Getting into a roofer apprenticeship
Installing and repairing roofing systems, from shingles to commercial membrane and metal. Commercial and industrial roofing is a different and better-paid job than residential.
What year one actually looks like
Carrying material, tearing off old roofing and learning the system. Hot in summer, exposed year round.
What they ask for
- 18 or older.
- High-school diploma or GED for formal apprenticeships; less consistently required by contractors.
- Basic maths.
- Genuine comfort at height and in heat.
- Drug screen and physical.
These are what most programs ask. Every sponsor sets its own, so check the program page before you rely on any of it.
The test
Usually an interview and a practical trial.
When to apply
Strongly seasonal in cold states and close to continuous in warm ones.
We do not list application dates, because no registry publishes them and we will not invent one. Phoning the training centre and asking is the only reliable way, and it takes five minutes.
If you are not ready yet
- Be clear-eyed: roofing has among the highest injury rates in construction. Ask any program what its safety training and fall protection actually are, and treat a vague answer as an answer.
- Commercial and industrial roofing pays better and is less brutal than residential tear-off.
- Union locals invest more in training than most residential contractors do.
None of this disqualifies you permanently. Most of it is a few months of work.