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Good roofer interviews ask people to describe real work: how they handle a tear-off, what they do when decking turns out to be rotted, how they stay tied off at height, and how they leave a property. Listen for specific steps, safe habits and honest accounts of mistakes. Tie every question to the work itself and stay away from protected characteristics.
Key takeaways
- Ask people to walk through real roofing situations step by step, and listen for specifics instead of confidence.
- Treat fall protection as a first-round question. A roofer who shrugs at it is a liability on every job.
- Use a paid work trial or ride-along to see tear-off, cleanup and attitude before you offer.
- Ask every candidate the same job-related questions, and stay away from age, family, health, religion and similar topics.
- Write down each answer and score it the same day, while you still remember it.
Roofing hires cost more when they go wrong than most trades: a careless tear-off lands on a customer's flowerbed, a leak call-back eats a week of margin, and a fall ends a career. The interview is where you find out whether a person thinks like a roofer who cares about the finished roof. Each question below says why it matters for this role, what a strong answer sounds like and what should worry you. For how roofing companies find customers and keep crews busy, see our roofing industry page.
The EEOC says employers should limit pre-employment questions to what is needed to decide whether an applicant is qualified, and should avoid questions that could reveal race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. Disability questions are barred before a job offer. Rules vary by state and some states protect more characteristics. This is general information, not legal advice. Have an employment attorney or your state labor department review your question list. Source: EEOC, prohibited employment policies and practices.
1. Walk me through a tear-off on a typical day
Why it matters: it shows whether the person has done the whole sequence or just one part of it. Strong answer: protecting landscaping and siding first, how they keep debris off the property and where it goes, how they check the decking as it comes up, and when it gets dried in before they leave. Red flag: only the loud part (ripping shingles) with nothing about tarps, nails or the weather forecast. Ask a follow-up about what they do when rain moves in at two in the afternoon.
2. How do you stay safe working at height?
Why it matters: OSHA's construction rule for residential work requires protection against falls from 6 feet or more above a lower level, using guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest systems unless a written plan shows those are infeasible. Strong answer: they describe the harness, anchor and lanyard setup they have actually used, how they inspect gear and who sets anchors. Red flag: "we never needed it" or a joke. Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.501. Your own program, training and insurer rules go beyond this one sentence.
3. What do you do when you uncover rotted decking?
Why it matters: this is the moment a fixed-price job turns into an argument. Strong answer: stop, photograph it, call the office or lead, show the homeowner if they are there, and follow the company's change-order steps before replacing anything extra. Red flag: they would simply fix it and tell no one, or cover it with new shingles. A good candidate knows that photos protect both the customer and the company, and asks how your change orders work.
4. A customer says the ceiling leaks when it rains. Where do you start?
Why it matters: leak calls are the work that builds a reputation, and roofers who guess waste the callback. Strong answer: they ask where the stain is and when it shows, then look at flashings, penetrations, valleys and the attic side before blaming shingles. They say water travels, so the stain is not always under the source. Red flag: one answer for every leak, or a promise to find it in ten minutes. Ask what tools they would bring, such as a hose for water testing.
5. How do you measure a roof and tell what's needed for a job?
Why it matters: even if the candidate is a crew member, measuring knowledge shows whether they understand pitch, waste and layers. Strong answer: pitch gauge, tape or a measurement report, adding for waste and complexity, counting layers, flashings and vents. For a lead or estimator, ask them to take a photo set and write an inspection note while you watch. Red flag: eyeballing everything, or vague answers about waste. Their answer should line up with the way you price roofing jobs.
6. What roofing systems have you installed, and which did you like best?
Why it matters: you learn real experience (asphalt, metal, flat, tile, cedar) and whether they can say why one detail beat another. Strong answer: concrete details such as underlayment, ice barrier at eaves and valley treatment, with an opinion about what fails when installers rush. Red flag: claiming experience on every system with no detail on any. Check what you actually sell, because a person with ten years of metal work may be new to your shingle crews, and a good fit can still need training.
7. A homeowner comes out and asks what you're doing. What do you say?
Why it matters: roofers are guests on a customer's property for days, and complaints often come from the way someone spoke to them. Strong answer: introduce yourself, answer simply, say what is happening today, and send detailed questions to the project lead rather than guessing about the price or insurance. Red flag: a person who would dodge the homeowner entirely, or who would talk about money and claims on their own. Role-play it for two minutes if you can.
