Will roofers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Roofers score 12 of 100 for AI exposure. 91% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 4% today and speed up another 5%.
- 4% AI can do it
- 5% AI helps
- 91% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 93% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 27 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 1 and leaves 25 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Estimate materials and labor required to complete roofing jobs. Aerial measurement and estimating software can draft material and labor takeoffs. | 65% AI can do it |
| Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures. Photo and drone analysis can help diagnose, but on-roof inspection stays physical. | 30% AI helps |
| Install attic ventilation systems, such as turbine vents, gable or ridge vents, or conventional or solar-powered exhaust fans. Cutting openings and mounting vents on roofs is physical installation work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Attach solar panels to existing roofs, according to specifications and without damaging roofing materials or the structural integrity of buildings. Layout planning can be assisted, but mounting panels on roofs is physical. | 10% Needs a person |
| Cut felt, shingles, or strips of flashing to fit angles formed by walls, vents, or intersecting roof surfaces. Cutting and fitting materials to angles on the roof is hands-on work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Install skylights on roofs to increase natural light inside structures or to reduce energy costs. Cutting roof openings and fitting skylights is physical installation work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption. Applying reflective coatings or sheets to roofs is physical labor. | 6% Needs a person |
| Install layers of vegetation-based green roofs, including protective membranes, drainage, aeration, water retention and filter layers, soil substrates, irrigation materials, and plants. Installing green roof layers and plants is physical hands-on work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials. Physically clearing snow, water, or debris from roofs needs on-site labor. | 5% Needs a person |
| Install partially overlapping layers of material over roof insulation surfaces, using chalk lines, gauges on shingling hatchets, or lines on shingles. Laying overlapping shingle courses on insulation is physical installation work. | 5% Needs a person |
Show the other 17 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Install, repair, or replace single-ply roofing systems, using waterproof sheet materials such as modified plastics, elastomeric, or other asphaltic compositions. Installing single ply membranes on roofs requires physical crews and tools. | 5% Needs a person |
| Cover roofs or exterior walls of structures with slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, gravel, gypsum, or related materials, using brushes, knives, punches, hammers, or other tools. Hand-fastening slate, asphalt, or metal covering needs on-roof manual skill. | 5% Needs a person |
| Waterproof or damp-proof walls, floors, roofs, foundations, or basements by painting or spraying surfaces with waterproof coatings or by attaching waterproofing membranes to surfaces. Spraying or sealing surfaces with waterproofing is physical application work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Apply modular soil- and plant-containing grids over existing roof membranes to create green roofs. Placing modular grids on roof membranes is physical installation work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Cement or nail flashing strips of metal or shingle over joints to make them watertight. Nailing or cementing flashing over joints is hands-on physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Apply plastic coatings, membranes, fiberglass, or felt over sloped roofs before applying shingles. Laying membranes and felt on sloped roofs is physical installation work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Attach roofing paper to roofs in overlapping strips to form bases for other materials. Rolling out roofing paper in strips on the roof is physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Install vapor barriers or layers of insulation on flat roofs. Placing vapor barriers and insulation on flat roofs is manual installation. | 4% Needs a person |
| Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust. Sealing nailheads with cement or caulk is hands-on physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Spray roofs, sidings, or walls to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures, using spray guns, air compressors, or heaters. Operating spray equipment on structures requires on-site physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Set up scaffolding to provide safe access to roofs. Physically erecting scaffolding requires hands-on work and safety accountability. | 3% Needs a person |
| Apply alternate layers of hot asphalt or tar and roofing paper to roofs. Mopping hot asphalt and laying layers is hazardous physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Smooth rough spots to prepare surfaces for waterproofing, using hammers, chisels, or rubbing bricks. Chiseling and rubbing rough spots on surfaces is manual physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Glaze top layers to make a smooth finish or embed gravel in the bitumen for rough surfaces. Glazing and embedding gravel in hot bitumen is hands-on physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Mop or pour hot asphalt or tar onto roof bases. Pouring and mopping hot tar onto roof bases is hazardous manual work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Apply gravel or pebbles over top layers of roofs, using rakes or stiff-bristled brooms. Raking and broom-spreading gravel on roofs is physical labor. | 3% Needs a person |
| Punch holes in slate, tile, terra cotta, or wooden shingles, using punches and hammers. Replaced 'manually' with 'with hands'. | 3% Needs a person |
How roofers compare
All occupations (923)
Construction and extraction (61)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $55,440 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 135,490 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +5.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Run roof takeoffs in AppliCad Roof Wizard or DigiTools Roof CAD
- Inspect problem roofs on site and document repairs in Maintenance record software
- Install skylights, attic vents, and solar mounts with flashing
- Hold OSHA 30-hour construction safety card
- Build quotes and invoices in Microsoft Excel and Word
- Set up scaffolding and fall protection on steep roofs
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about roofers and AI
Will AI replace roofers?
Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly estimating materials and labor and drafting takeoffs from aerial measurements. Most of the job stays with people because cutting, mounting, and tarring roofs needs a crew physically on the roof.
Which roofing tasks is AI taking over?
Estimating materials and labor is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 65. Aerial measurement and estimating software can draft material and labor takeoffs from a roof's dimensions, so the time spent on quantities shrinks. Photo and drone analysis also helps diagnose problem roofs, with an exposure score of 30.
Which roofing tasks stay human?
Installing skylights, attic vents, and solar mounts stays human, with exposure scores of 8 to 10. Cutting openings and fastening hardware on a roof is physical work. Hot asphalt mopping, graveling, and scaffolding also stay with crews at exposure 3, since they carry burn and fall risk on site.
How can roofers stay valuable as AI spreads?
Stay on the roof and check the software's numbers. Run takeoffs in AppliCad Roof Wizard or DigiTools Roof CAD, then verify quantities on site before ordering materials. Log each repair in Maintenance record software and hold OSHA 30 for scaffold and fall protection work.
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