What Skills Do You Need To Be a Roofing Contractor?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be over 15,000 new roof contractor positions available each year for the next decade. It’s a job that doesn’t necessarily require any formal education or training, so if you’re the handy type, roofing could be your new career!

But what are the skills needed to be a roofer? By checking yourself against this two-part roofing skills list, you can see if this is a career path worth checking out. 

Personal Traits and Soft Skills

There are some things that can’t be taught. Being a roofing contractor takes a certain kind of person. The ideal roofer:

• Is team oriented
• Isn’t afraid of heights
• Focuses on small details while envisioning the bigger picture
• Makes safety a priority
• Doesn’t mind not getting off right on time
• Is a lifelong learner
• Works well turning plans on paper into real-world solutions

Whether you’re installing a new roof or completing some post-storm emergency roof repairs, your day may be full of hazards and issues that make projects take longer than planned. To get through that, you have to work as a team and maintain focus. While you may become a roofing expert, it’s important to remember that every day is full of lessons.

Hard Skills

Like we mentioned earlier, being a successful roofing contractor doesn’t require specialized schooling, but going to a trade or vocational school isn’t a bad idea. However, if you work with a team of professional local roofers, you’ll learn a lot on the job.

That being said, a roofing contractor should be or become familiar with a few specific things:

• OSHA roofing regulations
• The advantages of different types of roofing materials and when to use each one
• Carpentry
• Using a combination of hand and power tools
• How to identify potential structural threats (weathering, pest damage, etc.)
• Doing full roof inspections and roof replacements
• State and local roof licensing laws
• The roles of different parts of a roof such as shingles, flashing, gutters, rafters and underlayments

At the Roof Guys, we make sure every one of our team members understands and is trained in these topics before they get to work for our clients.

We do this not just to ensure we provide the Twin Cities area with some of the best roofing services in Minnesota, but to make sure that whenever a client has questions, we all have the answers. Transparency is key to long-lasting roofer-client relationships.

Still Wondering How To Become a Roofing Contractor? Ask One!

Even if you have almost all of the roofing skills listed above, some projects are too big for one roofing contractor. In that case, give the Roof Guys a call. In words and practice, we’ll show you exactly why our Minnesota roofing service has been around for 20 years. We don’t just have the right skills for any residential or commercial roofing job — we have the right attitude!