A roofing laborer handles the hauling, tear-off and cleanup on home roof jobs so the roofers can keep installing. They strip old shingles, carry bundles up to the roof, keep the drop zone clear, and sweep the yard for nails before the crew leaves.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Support roofing operations by preparing sites, moving materials, and executing basic tasks that contribute to project efficiency and safety. Assist in the successful completion of roofing projects by ensuring timely material handling and site readiness. Collaborate with team members to maintain high operational standards in the roofing industry.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Move and organize roofing materials to designated areas on site.
Prepare work sites by setting up equipment, cleaning debris, and ensuring safety protocols are followed.
Assist skilled tradesmen with basic tasks as required during roofing projects.
Follow safety guidelines and procedures consistently to maintain a secure work environment.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Load and unload roofing supplies and equipment from delivery trucks.
Set up job sites to ensure efficient workflow and safety compliance.
Assist in measuring, cutting, and handling materials under direct supervision.
Communicate with team members to relay any site-specific issues or delays.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Material handling accuracy: 98% on-time delivery and placement.
Site preparation efficiency: Complete setup within 30 minutes per site.
Safety compliance rate: 100% adherence to safety protocols on each shift.
Daily task completion rate: 95% of scheduled tasks completed per shift.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to perform physically demanding tasks and lift up to 50 lbs.
Strong communication and teamwork skills.
Basic understanding of masonry or construction principles is a plus.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in a construction or roofing labor role.
Familiarity with safe material handling and site preparation practices.
Experience working in a team environment within the home services industry.
Demonstrated dependability and punctuality on previous job sites.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and transport materials weighing up to 50 lbs.
Perform repetitive tasks in various weather conditions (hot, cold, rainy).
Must stand, bend, and squat for extended periods during work shifts.
Capacity to work in outdoor and sometimes high-elevation environments.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
May include overtime during peak project periods.
Work predominantly outdoors in varying weather conditions.
Occasional travel between multiple job sites may be required.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate: $15 - $20 per hour, based on experience and qualifications.
Opportunity for overtime and performance bonuses in peak seasons.
Health, Dental, and Vision benefits provided.
401(k) plan available with company matching.
Additional fringe benefits such as paid time off and employee discounts on services.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we value integrity, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Our collaborative culture encourages personal growth and a shared commitment to excellence.
We provide a supportive and inclusive environment where every team member can excel.
Our focus on customer satisfaction drives us to innovate and maintain high standards in every project.
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
On a home roof job, the old roof comes off first, everything goes up a ladder, and the crew works above a family's yard. The laborer is in the middle of all three.
Tear-off comes first
A replacement starts by stripping the old roof down to the deck. Laborers shovel shingles and underlayment into a dumpster or dump trailer, pull leftover nails, and tarp shrubs, windows and the AC unit before tear-off begins. O*NET lists removing old roofing and sweeping the roof clean for new material among the tasks of a roofer helper. Source: O*NET OnLine: Helpers, Roofers (47-3016.00).
Debris has a drop rule
On a two-story home, tear-off can fall a long way. OSHA says material dropped more than 20 feet to a point outside the building's walls must go down an enclosed chute. On lower drops, laborers still rope off the landing zone and keep the homeowner, kids, pets and cars out of it until tear-off stops. Source: OSHA: Disposal of waste materials (29 CFR 1926.252).
Loading the roof takes planning
BLS notes that a bundle of shingles can weigh 60 pounds or more. That's heavier than the template's 50-pound lifting line, so set that line to the materials you really install. Laborers stage bundles where the installers will need them, spread along the ridge rather than in one pile, whether they go up by hand, ladder hoist or the supplier's boom truck. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Roofers.
Ladders near power lines
Laborers raise ladders against the eaves all day, sometimes close to the line that brings power to the house. OSHA requires ladders with nonconductive side rails wherever the worker or the ladder could touch exposed live electrical equipment. Teach every laborer to look up before raising a ladder and to keep metal ladders well away from wires. Source: OSHA: Ladders (29 CFR 1926.1053).
