I’ve been in the construction industry for over a decade now. From laborer to crane operator, I’ve done lots of jobs within this awesome industry but let me tell you that one of the hardest ones is being a roofer.

You wake up very early in the morning. Do long shifts many times away from the family. Work with strong and dangerous chemicals. Not to mention the danger of working at heights no matter if it’s boiling hot or stone cold freezing.

We’ll be up there on that roof making sure people living in that home have a safe place to live in. And that’s what motivated me all the time. To see the happiness and the smile of a person or a family to have a new roof or a roof repair done and get on with their lives.

Pros

It’s a well-paying job: You can make serious money with a good roof company IF you’re willing to work hard and learn the trade. As with any other job you’ll start on the very bottom of the ladder making anywhere from $14-$15 per hour all the way up to $50-$60 per hour. I was at the lower level still ($18p/h) when I decided I want to move on.

Anyone can have a go at becoming a roofer: Becoming a roofer doesn’t require you to have diplomas or some high degree, etc. If you’re like me and didn’t like school don’t feel bad or don’t feel lost. You can still have a good job and enjoy good things in life by becoming a good roofer. So no matter where you are in life and what skills or knowledge you have, you can have a go at becoming a roofer.

Rewarding: Personally I love to see something I’m doing, coming to life. It’s not all about the money. It’s the feeling of being proud of something you do with your own hands.

There’s a meme going around related to construction trades, including roofers 🙂 There’s a son and his dad driving in a car, and dad started to point to every building they see and say:

“Son, see that roof? I did that!
Son, see that building? I did that!” ?

Not only that but when we were doing small repairs on people’s roofs and see them happy after a few days or maybe weeks of uncomfortable living…and then seeing them happy. I thought I was doing something good for this world 🙂 (maybe I’m just too silly, I don’t know haha!)

Cons

The nature of the tasks involving doing a job as a roofer is very dangerous: Working at height is probably the most obvious hazard when working as a roofer. Falling from height is the biggest reason of deaths in the construction industry. Many times I was working very close to the edge of the building so you must be constantly careful where you’re at, and where you’re stepping. Plus if you work in wet conditions you can easily slip off and God knows what could happen. If you work with a good company they will provide you with safety gear like a harness (Sadly, not always the case. I’ve seen lots of cowboys out there)

Harsh on your health over a long period of time: Again, mentioning the weather. Personally, I hate to work when it’s raining. It’s just me. I don’t like the feeling to stay wet all day. I was getting constantly sick in winter time. But one thing I could not deal with is the smell of the substances and products we were using to repair or to waterproof a roof. Again, you must wear proper respiratory protection like a good mask to protect you from those strong vapors from the products you use. We always get toolbox talks about these hazards and how bad it could be for our health if we don’t protect ourselves. (And in all honesty, most of us don’t always fully comply, especially when we need to rush to finish the job)

Not much growth opportunity in this area. Hence, I’ve moved away from roofing to lifting operations. Once a roofer, always a roofer 🙂 You could definitely learn lots of relevant skills, maybe some carpentry…but I felt like there was no room to grow. You could always become a supervisor or manager. But hey, not everybody wants to keep growing, so I guess for many people this is just fine.

So, again, if you want a rewarding job that pays above minimum average with the potential to make a lot of money as long as you work hard and keep learning…then roofer could be for you!

Crane Operator – Adrian Diaz

My typical day 5 AM First coffee of the day! Prep the backpack with all the things I’ll need for the day. And it must be a very well prepped one (I te … Read More

Metal Fabricator – Rico Algarin

ARCH Production & Design NYC

A typical day starts off with turning on all the light and power to needed machines, then into the office to make coffee and have the morning meeting, … Read More