House builder to roofer
A house builder already meets 45% of what the roofer role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
61.7/ 100
1 How much of what a roofer is expected to do is already part of a house builder’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the roofer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A roofer role treats 12 of its required skills as things a house builder already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply roll roofing
- construct wood roofs
- follow health and safety procedures in construction
- follow safety procedures when working at heights
- inspect roofs
- install gutters
What stands in the way is 11 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A roofer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a house builder background worth leading with.
- already held install gutters constructing
- already held install roof flashing constructing
- already held perform roof maintenance constructing
- already held prepare roofing materials handling and moving
- already held apply roll roofing constructing
- already held lay interlocking roof tiles constructing
All 21 carried skills, including the 12 the roofer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 32 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn interpret 2D plans required
- still to learn inspect construction supplies required
- still to learn interpret 3D plans required
- still to learn recognise signs of wood rot required
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- still to learn remove roofs required
- still to learn install insulation material required
- optional, not held prepare facade cladding optional
- optional, not held thatch roofs optional
- optional, not held install roof windows optional
- optional, not held apply proofing membranes optional
- optional, not held build scaffolding optional
- still to learn transport construction supplies required
- still to learn sort waste required
- optional, not held use sander optional
- optional, not held maintain work area cleanliness optional
- still to learn secure working area required
- still to learn work ergonomically required
- still to learn use measurement instruments required
- optional, not held install lightning protection system optional
- optional, not held operate forklift optional
- optional, not held establish green roof optional
- optional, not held advise on construction materials optional
- optional, not held answer requests for quotation optional
- optional, not held plan scaffolding optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a roofer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 interpret 2D plans practise this
- 02 remove roofs practise this
- 03 transport construction supplies practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 21 skills that carry over
- already held apply roll roofing skill
- already held construct wood roofs skill
- already held follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
- already held follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
- already held inspect roofs skill
- already held install gutters skill
- already held install roof flashing skill
- already held lay interlocking roof tiles skill
- already held perform roof maintenance skill
- already held prepare roofing materials skill
- already held roofing techniques knowledge
- already held use safety equipment in construction skill
- already held building codes knowledge
- already held calculate needs for construction supplies skill
- already held energy efficiency knowledge
- already held energy performance of buildings knowledge
- already held install metal roofing skill
- already held lay non-interlocking roof tiles skill
- already held order construction supplies skill
- already held process incoming construction supplies skill
- already held work in a construction team skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held roofing drones optional
- optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held crane load charts optional
- optional, not held asbestos removal regulations optional
21 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held prepare facade cladding optional
- optional, not held roofing drones optional
- optional, not held thatch roofs optional
- optional, not held crane load charts optional
- optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
- optional, not held establish green roof optional
- optional, not held install lightning protection system optional
- optional, not held install roof windows optional
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held use sander optional
- optional, not held advise on construction materials optional
- optional, not held answer requests for quotation optional
- optional, not held apply proofing membranes optional
- optional, not held asbestos removal regulations optional
- optional, not held build scaffolding optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- optional, not held maintain work area cleanliness optional
- optional, not held operate forklift optional
- optional, not held plan scaffolding optional
27 held skills the roofer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role building materials industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role check compatibility of materials skill
- not needed by the target role check construction compliance skill
- not needed by the target role construction product regulation knowledge
- not needed by the target role coordinate construction activities skill
- not needed by the target role create floor plan template skill
- not needed by the target role create smooth wood surface skill
- not needed by the target role cut resilient flooring materials skill
- not needed by the target role cut stair carriages skill
- not needed by the target role design floor skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with construction project deadline skill
- not needed by the target role inspect concrete structures skill
- not needed by the target role install construction profiles skill
- not needed by the target role install in-floor and in-wall heating skill
- not needed by the target role install laminate floor skill
- not needed by the target role install structural glazing skill
- not needed by the target role install wood elements in structures skill
- not needed by the target role lay resilient flooring tiles skill
- not needed by the target role maintain construction structures skill
- not needed by the target role plan construction of houses skill
- not needed by the target role prepare building site skill
- not needed by the target role prepare site for construction skill
- not needed by the target role prepare surface for hardwood floor laying skill
- not needed by the target role prepare surface for painting skill
- not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
- not needed by the target role seal flooring skill
- not needed by the target role set up temporary construction site infrastructure skill
5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held roofing drones optional
- optional, not held crane load charts optional
- optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held asbestos removal regulations optional
Common questions about this move
Can a house builder become a roofer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A house builder already covers 45% of what a roofer is expected to do: 21 skills carry over, 12 of which the roofer role treats as required.
What skills does a house builder need to become a roofer?
11 required skills are missing, plus 21 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is interpret 2D plans.
How hard is the move from house builder to roofer?
Its learning distance is 61.7 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.