Roof Tiler
What the work is
Covers roofs with tiles, sheets and shingles to form a waterproof surface.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Studies drawings, specifications and work sites to determine roofing materials required
- Prepares the roof face by setting out the roof surface and applying sarking
- Measures, cuts and fixes battens using fasteners
- Cuts and shapes roofing materials to fit around vents, chimney edges, corners and ridges
- Installs and secures roof tiles, sheets or shingles, including fixing edge and ridge tiles in cement mortar
- Checks existing roof coverings, battens, sarking, boarding and flashing installations for damage, and repairs or replaces them as required
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a roofing crew working on new homes, re-roofs and storm repairs, high above the street. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You step back from a finished roof and the lines run perfectly straight
- A family who had a tarp over their roof for a week finally sleeps under tiles
- A clear, windless morning with a sunrise from the ridge and the whole street below
Hard days
- A scorching roof in summer that burns through your gloves
- Wind picking up halfway through the job, and a crew waiting for you to decide
- A leak call-back on a roof you thought was perfect
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 362331, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.