The yard is part of the job
Old roofs shed nails, and they land in grass, flower beds and driveways. Laborers roll a magnet over every area below the roof, clear granules and scraps out of the gutters, and haul the last load before the crew leaves. Homeowners often judge the whole job by what they find in the lawn that evening.
How much roofing laborers make
The closest BLS group for roofing laborers is Helpers--Roofers. Helpers--Roofers who work for roofing contractors earned a median of $21.37 an hour ($44,440 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $44,160 median for Helpers--Roofers in all industries. About 5,680 of the 6,030 Helpers--Roofers in that survey work for roofing contractors.
The template pays by the hour, and overtime applies. Some roofing companies pay a busy-season bonus, or raise the rate once a laborer starts learning to install.
Roofing contractors
$44,440$44,440 median Middle half $37,140–$48,900 10th–90th $29,870–$64,000
All industries
$44,160$44,160 median Middle half $37,030–$48,970 10th–90th $30,140–$62,400
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Roofing contractors
$29,870
$37,140
$44,440
$48,900
$64,000
All industries
$30,140
$37,030
$44,160
$48,970
$62,400
BLS reports residential and commercial roofing contractors together. 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
Arrives on time and ready when the crew rolls out
Follows the crew's safety rules without reminders
Willing to carry bundles up ladders and work on a pitched roof
Careful around the customer's home, cars and garden
Takes direction well on a small crew
Teach these on the job
Tear-off steps and how to tarp and protect a house
Ladder setup, hoist use and staging bundles on the roof
Putting on, hooking up and checking a fall harness
Roofing material names, from drip edge to ridge cap
The cleanup routine and magnet sweep
Laborers use roofing shovels, pry bars, ladders, ladder hoists, tarps and a rolling magnetic sweeper, plus a hard hat and a fall harness on the roof. List the gear you supply and whether laborers ride to jobs in a company truck.
Roofing laborer interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Begin with the template's figures and adjust them to your crews and house types. A steep two-story tear-off takes longer than a one-story ranch, so compare like jobs.
Material handling accuracy
Deliveries staged in the right spot, on the right side of the house, before the installers needed them. The foreman notes each miss on the daily job sheet, and you review the count weekly.
Site preparation efficiency
Minutes from arrival to tarps down, ladders up and dumpster placed, logged by the foreman on each job. Track one-story and two-story homes separately so the numbers compare fairly.
Safety compliance rate
Shifts with no safety correction, such as a missing hard hat under the drop zone or a harness left unhooked, out of all shifts worked. The foreman records corrections every day.
Daily task completion rate
Tasks on the day's job sheet that got done, from tear-off through the final magnet sweep, out of all tasks assigned to the laborer. Go over it weekly with the foreman.
Career path
Roofing laborerHauls, tears off and cleans up while learning how a crew runs.
Apprentice rooferLearns to install shingles and flashing under a lead.
The day often starts at the shop, loading the truck and trailer. On site, the laborer tarps the yard and house, sets ladders, and tears off or hauls the old roof to the dumpster. During the install they carry bundles, cut and hand up materials, and keep the work area clear. At the end, they sweep for nails, clean the gutters and load the trailer.
How much does a roofing laborer make?
Helpers--Roofers who work for roofing contractors earned a median of $21.37 an hour ($44,440 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $37,140 and $48,900 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Can I hire someone under 18 as a roofing laborer?
Generally no. Federal child labor rules list roofing as too hazardous for workers under 18. The Labor Department says the ban covers most roofing jobs, including work on the ground and tearing off the old roof. A narrow exception covers 16- and 17-year-old apprentices and student-learners in approved programs. When state and federal rules both apply, the stricter one wins, so check your state before hiring summer help.
Does a roofing laborer work on the roof?
That depends on how you run your crews. Some laborers stay on the ground loading, cutting and cleaning, while others tear off up top. Decide before you post the job and say which it is, since it changes who applies. A laborer who goes up gets the same fall protection training and tie-off rules as the roofers.
What happens to roofing laborers in winter?
BLS notes that roofing work may slow during winter in northern states. Plan for it before you hire. Some shops keep laborers busy on repair crews and in the warehouse, while others lay off and rehire in spring. Telling applicants which you do helps good laborers stay instead of leaving when the cold sets in.
