require you to work overtime. The number of additional hours you work each week depends on the construction sector and region you work in, and will vary from one job to the next.

Most roofers work steadily throughout the year because roof systems need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years.

As a roofer, you will work mostly outdoors, and with a crew of other construction professionals. The job can be physically demanding—you may have to lift heavy materials, and roofing can be quite hot during the summer.

As with all careers in the construction industry, safety is the top priority. Roofers are trained to work safely, and wear special equipment like safety harnesses to protect themselves from injury.

Essential skills

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has identified nine essential skills that are necessary to succeed in the workplace. These skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and are applicable to most construction careers. Best of all, you can learn and improve on these skills in school, on the job, and during your everyday life.

The most important Essential Skills for roofers are:

• Numeracy—working with numbers to perform calculations
• Significant use of memory—performing tasks that call upon greater memory use than most jobs
• Working with others—interacting with co-workers to get the job done

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship is one way of starting out in the construction industry. It involves both classroom studies and on-the-job training under the supervision of a certified roofer, called a journeyperson.

As an apprentice, you earn while you learn and are paid by the hour while working on the job site. Wages start at about 65% of a journeyperson’s hourly rate and increase during your apprenticeship, until you reach the full rate.

Entering an apprenticeship program

Requirements for roofer apprenticeship programs vary across Canada. In most provinces and territories, you must have a Grade 9 education, or equivalent, to enter a roofer apprenticeship program.

Some provinces and territories offer secondary school apprenticeship programs that allow high school students to work towards a career as a roofer.

Program length

Apprenticeship training programs for roofers vary across Canada, but generally involve four 12-month periods, including at least 5,860 hours of on-the-job training, three 6-week blocks of technical training, and a final certificate examination.

Related work experience or completion of a roofer program at a college or technical institute can reduce the time required to complete your apprenticeship.

Certification

Roofer certification is required in some provinces, and is available but voluntary in most other provinces and territories. Even where certification is voluntary, it is still recommended. Certification tells employers and other workers that you are a skilled professional. It also helps you get jobs.

To be certified as a roofer, you usually need to complete of a four-year apprenticeship program. Once you successfully complete the on-the-job training, technical training and examinations required by the program, you are awarded a journeyperson certificate.

If you have over three years of on-the-job experience and some high school, college or industry courses in roofing, you may be eligible for roofer certification in some provinces and territories.

As a certified roofer, you may attempt the Interprovincial Exam to qualify for the Interprovincial Standards’ Red Seal. With a Red Seal, you can work as a roofer anywhere in Canada.

Certification for roofers is compulsory in:

• British Columbia
• Québec

It is available, but voluntary, in:

• Alberta
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

In provinces and territories where certification is not available, it may be possible to study as an apprentice through your local labour organization.

To keep your skills current, you have to keep up with new technological developments by reading and talking with other roofers.

Salary ranges

TYPICAL WORK WEEK/YEAR *

In addition to their hourly rate, many construction workers receive statutory holiday and vacation pay. Depending on the contract, you may also receive benefits such as group insurance for health, dental and vision care, retirement packages, and training benefits up to 30% of your hourly rate.

If you are self-employed, it’s up to you to arrange your own benefits.

* Wages vary across Canada, among labour organization locals and among open-shop construction contractors. Some roofers are paid according to how much work they complete, not the number of hours worked.

** Most construction work involves overtime, so your annual salary will vary depending on the number of hours you work. The salary range listed above represents the annual salary range for full-time journeyperson roofers across Canada, based on a 40-hour work week, without taking overtime into account.

Building your career

With experience and additional training, you can move into more senior positions, including supervisory roles. You can also become self-employed and work as a contractor.

As with most careers in the construction industry, your skills are portable. If you want to move, you can take your skills with you.

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