A commercial roofing chief executive officer decides which buildings, buyers and markets the company goes after, and signs its largest reroof and new construction contracts. They also keep the license, manufacturer approvals and senior team ready for the size of work the company wants to win.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Provides visionary leadership to drive strategy and growth within the commercial roofing market. Directly oversees business development, major contract negotiations, and operational profitability. Champions innovation and exceptional customer service within the company. Acts as a key representative of the company to industry stakeholders and partners.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Define and execute the overall strategic vision for the commercial roofing division.
Lead efforts to secure major contracts and develop strategic partnerships.
Oversee financial performance to ensure sustainable growth and profitability.
Manage executive leadership teams to drive operational excellence across departments.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and analyze market trends and financial reports to inform strategic decisions.
Engage in high-level negotiations with prospective clients and industry partners.
Coordinate with department heads to align operational activities with business objectives.
Monitor daily performance metrics and implement necessary corrective actions to meet targets.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth: Achieve a minimum annual increase of 15%.
New Contract Acquisition: Secure at least 5 high-value contracts annually.
Profit Margin: Maintain a gross margin of 25% or higher.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Attain a minimum rating of 4.8 stars on client feedback surveys.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Construction Management, or a related field; MBA preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of executive leadership experience in the construction or roofing industry.
Proven strategic planning and financial management skills.
Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Extensive background in commercial roofing or related construction fields.
Demonstrated success in securing major contracts and leading large-scale projects.
Experience working with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
Familiarity with regulatory and safety standards specific to the construction industry.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in varied environments, including occasional site visits to commercial roofing projects.
Must be able to handle frequent travel and extended periods of on-site presence when necessary.
Comfortable in both office settings and outdoor environments in diverse weather conditions.
Capable of performing tasks that involve moderate physical exertion.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours with flexibility as required by business demands.
Frequent domestic travel to meet with clients, partners, and project sites.
Occasional extended hours during critical contract negotiations and company events.
Remote work options available, contingent on project requirements and company policies.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary ranging between $200,000 - $300,000 USD per annum.
Performance-based bonuses tied to key KPIs and overall company success.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) retirement plan with company match and other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a dynamic, growth-oriented company dedicated to excellence in commercial roofing.
Our culture emphasizes integrity, teamwork, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.
We support professional development and empower our leaders to innovate and excel.
Join us and contribute to a company that values your expertise and offers pathways for personal and professional growth.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Commercial roofs are bought by general contractors, school districts, property managers and federal agencies, and each one checks the roofer before it signs. The CEO picks which of those buyers to chase and keeps the license and approvals current so the company can bid.
Crossing the small business line
SBA treats a roofing contractor as small while its yearly receipts, averaged over its last five completed fiscal years, stay at or below 19.0 million dollars. A company this size sits near that line. Once the average passes it, the company can no longer bid as a small business on federal set-aside work, so build up private and open-competition work before that pipeline shrinks. Source: 13 CFR 121.201: SBA size standards by NAICS industry (eCFR).
North Dakota caps one contract by license class
North Dakota requires a contractor license for any job over 4,000 dollars, and the license class limits the size of a single contract. A class B license stops at 500,000 dollars, and only class A has no cap. Before the estimator prices a large school or hospital reroof there, confirm the class on file covers it. Source: North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-07: Contractors.
Membrane makers keep score
Makers track the contractors who install their warranted roofs. Carlisle, for example, keeps each authorized applicator's warranty claims history and gives awards based on claims performance and on its field reps' inspection ratings. Pick the few makers the company will commit to, and treat each one's inspection scores and claims history as a company asset the field has to protect. Source: Carlisle SynTec: Authorized Applicator programs.
Service work smooths out big contracts
Reroofs and new roofs arrive as large, uneven contracts. Repair calls, maintenance agreements and yearly roof surveys for property managers bring steadier revenue and show which roofs will need replacing soon. Give service its own leader and its own numbers, so a heavy bid month doesn't pull its technicians onto reroof crews.
