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The Apprentice Hub
Jobs & PathwaysUpdated October 2026

Roofing apprenticeship pathway

Quick answer

You get into roofing through an apprenticeship: either CPC30820 Certificate III in Roof Tiling (usually about 3 years) or CPC32620 Certificate III in Roof Plumbing (usually 3 to 4 years). You can be hired directly by a roofing business, through a group training organisation, or start as a school-based apprentice.

Roofing is really two trades. Roof tiling is mostly residential tiled roofs, while roof plumbing covers metal roofs, gutters and flashings on everything from houses to factories and is licensed in most states. Here is how each pathway works from your first phone call to running your own crew.

Pick your path: tiling or roof plumbing

Roof tiling (CPC30820) is for concrete and terracotta tiles, plus slate and shingles as electives. Most work is new houses and re-roofs. Roof plumbing (CPC32620) is for metal roofing, cladding and rainwater goods on residential, commercial and industrial buildings, and the qualification itself says it is a licensed occupation.

If you think you might want full plumbing later, roof plumbing is the better start, because its units overlap with general plumbing and it leads into CPC32420 Certificate III in Plumbing. Our plumbing hub covers that path.

Ways in

  • •Direct: ring local roofing and roof plumbing businesses, or answer job ads. Small firms often hire through word of mouth.
  • •Group training organisation (GTO): the GTO employs you and places you with host businesses, handles your training contract, and can move you to a new host if work dries up.
  • •School-based apprenticeship: some states offer both qualifications as school-based options, for example South Australia, so you start in Years 11 and 12.
  • •Pre-apprenticeship: a Certificate II in Construction Pathways or a plumbing pre-apprenticeship is not required, but it gets your White Card done and shows employers you are serious.

The training contract and probation

Once you have an employer, an Apprenticeship Connect Australia provider signs you both up and the training contract is registered with your state training authority. The contract names your qualification, your registered training organisation and whether you are full time or part time.

There is a probation period at the start where either side can end the contract more easily. Use it to make sure you are comfortable at heights and that the employer actually does the type of roofing you want to learn.

How long it takes

Nominal durations vary by state. The ACT lists roof tiling at 36 months full time and roof plumbing at 48 months full time. Charles Darwin University delivers roof plumbing in the NT over 3 years. Both qualifications are competency based, so if you prove your skills early, your employer and RTO can sign you off sooner.

What you study and how

  • •Roof tiling: 17 units, including tiling regular and irregular roofs, valleys and flashings, repairs and working safely on roofs.
  • •Roof plumbing: 23 units, including sheet metal, roof sheeting and wall cladding, roof drainage, flashings, curved roofs, scaffolding, elevated work platforms and first aid.
  • •Delivery is usually in blocks at TAFE or an RTO, with some providers offering day release or workplace delivery.

Licences and tickets at the end

In NSW, both roof tiling and roof plumbing need a contractor licence for residential work over $5,000, and you cannot hold one until your apprenticeship is finished. In Victoria, roof plumbers register or get licensed in the Roofing (stormwater) class with the Building and Plumbing Commission. In Queensland, the QBCC issues roof tiling and roof and wall cladding licences for work over $3,300. Other states differ, so check your regulator before you contract.

Along the way, extra tickets help: an elevated work platform licence for booms over 11 metres, and working at heights and scaffolding units, some of which are already in the roof plumbing qualification.

Adult apprentices

Starting older is common in roofing. Both awards pay adult apprentices higher rates than juniors. Some small employers hesitate because of the cost, so GTOs and larger roof plumbing firms are often the realistic route. Use the Fair Work Pay Calculator to check your rate.

What comes after

  • •Roof plumbers: work toward your full licence, add the Certificate III in Plumbing for general plumbing, or move into a Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services for design and contracting.
  • •Roof tilers: build speed, then subcontract to builders or start your own crew.
  • •Running a business: states like Queensland require a managerial unit, BSBESB402, for contractor licences, plus financial requirements.
  • •Specialising: heritage slate, commercial cladding, box gutter design, or estimating and supervision roles.

Sources and official links

Straight from the source. These open in a new tab.

Related pages

Roofing Apprentice Hub

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How to get an apprenticeshipDo a pre-apprenticeship or some work experience, put together a simple one-page resume, then attack it from several angles at once: ring and doorknock local employers, register with a Group Training Organisation (GTO), and get a free Apprentice Connect Australia provider working for you. If you want a big employer like a utility or tier-one builder, watch their annual intake window, because applications often open a full year before the January start.Pre-apprenticeships explainedA pre-apprenticeship is a short TAFE or RTO course (usually a Certificate II, three months to two years) that gives you basic trade skills, a White Card and some work placement before you commit to a full apprenticeship. You are a student, not a paid employee. In some trades, especially electrical, it is close to a hiring requirement; in others, like carpentry and automotive, plenty of employers take people on with no pre-app at all.Apprenticeship resume templateKeep an apprenticeship resume to one page: contact details, a short intro, education (including your maths level), any work experience, tickets and licences like the White Card and your driver's licence near the top, and two referees. Then get it in front of people: plenty of apprenticeships are won by phoning builders and handing printed copies over on site, not just emailing PDFs to job ads.Common apprenticeship interview questionsMost apprenticeship interviews focus on why you want the trade, whether you will turn up reliably, and whether you can take direction and handle the physical and safety side of the job. Bigger employers and group training organisations often add a literacy and numeracy aptitude test or a paid trial day on top of the chat. Answer honestly, do a bit of homework on the business, and have questions ready about pay, tools and how your training will run.

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General guidance only
Answers here are general guidance to point you in the right direction - always check official sources and ask your supervisor for your specific situation.