Trade hubUpdated October 2026

Roofing Apprentice Hub

Roofers keep the weather out. In Australia the trade splits into two separate apprenticeships, and you need to know which one you are signing up for. Roof tilers fix concrete and terracotta tiles (and sometimes slate and shingles) to battens, cut in valleys and hips, and bed and point the ridges. Roof plumbers work with metal: they install roof sheeting and wall cladding, fabricate and fit gutters, downpipes and flashings, and seal every penetration so the water goes where it should. Tilers mostly work on houses. Roof plumbers work across houses, re-roofs and big commercial and industrial sheds and buildings.

The tiling path is CPC30820 Certificate III in Roof Tiling, usually about 3 years. The metal path is CPC32620 Certificate III in Roof Plumbing, usually 3 to 4 years depending on your state. Roof plumbing is a licensed occupation in most states and sits in the plumbing family, so if you want to go on to full plumbing later, check our plumbing hub. Either way you work for a roofing business or a group training organisation (GTO), go to TAFE or an RTO in blocks or day release, and progress on competency, not just time served. Demand is strong: Roof Tiler and Roof Plumber were both rated in shortage nationally and in every state and territory on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List.

Thinking about it?

Thinking about getting into Roofing?

How to get in with no experience

You do not need experience, but you do need to be fit, reliable and comfortable at height. Get your White Card first, and a driver's licence helps because most roofing crews start early and move between sites. Decide whether you want tiling (mostly houses) or roof plumbing (metal roofs on houses through to commercial and industrial jobs). Then ring local roofing and roof plumbing businesses directly, register with group training organisations, and talk to an Apprenticeship Connect Australia provider. A Certificate II in Construction Pathways or a plumbing pre-apprenticeship is not compulsory but shows you are serious. Your employer signs you up, your training contract is registered with the state, and you start earning while you learn.

Who it suits

Roofing suits people who like physical, outdoor work, are steady on their feet at height, and get satisfaction from seeing a finished roof from the street. It rewards neat, careful workers because one sloppy flashing means a leak and a callback. It does not suit you if heights make you freeze, if you hate heat, early starts and getting dirty, or if you want a guaranteed 38 hours every week, because rain and wind stop work. It is hard on knees, backs and skin over a career, so look after your body and wear sun protection from day one.

What you can earn

Jobs and Skills Australia does not publish a median wage for roof tilers or roof plumbers on their own. Both show N/A because the ABS sample is too small to be reliable (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). The closest official figure is the Plumbers unit group, which includes roof plumbers: median full-time earnings of $1,990 a week as at May 2025, against $1,852 for all occupations. There is no equivalent official figure for roof tilers. What actually moves your pay: commercial EBAs with site allowances, remote and mining work, overtime in storm season, and running your own business, where many experienced roofers subcontract or quote by the square metre and earn more, but carry the risk, insurance and quiet weeks. Check the live profiles on Jobs and Skills Australia and Your Career, as figures update.

Job outlook

Demand is strong. On the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, both Roof Tiler and Roof Plumber were rated in shortage nationally and in every state and territory, and Roof Tiler has been rated in national shortage every year from 2021 to 2025. The workforce is small, around 9,400 roof tilers and about 10,000 roof plumbers, and young, with a median age of about 30. Tilers are concentrated in NSW and Queensland, while roof plumbers are most common in Victoria and NSW. Housing construction targets, re-roofing older tile and asbestos cement roofs with metal, storm and hail repairs, and rooftop solar all keep work coming. Watch the trend toward metal roofs on new houses, which favours roof plumbing skills.

Is Roofing right for you? Take the quiz Getting into a trade

Tool list Wages TAFE Courses Pathway Roofing Q&A

Start with these

First-year roofing apprentice tool listThe full first-year tool list for your trade Roofing apprenticeship pathwayHow the apprenticeship and licensing works Roofing courses in Australia: Cert III, costs and where to studyThe course, what it costs and where to study Roofer salary in AustraliaWhat the qualified pay looks like Ask a Tradie - RoofingQuestions answered by qualified tradies Common tradie terms explainedDecode the slang and jargon on site Your first day as an apprenticeWhat to expect and how to prepare TAFE and block release explainedHow your off-the-job training works Apprentice wages in AustraliaHow apprentice pay is actually set How to get an apprenticeshipIf you are still trying to get in

Starting out in your state?

Training costs, incentives and regulators for roofing apprentices change by state. Pick yours:

NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT

What apprentices actually do

•Install sarking, battens and roof tiles on regular and irregular roof shapes
•Cut, bed and point ridges, hips and valleys, and replace valley irons and flashings on tiled roofs
•Measure, cut and fix metal roof sheeting and wall cladding
•Fabricate and install gutters, box gutters, downpipes and rainwater goods
•Flash penetrations such as vents, skylights and flues so roofs stay watertight
•Repair leaks, replace damaged tiles or sheets, and renovate old roofs
•Set up and work from safe access: scaffold, edge protection, elevated work platforms and harness systems

Same trade, different worlds

Same trade, very different day depending on the kind of work your employer does.

