Falls represent 33 percent of all work-related deaths in the United States. Roofing contractors fall under Bureau of Labor Statistics construction employment categories, with labor force participation for ages 20 to 64 near 80 percent. These measures frame the safety requirements, wage benchmarks, and insurance costs that define human resources planning in the sector.
Key Takeaways
- Roofing contractors are included in construction employment classifications tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)
- As of 2024, the U.S. labor force participation rate for ages 20–64 was about 80% (context for staffing availability)
- BLS reports employment in construction trades was in the tens of millions nationally (macro staffing context relevant to roofers)
- Falls accounted for 33% of all work-related deaths in the U.S. (2019 BLS/NSC injury fatality context for private industry)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports falls are a leading cause of construction fatalities in its enforcement and safety materials
- Roofing contractors are in a sector where lockout/tagout and fall protection compliance programs are regularly emphasized by OSHA guidance
- The worldwide roofing market is projected to reach $214.0 billion by 2032 (global demand growth context)
- The U.S. roof coatings market size was estimated at $1.6–$1.8 billion (application context for roofing systems)
- Asphalt shingles represented the largest share of the U.S. roofing materials market by volume in recent industry market assessments
- Metal roofing is a significant and growing segment; one industry forecast projected U.S. metal roofing growth over 2023–2030
- Single-family residential construction starts were about 1.26 million in 2023 (demand driver for residential re-roofing and new roofs)
- The U.S. Census Bureau reported total new residential construction (including both single-family and multifamily) started at about 1.5 million units in 2023 (macro demand context)
- Many roofing contractors use Procore’s mobile app for field documentation; platform adoption is shown by reported app user totals
- Drones for inspection can reduce fall exposure risk; industry studies document safety benefits and reduced inspection time
- Thermal imaging inspections can detect roof moisture issues earlier; infrared inspection is validated in building science literature
Roofing firms must balance strong market growth with major fall risks, making OSHA compliant safety and training essential.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment & Labor4 stats
01
Roofing contractors are included in construction employment classifications tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)https://www.bls.gov/oes/
02
As of 2024, the U.S. labor force participation rate for ages 20–64 was about 80% (context for staffing availability)https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-labor-force-participation-rate.htm
03
BLS reports employment in construction trades was in the tens of millions nationally (macro staffing context relevant to roofers)https://www.bls.gov/ces/
04
The BLS OES provides roofer wages for 2023 including median and percentile values for NAICS-aligned occupational groupshttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472061.htm
Interpretation
Employment & Labor Interpretation
In the employment and labor context, roofing contractors sit within BLS construction employment data, and with the U.S. labor force participation rate for ages 20 to 64 at about 80% as of 2024, the tens of millions employed in construction trades help explain why the BLS OES 2023 roofer wage figures with median and percentile breakdowns remain a key benchmark for staffing and pay planning.
02 · Category
Safety & Risk9 stats
01
Falls accounted for 33% of all work-related deaths in the U.S. (2019 BLS/NSC injury fatality context for private industry)https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/cause-of-injury/falls/
02
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports falls are a leading cause of construction fatalities in its enforcement and safety materialshttps://www.osha.gov/construction
03
Roofing contractors are in a sector where lockout/tagout and fall protection compliance programs are regularly emphasized by OSHA guidancehttps://www.osha.gov/fall-protection
04
The leading causes of roof-related injuries include falls and unsafe ladder/scaffold use, emphasized in OSHA fall-protection guidancehttps://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3160.pdf
05
U.S. OSHA requires employers to provide training and protection against recognized hazards; fall hazards are addressed under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M (Construction Fall Protection)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1926/subpart-M
06
BLS reports that construction workers have higher injury rates than many other industries, increasing the importance of safety management for roofing firmshttps://www.bls.gov/iif/
07
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Incidence Rates (IIR) show construction has elevated nonfatal workplace injury and illness rateshttps://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/case/
08
In 2022, 3.9 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses occurred among private industry workers (context for safety culture)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf
09
In 2020, there were 5,333 fatal occupational injuries in the U.S. (BLS CFOI)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm
Interpretation
Safety & Risk Interpretation
Safety and risk in roofing remains a top priority because falls drive 33% of U.S. work related deaths, and with construction also showing elevated injury and illness rates, the 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M fall protection requirements and OSHA emphasized training are critical to preventing the kind of nonfatal and fatal outcomes reflected in 2020’s 5,333 fatal occupational injuries.
