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(Roof Slater, Roof Tiler, Roofing Contractor, Cladding Installer)
Construction & Trades
Salary
€30,000 - €58,000/yr
Level
Operational
Outlook
Growing
Sector
Construction & Trades
Roofers install, repair, and maintain roofing systems on residential and commercial buildings across Ireland. Your daily work involves fitting weight-bearing roof structures, laying tiles, slates, or flat membrane systems, and installing insulation and flashing to make roofs weatherproof and energy-efficient. You read technical drawings, inspect existing roofs for damage or rot, and ensure all work meets current building regulations. You typically work alongside other construction trades such as carpenters, plasterers, and building contractors, and may be employed by a roofing company or work as a self-employed contractor.
Listen: a day as a Roofer
Your alarm goes off at 6:15 a.m. You need to be on site by 7:30 a.m., so you pack your packed lunch, check the weather forecast on your phone, and load your van with the tools you prepared the evening before: a slate ripper, lead-dressing tools, a chalk line, a roofing nail gun, and your personal protective equipment including a hard hat and safety harness. You arrive at a semi-detached house in Portlaoise where the job is a full re-roof. Your foreman has already set up the scaffold and you spend the first twenty minutes reviewing the technical drawing and checking that the timber roof structure is sound before any new material goes on. You spot some rotted fascia board and photograph it, noting it in the site diary so the main contractor is informed.
Entry into roofing in Ireland is most commonly through the SOLAS Roof Slating and Tiling apprenticeship, which is an 'earn and learn' programme lasting approximately four years and leading to an NFQ Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft award. To enter the apprenticeship you generally need to be at least 16 years of age, have completed Junior Cycle, and be employed by a registered SOLAS employer. Leaving Certificate subjects such as Construction Studies, Physics, and Mathematics are helpful in developing the practical and technical understanding needed on site. Some entrants also come through QQI Level 5 PLC courses in Construction offered at Colleges of Further Education, which can provide a foundation before taking up an apprenticeship. There is no statutory professional registration body for roofers in Ireland, but holding a Safe Pass card and a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card is required for working on most Irish construction sites.
Most roofers begin their career as apprentices registered with SOLAS, spending time both on site with an approved employer and attending block-release training at an Education and Training Board (ETB) centre. After qualifying with an Advanced Certificate Craft at NFQ Level 6, you typically work as a qualified roofer on larger residential or commercial projects, gradually taking on more complex work. With experience, many roofers become forepersons or site supervisors, managing small roofing teams and coordinating with main contractors. Ambitious tradespeople often move into self-employment, running their own roofing business or tendering for contracts directly.
AI and digital technology have a limited but growing impact on the roofing trade in Ireland. Drone and thermal imaging technology, sometimes AI-assisted, is increasingly used to inspect large commercial roofs for defects without requiring workers to access every area manually. Project management and estimating software is becoming more common for self-employed roofers and roofing companies preparing quotes and scheduling work. However, the hands-on physical nature of installing, repairing, and maintaining roofs means that the core craft skills of a roofer are unlikely to be automated in the foreseeable future.
→ Roofer (Current role)
Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Dublin and Nationwide
Roofers work on major commercial and residential construction projects nationwide.
Dublin and Nationwide
Install and maintain roofing systems on large-scale commercial build projects.
Dublin and Nationwide
Roofers deliver weatherproof roofing on major Irish construction contracts.
Dublin and Nationwide
Roofers support complex building envelope works on data centre projects.
Citywest, Dublin
Fit roofing systems on residential and commercial building developments.
Dublin City
Repair and maintain roofs on social housing stock across Dublin.
Cork City
Roofers maintain and refurbish council-owned residential and civic buildings.
Dublin and Nationwide
Install slate, tile, and flat roofing on large residential housing estates.
Waterford and Nationwide
Roofing maintenance and refurbishment across social housing developments nationally.
Cork and Nationwide
Roofers work on commercial, educational, and healthcare building projects.
Galway and Nationwide
Install roofing systems on residential developments and social housing schemes.
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