23 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually start by checking the day’s schedule and loading materials: shingles, flashing, underlayment, nails, vents, and safety gear. Travel to the site, set up ladders, scaffolding, and fall protection, then remove old roof layers if it’s a replacement.
Most of the day is physically installing or repairing roofing systems—measuring, cutting, nailing, applying waterproof membranes and coatings, and fitting skylights or vents. You end by cleaning, checking flashings and gutters, and writing up materials used for the estimator or foreman in Excel or paper records.
On small residential jobs you’ll mostly use hand and power tools: hammers, nail guns, roofing knives, pry bars, and safety harnesses. For estimating and layouts, companies use MS Excel and Roof CAD programs like DigiTools Roof CAD, AppliCad Roof Wizard, or ASR Software TopView ME.
Larger firms might use CADAFIS or ASR LWC-Plus for takeoffs and cost evaluation. You’ll rarely touch full CAD yourself unless you move into estimating or coordination.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), roofers had 135,490 employed in 2025. The median wage is $55,440 per year; the lowest tenth percentile is $37,460 and the top tenth is $81,720. Those are national numbers from BLS.
Local pay varies with experience, union status, and region. Commercial roofing or specialty skills (metal work, heritage roofs, green roofs) generally push you toward the higher end.
Many roofers start through a trade school or an apprenticeship offered by unions or contractors. Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job work with classroom time covering safety, materials, and codes—often 2–4 years.
You can also start as a laborer and learn hands-on: carrying materials, tool handling, and working under an experienced roofer. Take OSHA fall-protection courses, and learn to read basic plans and use Excel or a Roof CAD for estimates if you want to move into estimating.
They overlap but are different. Roofers specialize in installing and repairing roofing systems, waterproof layers, flashing, skylights, vents, and related metalwork. General construction covers framing, drywall, plumbing, and other trades.
Roofers routinely work at heights, handle specific materials (shingles, slate, metal roofing, vegetative roofs), and follow roofing codes and manufacturer specs. If you want broad building work, general construction is wider; if you want focused skills at height, choose roofing.
AI can help speed estimating by extracting quantities from plans or comparing material costs, but don’t rely on it alone. Use AI outputs alongside actual measurements, Roof CAD like AppliCad or DigiTools, and tools such as ASR Software TopView ME for accurate material takeoffs.
For safety, AI can flag risk patterns from past incidents, but you must follow physical inspection protocols, OSHA rules, and fall‑protection practice. Never substitute machine suggestions for on-site judgement about hazardous conditions.
Being precise with measurements and layout—accurate measuring, making straight lines for drip edges and shingles, and correct flashing placement—saves time and prevents leaks. Good measuring reduces wasted materials and callbacks.
That skill ties into other work: estimating materials in Excel or Roof CAD becomes accurate, installs fit first time, and you reduce rework on heritage buildings or complex roofs with skylights and vents.