Residential new builds

Tiling or sheeting new houses and townhouses once the frame and trusses are up, usually as a subcontractor to the builder. This is where most roof tiling apprentices and plenty of roof plumbing apprentices start.

•Fast, repetitive production work: sarking, battens, loading and laying tiles, or sheeting, gutters and flashings on house after house.
•Small crews, often two to four people, so you are hands-on early and carrying a lot of material.
•The builder's program rules your week, and wet or windy weather stops roof work, so hours can be lumpy.
•Mostly award pay with the tool allowance, rather than big site allowances.

Re-roofs, repairs and maintenance

Replacing old tile, metal or asbestos cement roofs, fixing leaks, re-bedding and re-pointing ridges, and replacing rusted gutters on existing homes. Storm and hail seasons bring a rush of insurance repair work.

•Every roof is different, so you learn to diagnose leaks and read old work, not just install new.
•Older roofs bring real hazards: brittle sheeting, rotten battens, skylights and asbestos cement that must not be cut or broken.
•You deal with homeowners face to face, and tidy, careful work gets you repeat jobs.
•Metal re-roofs over tiles are common, so tilers and roof plumbers often work the same streets.

Commercial and industrial metal roofing

Long-run sheeting, box gutters, flashings and wall cladding on warehouses, factories, schools, shopping centres and mine site buildings. This is roof plumbing territory.

•Bigger roofs, longer sheets, cranes and elevated work platforms, and strict SWMS, permits and site inductions.
•Large commercial sites can run enterprise agreements (EBAs) that pay above award with site allowances, so ask what you would be on.
•Box gutters, sumps and overflows are designed and checked properly, so you get more drawings and calculation work.
•Mine and remote work exists for qualified roof plumbers and can pay well, but usually means fly in, fly out rosters.

How GTOs rotate you across different work

A day in the life (first year)

▹Early start, often 6 or 6.30 in summer to beat the heat. Load the ute and check the harness, ropes and ladders before you leave the yard.
▹On site, help set up access first: ladder tied off, edge protection or scaffold checked, anchors and lines in place before anyone walks the roof.
▹Hump material: load tiles onto the roof or carry sheets, battens, gutters and flashings up to the crew.
▹Do the jobs you are trusted with: roll out sarking, fix battens to the gauge, lay field tiles, or fix gutter brackets and run downpipes, with your tradie checking your work.
▹Watch and learn the skilled parts, like cutting valleys and hips, bedding and pointing ridges, or folding and fitting flashings around penetrations.
▹Clean up offcuts and swarf so they cannot rust or blow off, pack down safely, and fill in your training record before you knock off.

First-year expectations

→You will carry a lot. Loading tiles and humping sheets is hard physical work, especially in summer, and it is how every roofer started.
→Weather controls your pay packet. Rain and high wind stop roof work, so ask your employer how wet days are handled before you sign.
→Heights are the whole job. If you are uneasy on a roof after the first few weeks, talk to your boss honestly rather than hiding it.
→Know which ticket you are getting. Tiling and roof plumbing are different qualifications, and only roof plumbing leads to a plumbing-style licence in most states.
→Early work is the basics: sarking, battens, field tiles, brackets and downpipes. Valleys, flashings and complex roofs come once your tradie trusts you.
→Keep your training record and logbook up to date. Chasing sign-offs at the end of the year is a headache you do not need.

How to survive your first week

Tools you'll need

Roofing hammer or tiler's hammer

Tin snips: left, right and straight cut (aviation snips)

Hand seamer and folding tools for flashings

Tape measure, chalk line and pencil

Cordless impact driver with tek and hex sockets

Pointing and bedding trowels

Spirit level and string line

Rivet gun and silicone gun

Full body harness and lanyard (often supplied, check first)

Sun-safe PPE: broad brim or legionnaire hat, long sleeves, glasses, gloves and soft-soled work boots with good grip

Full first-year roofing tool list

Common terms

Sarking: The reflective foil or membrane laid under tiles or sheets to stop wind-driven rain and dust getting into the roof space.
Batten: Timber or steel strips fixed across the rafters or trusses that tiles hang on or sheets are screwed to.
Gauge: The set spacing between tile battens so each row of tiles overlaps correctly.
Valley: The internal channel where two roof planes meet, lined with a valley iron that carries water down to the gutter.
Hip and ridge: The external angles of a roof, capped with ridge tiles on a tiled roof or ridge capping on a metal roof.
Bedding and pointing: Setting ridge and hip tiles in mortar (bedding) and finishing the joints with flexible pointing compound.
Flashing: Folded metal or flexible material that seals the joins between the roof and walls, chimneys, vents and other penetrations.
Box gutter: A gutter built inside the roof line, common on commercial buildings, which must be sized and installed properly or it floods the building.
Edge protection: Temporary guardrails or scaffold around the roof edge that stop you falling off, preferred over relying on a harness.
Anchor point: A rated fixing point that a harness lanyard or static line attaches to, which must be installed and certified to the standard.

