How much do roofers earn?

Whether you’re thinking of starting your own roofing company and want to know your potential earnings or you’re ready to take on roofers for your roofing company, it’s handy to know the average wages for those in the roofing business.

So, how much do roofers earn? Let’s take a look.

How much do roofers earn per year?

A roofer’s annual salary in the UK starts at around £11,520 for an apprentice, up to £80,100 for the owner of a roofing company (trading as a limited company).

A newly qualified roofer can expect their earnings to be around £17,100, with the potential to increase over time to the region of £29,700.

Of course your earnings potential will also be affected by:

• Your experience
• Your skill set and qualifications
• The type of work being undertaken
• Where you live/work

Thinking of going it alone?

There’s great potential for those wanting to start a roofing company. A self-employed roofer salary (in the UK) sits around £66,600 for a sole trader, before taxes and expenses.

How to start your own roofing business

What’s the average roofer hourly rate?

A roofer’s hourly rate will depend on their experience, qualifications, and location.

As a guide, you can expect a roofer’s hourly rate to be around:

• Apprentice – £6.40 per hour
• Newly qualified – £9.50 per hour
• Employed – £16.50 per hour
• Sole trader – £37 per hour
• Business owner (Ltd company) – £44.50 per hour

How much does a roofer make a day?

A roofer’s day rate typically ranges from £51.20 per day for an apprentice up to £356 per day for a business owner.

Here are some average salaries for how much a roofer makes in a day:

• Apprentice – £51.20 per day
• Newly qualified – £76 per day
• Employed – £132 per day
• Sole trader – £296 per day
• Business owner (Ltd company) – £356 per day

How much should you pay for apprentice roofer wages?

Are you a business owner looking to hire an apprentice? Or perhaps you want to enter this field of work and are keen to know your potential salary?

The average hourly wage for an apprentice roofer is around £6.40 per hour, which equates to a day rate of around £51.20.

The average salary of an apprentice roofer is in the region of £11,520 per year.

What’s the average roofing company revenue?

As a roofer, there’s potential to earn more by being self-employed, or indeed running your own roofing company.

Sole trader roofer earnings

As a sole trader, you could earn around £66,600 per year (before tax), which works out as a take-home pay of around £48,300 per year.

Of course, when self-employed, you will have to cover your own business costs. We’ve estimated these to be around £9,000 per year, resulting in net earnings of approximately £39,300 per year.

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What’s the average profit margin for roofing companies?

If you’re thinking of setting up on your own, you’ll no doubt be keen to understand more about roofing company profit margins.

Sure, you have greater earning potential when you run your own company, with an average turnover of £80,100 per year. But profitability is the figure to focus on, as this tells you what your net earnings might be after taxes and expenses.

As the owner of a roofing company, you’ll have costs associated with running your business (for example, fuel, your vehicle/s, tools, materials, equipment, insurance etc.). We’ve estimated these to be around £13,500 per year for a limited company.

Your take-home salary as the owner of a roofing company therefore sits in the region of £42,600 per year.

Is a roofing business profitable?

A roofing business can absolutely be profitable, but you must make sure to price your jobs accurately and keep an eye on costs.

• Make sure you’re charging a competitive price that covers your costs
• Consider the specialist areas that are most profitable
• Consider how far you’re willing to travel for work
• Try to minimise your outgoings

At the same time, don’t forget to invest in your marketing efforts to generate lots of interest in your company.

How to help your roofing business thrive and grow

As a Checkatrade member, we can help you to get your roofing business off to the best start and give you the support you need to run a thriving company.

Get more leads

Checkatrade members receive more than 100,000 leads each week. 3 million homeowners used our trades last year. A third of all trade work comes through Checkatrade**.

Build your reputation

8 out of 10 people would choose a trade endorsed by Checkatrade compared to one that isn’t endorsed***. The tick that homeowners trust, helping you to win more business.

Discounts and benefits

Get exclusive access to trade deals, saving money on business essentials to help you stay profitable. Checkatrade members save on average £470 per year each**** on everything from equipment, van leasing, insurance, workwear, and more.

FAQs

What do roofers earn UK?

In the UK, roofers typically earn between £11,520 per year as an apprentice and around £80,100 per year as the owner of a limited company.

Do roofers make good money UK?

There’s potential to make good money as a roofer in the UK, with hard work, competitive pricing, and a close on your business expenses, you could take home around £39,300 per year as a self-employed roofer.

How much do top roofers make?

The greatest earnings potential as a roofer is that of the owner of a roofing company (Ltd). The average salary of the owner of a roofing company sits around £80,100 per year.

What is a roofer’s hourly rate UK?

A roofer’s hourly rate in the UK starts at £6.40 per hour for an apprentice, up to £44.50 per hour for the owner of a roofing company.

*Estimate costs for vehicle, fuel, tools, and insurance

**Checkatrade brand tracking survey April 2021

***Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021.

****Year runs from April 21’ to March 22’. Saving calculation based on average spend across 12,505 members in 2020/2021/2022. Discounts differ depending on the partner. Products range from low value items to high value items. Some exclusions will apply on products.