8. How do you leave a property when you finish for the day?
Why it matters: the cleanup is what the homeowner sees when they get home. Strong answer: magnet sweep of the grounds and driveway, checking gutters and window wells, tarps secured, tools gone, and a walk of the perimeter before leaving. Red flag: "the cleanup guy does that." Compare their answer to your own routine, and consider giving new hires our job site cleanup checklist on day one. Cleanup habits are easier to hire than to teach.
9. How do you decide whether it's safe to work today?
Why it matters: bad calls on wet roofs, wind and heat cause accidents and ruined work. Strong answer: they check the forecast, feel the surface, consider wind on a steep slope, and say they are comfortable raising it with the crew lead. They know the difference between "we can push" and "someone will get hurt." Red flag: a hero story about working through conditions that were clearly unsafe. You want someone who says they would call it in, and who knows you will back that decision.
10. Tell me about a mistake you made on a roof and what you changed
Why it matters: everyone in the trade has made one, and what they say about it shows honesty. Strong answer: a specific story, such as a missed flashing detail or a nail pattern error, that names what they did to fix it and what they do now. Red flag: "I don't make mistakes," a story where somebody else was always at fault, or a story with no change afterward. Silence is not a red flag by itself; give the person time to think.
11. How do you feel about taking photos and filling out job notes?
Why it matters: photos of the starting condition, hidden damage and the finished work protect the company and feed your marketing. Strong answer: comfortable with a phone camera, understands why before-and-after matters, and can name the shots they would take. Red flag: treats paperwork as someone else's job. If your crews upload photos to a job record from the roof, say so in the interview; a custom CRM can attach them to the job automatically.
12. Tell me about a time you disagreed with the crew lead
Why it matters: a crew spends a whole season together on hot roofs. Strong answer: they raised it calmly, in private, followed the decision once it was made and know when a safety issue is worth stopping work for. Red flag: badmouths former bosses at length, or has no story of ever disagreeing. Ask the same question of every candidate and note whether the answer matches what a reference tells you later.
13. This job has early starts and extra days after storms. Can you meet that schedule?
Why it matters: roofing work follows weather, and a surprise about hours causes quick turnover. Strong answer: a direct yes or no and a question about how the extra days are scheduled and paid. Red flag: agreement followed by missed shifts in the first two weeks. State the real schedule, pay approach and driving requirements in the posting so nobody is surprised. Ask only about availability for the job as written, not about family or childcare plans.
14. Would you do a paid half-day work trial with our crew?
Why it matters: ten minutes on a roof shows more than an hour of talking. Strong answer: enthusiasm, with questions about gear, hours and pay. How to run it: pay the person for the time, use only tasks you would give any new hire, supply the safety equipment, and keep them under a lead. Check with your state labor department and your insurance carrier before you start a trial, because unpaid or uninsured trials can create problems. Red flag: declines every kind of trial without a reason. A ride-along on an estimate works for lead and sales roles.
15. Why did you leave your last crew, and who can speak to your work?
Why it matters: a reference who has stood on a roof with them is worth more than a resume. Strong answer: a short, calm reason (seasonal layoff, wanted a better crew, company closed) and a name and number for a former lead. Red flag: bitterness toward every past employer, or no one at all who will vouch. When you call references, ask the same short list about reliability, safety habits and how the person treats customers. If you are hiring subs rather than employees, read employee vs independent contractor before the first day.
Where to start
If you ask only three, use the fall protection question (item 2), the rotted decking question (item 3) and the cleanup question (item 8). Together they show safety habits, honesty and respect for the customer's property. Then add a paid half-day trial (item 14) for anyone you are about to make an offer to. Keep your scoring notes and reference answers in the same record as the rest of your hiring, so the next hire is easier. If you want one place for crews, jobs, photos and customer history, book a free system quote and we will look at how yours runs today.
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask roofing applicants about prior injuries?
No. Questions about health, past injuries or medical history can run into disability protections before an offer. Describe the physical demands of the job in the posting and ask whether the person can do the work as described, and check your wording with an employment attorney.
Is a drug test or background check allowed for roofing hires?
Rules on drug testing and background checks differ by state, and some limit when and how you may use them. Ask your attorney or state labor department what applies to you before adding one to the process.
How many people should interview a candidate?
Two is enough for most small roofing companies: the owner or lead, plus the person who would supervise them. Both should ask from the same list and score separately before comparing notes.
Do roofers need a license to be hired as employees?
Licensing rules differ by state, including who has to hold the license. Check your state's requirements, then read our guide to roofing license requirements.
Sources
General information for service-business owners, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check with a qualified professional for your situation.