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Roofer Green Job

Roofers re-slate and tile roofs, fit skylight windows and replace lead sheeting and cladding.

Annual Salary

£17,000 to £35,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

42 to 44 a week

You could work: evenings; away from home

1.1%
Future employment

There will be 1.1% fewer Roofer jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

In this job, you'll:

  • remove or repair broken tiles or slates - stripping
  • check the condition of roof timbers
  • measure the roof area to work out how much material is needed
  • fit insulation
  • cut and fit roofing felt
  • cover roofs with slates, tiles, sheets or cladding
  • apply waterproof membranes to flat roofs
  • fit plastic or lead 'flashings' around chimneys, windows and walls
  • seal roof joints with mortar

Working environment

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

You could work on a construction site, at a client's business or at a client's home.

Your working environment may be at height, dirty and outdoors in all weathers.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
College

You can take a college course which will teach you some of the skills you'll need to get a trainee position with a roofing company. Courses include:

  • Level 2 Diploma in Roofing Occupations
  • Level 2 Diploma in Roof Slating and Tiling

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
For more information
Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through a roofer intermediate apprenticeship.

This can take up to 2 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Work

You could work as a roofing labourer or 'mate' and do further training while you work to get a roofing qualification.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • You may need a driving licence for some jobs.
  • be able to cope with working at height
  • have a good level of fitness

More information

Career tips

You can do specialist training courses if you're interested in heritage and conservation skills in roof slating and tiling.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Institute of Roofing for training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You'll find more details about careers in roofing from Go Construct.

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You could become a roofing surveyor, estimating costs, dealing with contracts and working with architects. You could also be a site manager, move into equipment sales or work as a steeplejack.

With a lot of experience, you could train apprentices, set up your own business or specialise in heritage conservation work.

How does this job help to address the impacts of climate change and protect wildlife and nature in the West of England?

Roofers are needed in the West of England region to help install solar panels on domestic buildings and business premises.

Examples of post-16 courses you could study at local schools or colleges

  • Level 1 Construction Skills at SGS College

Click here to find a local provider

Apprenticeships you may be able to take with local employers

  • Level 2 Roofer

Click here to search for a local apprenticeship

For more information on the different routes you can take to get into working as a roofer, take a look at the 'Routes into this job' section above. 

Click here for an explanation of the different course and apprenticeship levels.

Local employers 

  • Local roofing and building contractors

For more local employment opportunities see the 'Live job vacancies by region' section above.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • knowledge of building and construction
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • knowledge of maths
  • physical fitness and endurance
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to operate and control equipment
  • leadership skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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