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Getting in

How to become a roofer in Ontario

Roofing has the lowest formal barrier of the exterior trades — most roofers start on a crew with no credential and learn the systems hands-on. The one non-negotiable is Working at Heights training before you set foot on a roof.

Roofing at a glance

Licence to do the work
Not required — 449A Roofer is voluntary; Working at Heights IS mandatory
Path in
Start on a crew — most roofers learn on the job; apprenticeship available
Regulated by
Ministry of Labour (Working at Heights); municipality
Insurance baseline
$2M CGL; among the highest WSIB rate groups
Union route
United Union of Roofers locals

The path, step by step

  1. 1

    Get Working at Heights certified

    A Ministry of Labour-approved Working at Heights course is legally required before you work with fall protection on a construction project. It takes a day and must be refreshed every three years.

    Working at Heights training — ontario.ca
  2. 2

    Join a crew

    Shingle crews hire green labour every season; low-slope (flat/commercial) crews teach torch, mod-bit, and single-ply systems. Two seasons across both and you know which side of the trade you want.

  3. 3

    Consider the 449A apprenticeship

    The voluntary Roofer apprenticeship formalizes the skill set and helps toward commercial work and supervision roles.

    Full guide: 449A Roofer
  4. 4

    Chase manufacturer certifications

    GAF, Carlisle, Soprema, IKO, Firestone certified-installer status is what unlocks warrantied commercial work — and the margins that come with it.

    Full guide: 449A Roofer

The real picture

Roofing pays well for work most people won't do, and it's honest about what it costs your body. The real questions: residential or commercial, how to survive the seasonality, whether the storm-damage/insurance game is worth it, and how fast you can go from crew to owning a roofing business. Almost everyone in roofing is planning their move off the roof — the smart ones plan it early.

What you'll actually make

From day one to the top of the trade. Ontario figures, approximate and worth verifying against current rates.

  1. Labourer / loader

    $18–24/hr

    Carrying bundles and tear-off — the entry, and where turnover is highest.

  2. Experienced roofer

    $26–35/hr

    Once you can run shingles or membrane and lead a section.

  3. Crew lead / foreman

    More + truck

    Running the crew, the schedule, and the quality.

  4. Residential roofing business owner

    $85k–150k/yr

    Revenue- and season-dependent; volume game.

  5. Commercial roofing business owner

    $120k–200k/yr

    Higher barrier (manufacturer certs, torch safety), higher ceiling, recurring service contracts.

Which lane is right for you

Residential vs commercial — different businesses

Residential (steep-slope shingle)

Homeowner customers, faster jobs, door-knocking and storm season, lower barrier to entry. Shingles, nail guns, and a lot of tear-off.

Pay: Lower per-job, but volume.

Best for: People who want to start fast and sell directly to homeowners.

Commercial (flat/low-slope)

Membrane systems (TPO, EPDM, mod-bit), manufacturer-certified warranties, property-manager clients, and service contracts. Torch and heat-weld skills, higher barrier.

Pay: Higher ceiling, recurring revenue.

Best for: People ready to invest in certification for the bigger, steadier market.

The storm / insurance game

Insurance & storm restoration

A business model of its own — chasing hail and wind events, working with adjusters and supplements. Lucrative and fast-moving, but reputation-sensitive (the industry has its share of bad actors), and it pulls you toward sales over craft.

Best for: Sales-strong operators who run an honest shop.

Getting in

You can be on a crew immediately — roofing hires green and promotes fast because turnover is high. Working at Heights training is mandatory before you set foot on a roof. Many roofers start as labourers/loaders and move up within a season or two simply by showing up reliably and not quitting in July.

Where it leads (and the way out)

Roofing is the hardest on the body of the common trades — heat, height, and heavy material — so the exit ramps matter more here than almost anywhere. Off the roof: foreman, estimator, sales, manufacturer rep, roofing inspector/consultant, or owning a company. Almost everyone plans a move to sales, estimating, or ownership before their knees and back force the issue; the ones who don't plan it get forced out with nothing.

Where the real conversations are

The communities, official bodies, and wage data tradespeople actually use.

Go to the source

The official pages that govern this trade. Bookmark these, they are the final word on requirements and fees.

Thinking bigger? Start a roofing business

The step-by-step from qualified tradesperson to business owner.

Roofing questions, answered

Licences, costs, timelines. Answered straight.