Roofing Business

[Conman007]

Is any one here in the Roofing Business? Im intrested in roofing for a job, and was wondering if any one has any recommendations or suggestions. I would like to know how long it takes to get enough experiance than being the layer, like a estimator or a supervisor.

Is it not a very good job or are you doing fine? Thanks

[Brauap]

Man, I'd hate to be a roofer.. long hours.. hard work.. hot (DEFFENTLY in Flordia!).. lots of heavy things to lift.. high hights to climb.. dangerious.. lol.. I roofed my garage a few weeks ago.. WHAT A PAIN!

[Conman007]

lol thanks for the input anyways.

I was mainly thinking more of trying to start a roofing business or be someone who doesnt lay the shingles. My family might move to Tennessee so it wont be as bad.

[400exMO]

Since you are wanting to start your own roofing company I would assume you know how to roof? But from what you said it does not seem like you do.

Figure out how much is costs per square in your area, and find customers. You're gonna have to roof some houses before you have enough business to just estimate.

I roofed last couple summers and it's a good job. Better like hard work and don't mind getting filthy.

My recommendation is to get employed with a company for a few years actually roofing, then branch out.

[ZeroLogic]

I'm a contractor in the werks.:p Roofing is the most boring and hard on the body part of any job. Your knuckles get scrapped down to the bone, you'll knees hurt you til no end, its horrible when its real hot or real cold. Its not fun. You can't just start out on the top of it either. You gotta work your way up from the bottom.

Leave it to the mexicans.:blah:

[Giz400ex]

To me, taking pride in your work wouldn't be boring. First, you would have to do some homework on it. There's alot of different kinds of roofs, there's flats, pitched ect.... which both have differents styles also. If you don't know much about it, then I would look for laborer job in roofing. You don't want to start a your business without knowing anything about it, you won't last long. To me, its a tough business because everybody's brother is doing it in the residential part of it. I would go for the commerical part of it, there is still competition but not as bad as residential. I have alot of experience in this department as we had a family owned business and its tough!!! I do it part-time on the some weekends, its alot easier:D I couldn't imagine doing it FL, I think you can only work until 10am-11am without passing out, damn !!!:cool:

[kersey527]

Well,where should i start? First off let me tell you from a lot of experiance! It SUCKS.......
I have been roofing for 9 years, 6 to 7 days a week. Its good money but its not worth it in the long run!!!
Hardly anytime for the family, Im only 27 and i feel like im 37 haha
Anyways, if you decide to go with it. GOODLUCK!

[Quad18star]

My cousin owns a roofing business and let me tell you , it's hard work. He started off with a contractor laying shingles until he got the right experience ( about 2 years) then he started his own company.

The money is great , but the work is pretty hard. To get started you'll need atleast a truck with a heavy dute trailer to haul the shingles away to the dump. Then you'll need the equipment .. ladders, air compressors, nail guns , stuff to bend metal for capping ... all sorts of tools. Starting off is very expensive !!

It's hard on the body also. You have to remember when it's 80 degrees outside , it's about 120 on a roof. My cousin has already had to have surgery done on his knees and he has lower back problems. He's also fallen off a few roofs which doesn't help his cause. He now has a crew working for him and he does mostly estimating and goign around to the different work sites and inspecting the work.

You also have to remember , if you live somewhere that gets 4 seasons .... you'll be off for atleast 1 season ( winter) ... so you have to either save up or find something to bring money in for that time.

[Conman007]

I wouldnt plan to just jump right in, I was thinking more of start out at the bottom and work my way up. I defiantly dont want to be working on the roof for my whole life. I would need to learn that way and learn the business though.

I think most of you think Im gonna be the person putting the shingles up. I would just be doing that for about 2 years.

Thanks for the advice.

[sunco]

Sometimes the work is easy part. The hard part is running the business. Laying shingles is mindless.:p You need people management skills - business skills. If you don't have them you will feel like all you do is go to work for wages. No profit. Anyway- get w/ someone doing it & learn from all you meet. ON THE JOB TRAINING.:devil: Its sucks but the views can be nice - a boys ???

[derekhonda]

Go talk to 99% of business men, they started out working for someone else in that trade, thought they could do it better, and went off on there own.

Very rarely does someone say, I'm gonna start abc company today and are successful at it with no prior experience.

[fasterblaster09]

Roofing...ahh...not something I want to do the rest of my life. I did it over the summer, and im deep south in Louisiana so yeh it's pretty f'n hottttt. There's definately money in it, especially if you're good and get business. Also make sure you have some good workers, because if not it will be wayy harder on yourself

[gsxrkneedragger]

i've done roofing for 3 years or so. it absolutly sucks. i worked for a major commercial company in PA. we did schools, government buildings, stores. mostly rate jobs, like paid for by the government. the money was great. i would bring home anywhere from 800 to 1200 in one week after taxes. The work is so hard. i somehow aquired scoliosis from it and still have bad back problems. I worked crazy hours. sometime 3 am to 3-4 pm. other times were like 7-5. 5 or 6 days a week. it depends on the job, the push, etc. the money is def. in the commercial aspect of it. thats why this company doesn't even touch residential. too many ppl out there doing that stuff for not a lot of money