An entry · Work it
Roofer
High up where few want to be, a roofer keeps the rain off everyone below.
Why the human is the point
A roof is the one part of a home asked to face the sky every single day, and the roofer is the person who makes it equal to the task. They work at height, in sun and wind, laying tile or slate so each piece laps the next and sheds water exactly where it should. It is heavy, exposed work that demands a cool head and a real feel for how a roof breathes and drains. There is a plain, honest pride in a finished roof that will keep a family dry through storms for a generation. The roofer stands between the weather and the people underneath, and takes that seriously every time they climb the ladder.
Work it
Do the work.
Jobs, apprenticeships, and training that put a person in the room.
On now
- Apprenticeship
Roofers and Waterproofers Apprenticeship
United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers · United States · Three to five year apprenticeship
This earn while you learn apprenticeship trains you on the job and in the classroom to become a skilled union roofer and waterproofer.
- Certification
NFRC NVQ Assessment Service
National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) · United Kingdom
The UK roofing federation's on-site assessment service that helps working roofers gain Level 2 and Level 3 NVQs across slating, tiling, cladding, and membrane specialisms.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship
Roofing apprenticeship
Join a roofing apprenticeship and learn to lay tile, slate, or membrane safely while working at height.
- Course
Roofing course
Take a roofing course covering materials, flashing, and fall protection, working toward certification.
- Entry job
Start as a laborer
Start as a roofing laborer loading and stripping, and learn each roof system from the crew.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasLive it
Live the hour.
Experiences, classes, and places where the presence is the whole point.
On now
- Volunteer
Construction Volunteer Build
Habitat for Humanity · United States · Year-round local builds
Join a local build and get up on the roof helping raise real homes for families, with training and tools provided and no experience required.
- Visit
Walk the Green Roof Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden · Glencoe, Illinois
Stroll one of the few green roofs you can actually walk through and see how a living roof holds stormwater and cools a building.
- Visit
See the Living Roof
California Academy of Sciences · San Francisco, California
Climb to the observation deck of a rolling 2.5 acre living roof planted with nearly two million native plants.
Ways in
- Workshop
Volunteer build day
Join a volunteer build or repair day and shadow roofers laying a simple, low roof safely.
- Visit
Heritage roofing demo
Visit a heritage building site or roofing demonstration to watch slate and tile set by hand.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasKept nearby