How much commercial roofing chief executive officers make
The closest BLS group for commercial roofing chief executive officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for specialty trade contractors earned a median of $169,170 a year ($81.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 3,830 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for specialty trade contractors.
Pay here is a salary plus bonuses linked to the KPIs. For top executives at specialty trade contractors, the BLS median falls below the template's floor and the top tenth above its ceiling.
Specialty trade contractors
$169,170$169,170 median Middle half $100,570–$283,340 10th–90th $69,930–$386,670
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Specialty trade contractors
$69,930
$100,570
$169,170
$283,340
$386,670
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS counts too few chief executives at roofing contractors for a steady figure, so these figures cover specialty trade contractors. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Ten or more years of executive leadership in construction or roofing, as the template asks
Has negotiated contracts with general contractors, school districts or property management firms
Reads a WIP schedule and knows what a surety looks for
Has hired and replaced senior managers, not only crew leads
Can explain to a building owner how roof systems differ in cost, warranty and risk
Teach these on the job
Your manufacturers' approval and warranty programs
Federal bid and SBA size rules, if they've only done private work
North Dakota and New Mexico license and registration steps
Your estimating and project software
Purchasing rules at the school districts and cities you serve
The CEO works from monthly financial statements, the backlog report and the WIP schedule the finance team prepares, plus the company's estimating and project software. Pack a hard hat and safety vest for roof walks with clients.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Reducing customer concentration
Half your revenue comes from [two] general contractors, and one was just bought by a national firm. What do you do over the next year?
A strong answer: Protects that relationship while building owner-direct, service and property-manager work, puts sales investment behind it and plans cash for a possible drop in volume.
Behavioral · Matching leaders to a growing company
Tell me about a time the company moved into larger commercial jobs and one of your leaders couldn't keep up. What did you do?
A strong answer: Named the gap honestly, such as bonded work, WIP reporting or managing project managers, gave support and a timeline, then moved or replaced the person respectfully and covered the work.
The targets above came with the template. Swap in goals drawn from this company's own revenue, margin and bid record.
Revenue Growth
Pull revenue from the income statement each year and compare, split into reroof, new construction and service, so a single large contract doesn't mask a weak line.
New Contract Acquisition
Decide what counts as a high-value contract, then count the signed ones each year with the customer type and roof system for each. Track your win rate on those bids too.
Profit Margin
Take gross margin from closed jobs and the WIP schedule, not from estimates. Review it each quarter by roof type and buyer so weak job types show up early.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Survey the owner's or general contractor's contact at project closeout, and count repeat bid invitations from those customers as a second check.
Career path
Sales managerRuns the estimators and the bid list for contractors and building owners.
General managerAnswers for profit and every department in a region or the whole company.
Should a commercial roofing company bid new construction or focus on reroofs?
Most do both, but the two behave differently. New construction comes through general contractors at tight prices, with retainage and a schedule set by other trades. Reroofs can be sold to building owners directly, are often negotiated, and lead to service work on the same building later. The CEO sets the mix and checks it each year against margin by job type.
How much does a commercial roofing chief executive officer make?
Chief executives who work for specialty trade contractors earned a median of $169,170 a year ($81.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $100,570 and $283,340 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
When is a commercial roofer too dependent on one general contractor?
When losing that one customer would leave crews idle or sink the budget. Watch each customer's share of backlog and of money owed to you. If one contractor slows its payments, your cash slows with it. Spread the bid list across several contractors and add direct owner and property manager work so no single account decides your year.
Should the CEO keep the largest accounts personally?
Keep the relationships and hand off the daily contact. The CEO should know the facility directors at school districts, the large property managers and the top general contractors, and meet them a few times a year. Estimators and project managers handle bids, submittals and change orders, so a customer is never stuck waiting for the CEO to call back.
The template mentions outdoor work, weather and moderate physical exertion. What does that mean for a CEO?
It describes site visits. The CEO may climb a fixed ladder or roof hatch to walk a roof with a building owner, stand on a roof in summer or winter weather during a pre-bid walk, and spend long travel days between projects. Spell out those duties in the posting, and note that roof visits follow each site's fall protection plan.