More tradie terms explained

TAFE & study support

There are two qualifications. CPC30820 Certificate III in Roof Tiling has 17 units (14 core, 3 electives) covering roof tiling materials and tools, tiling regular and irregular roofs, valleys and flashings, repairs and working safely on roofs. CPC32620 Certificate III in Roof Plumbing has 23 units (20 core, 3 electives) covering sheet metal work, roof sheeting and wall cladding, roof drainage, flashings, curved roofs, scaffolding, elevated work platforms, working at heights and first aid. Both are current on training.gov.au (roof tiling replaced CPC30812, roof plumbing replaced CPC32612). Training is usually block release, for example TAFE Queensland offers block, day release and workplace delivery, and Charles Darwin University runs roof plumbing in one and two week blocks over three stages. Completion is competency based, so your employer and assessor sign units off as you prove you can do the work.

TAFE and block release explained

Licensing & qualifications

Roof tiling and roof plumbing are licensed differently, so check your own state. In NSW both are trade categories under the Home Building Act: you need a contractor licence for residential work over $5,000 including labour and materials, and a qualified supervisor certificate to supervise, with CPC30820 or CPC32620 among the accepted qualifications. Apprentices cannot hold one until they finish. In Victoria roof plumbing is plumbing work in the Roofing (stormwater) class, registered or licensed through the Building and Plumbing Commission (which replaced the VBA in 2025), while roof tilers who contract domestic work above the registration threshold register as a domestic builder limited to roof tiling. In Queensland the QBCC issues roof tiling and roof and wall cladding licences for work over $3,300, and any plumbing or drainage work needs an occupational licence whatever the value. Tasmania licenses roof (stormwater) plumbing through CBOS. In WA, SA, the ACT and the NT check the regulator before you contract, because the line between building, roofing and plumbing licences differs. Employees working for a licensed business usually do not need their own licence.

The roofing apprenticeship pathway

What you'll get paid

Roof tilers are generally covered by the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020), which lists roof tiler and roof fixer classifications and a tool allowance for roof tilers. Roof plumbers are commonly covered by the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 (MA000036), which includes roof plumbing in its coverage and a roofing and cladding field of work. Some metal roofing firms on construction sites may fall under the Building and Construction award instead, so check your award with Fair Work. Both awards have junior and adult apprentice rates, and adult apprentices are paid more. Large commercial jobs can run EBAs that pay above award with site allowances. Rates change every July, so use the Fair Work Pay Calculator to find your actual rate rather than trusting a number someone quotes you.

Not legal advice

This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. For your exact pay and entitlements, check the Fair Work Ombudsman Pay Calculator, your award, or your state regulator.

How apprentice wages work

Common questions

Should I do roof tiling or roof plumbing?

Roof tiling is mostly residential, a bit shorter, and very physical. Roof plumbing covers houses through to big commercial and industrial jobs, involves more sheet metal fabrication, and is a licensed plumbing-family trade in most states, which gives you more options later, including moving into full plumbing.

How long does each apprenticeship take?

Roof tiling usually runs about 3 years. Roof plumbing is usually 3 to 4 years: the ACT lists 48 months full time, and Charles Darwin University in the NT delivers it over 3 years. Both are competency based, so a strong apprentice can finish sooner.

Do I need a White Card before I start?

Yes. Anyone doing construction work needs general construction induction training, and CPCCWHS1001 Prepare to work safely in the construction industry is the unit that gives you the White Card. Most employers expect you to have it before day one.

I am scared of heights. Can I still do it?

Be honest with yourself. Some nerves are normal and fade as you learn proper access and fall protection. But if being on a roof makes you freeze, this is not the trade for you, because heights are every single day.

Can I do roofing as a school-based apprenticeship?

In some states, yes. South Australia lists both roof tiling and roof plumbing as school-based options, for example. Ask your school careers adviser and your state training authority what is available locally.

Is it full time all year round?

Mostly, but rain and wind stop roof work. Check how your employer and award handle wet weather and inclement weather time before you sign, and keep some savings for slow patches.

What comes after the Certificate III?

Roof plumbers can work toward their state licence, add a Certificate III in Plumbing to go into general plumbing, or run their own business. Roof tilers often go on to contract for builders. Business licences in states like Queensland also need a managerial unit, BSBESB402.

Safety reminders

⚠Falls from height are the big one. SafeWork NSW says falls are a primary cause of serious injuries and deaths at work, with most in construction. Never get on a roof without edge protection, scaffold or a proper harness system set up.
⚠Fragile surfaces kill: skylights, plastic sheeting, old asbestos cement and rusted metal can give way. Use skylight covers, crawl boards and exclusion zones.
⚠A SWMS is required for construction work where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Read it, and speak up if the job on the roof does not match the paperwork.
⚠Old roofs may contain asbestos cement sheeting, and concrete tiles release silica dust when dry cut. Do not cut or break suspected asbestos, and wet cut or use extraction and a fitted respirator for tiles.
⚠Heat and UV are constant. Metal roofs get dangerously hot, so drink water, take shade breaks, cover up and watch your mates for heat stress.
⚠Watch for overhead powerlines, sharp sheet edges, and wind catching sheets. Long metal sheets act like sails in wind and can pull you off balance, so do not carry them across a roof in strong gusts.

Your rights around unsafe work

Sources and official links

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

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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.