03 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
The worldwide roofing market is projected to reach $214.0 billion by 2032 (global demand growth context)https://www.precedenceresearch.com/roofing-market
02
The U.S. roof coatings market size was estimated at $1.6–$1.8 billion (application context for roofing systems)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/roof-coatings-market
03
Asphalt shingles represented the largest share of the U.S. roofing materials market by volume in recent industry market assessmentshttps://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/us-roofing-market-105241
04
The global drone market was valued at about $34.4 billion in 2024 and expected to grow (enabling adoption for inspection)https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/drone-market-102517
05
In 2023, the U.S. median house sale price was about $394,000(real estate transaction context for roofing spending)https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the worldwide roofing market set to grow to $214.0 billion by 2032, the category signal is clear that demand is expanding rapidly enough to pull related segments forward, especially in the U.S. where asphalt shingles dominate by volume and where roof coatings alone reach about $1.6 to $1.8 billion.
04 · Category
Industry Trends12 stats
01
Metal roofing is a significant and growing segment; one industry forecast projected U.S. metal roofing growth over 2023–2030https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/metal-roofing-market-103964
02
Single-family residential construction starts were about 1.26 million in 2023 (demand driver for residential re-roofing and new roofs)https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HOUST
03
The U.S. Census Bureau reported total new residential construction (including both single-family and multifamily) started at about 1.5 million units in 2023 (macro demand context)https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/pdf/newresconst.pdf
04
U.S. annual renovation and remodeling spending was estimated at $420+ billion in 2024 (context for replacement/repair cycles)https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/americas-senior-housing-market
05
$137 billion U.S. property insurance losses from catastrophes were reported for 2023 (weather-driven claims context)https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-billion-dollar-disasters
06
In 2021, there were 22 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S. (NOAA NCEI)https://www.noaa.gov/news/billion-dollar-weather-and-climate-disasters
07
Cool roof products and coatings support energy savings; one widely cited DOE/LBNL study found reflective roofing can reduce building cooling energy in warm climateshttps://www.osti.gov/biblio/1043403
08
Thermal performance improvements from roof insulation upgrades can reduce heating and cooling loads, as summarized in DOE guidancehttps://www.energy.gov/energysaver/insulation
09
Construction tech spending has been rising; one industry report forecasted continued double-digit growth in construction software/tech through the late 2020shttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-02-20-gartner-forecast-worldwide-it-spending-grow
10
U.S. EPA estimates a national construction and demolition recycling rate over 90% for some recovery categories, varying by material (C&D diversion context)https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling
11
Global asphalt shingle recycling guidance suggests meaningful diversion of end-of-life shingles into asphalt pavement useshttps://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97157/
12
The U.S. Federal Risk Management Program for wind mitigation influences underwriting incentives affecting roofing upgradeshttps://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends in roofing are being shaped by strong demand and risk pressures, from about $420+ billion in U.S. 2024 renovation spending and 1.26 million single-family starts in 2023 to $137 billion in catastrophe insurance losses in 2023, all of which is driving replacement and upgrades like metal roofing growth and wind mitigation-focused improvements.
More related reading
05 · Category
User Adoption1 stats
01
Many roofing contractors use Procore’s mobile app for field documentation; platform adoption is shown by reported app user totalshttps://www.procore.com/press/
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
As a key sign of user adoption, many roofing contractors are actively using Procore’s mobile app for field documentation, with reported app user totals demonstrating real, measurable engagement in the field.
06 · Category
Performance Metrics7 stats
01
Drones for inspection can reduce fall exposure risk; industry studies document safety benefits and reduced inspection timehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753519305526
02
Thermal imaging inspections can detect roof moisture issues earlier; infrared inspection is validated in building science literaturehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061817306547
03
Life-cycle cost analyses show that properly designed roofing systems reduce total cost of ownership versus premature replacementshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132317302940
04
A peer-reviewed study found that reflective roofing materials can significantly reduce roof surface temperatures compared to non-reflective materialshttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0960327115573538
05
A study in Energy and Buildings measured measurable reductions in heat flux through insulated roof assemblieshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778815002020
06
Roofing with proper underlayment installation can reduce water infiltration; building envelope research supports improved performance with correct layeringhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42163-4
07
Wind uplift performance standards for roof coverings (e.g., ASTM/UL test methods) govern system selection and reduce failure riskhttps://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID,FSP_LANG_ID:25,45
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across performance metrics, roofing practices supported by studies and standards show measurable gains such as earlier moisture detection with thermal imaging, reduced heat transfer with insulated assemblies, and lower life cycle costs versus premature replacement, all of which consistently point to safer, more efficient system selection when data drives inspection and design.
07 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
Asphalt shingle prices increased materially during 2021–2022 due to commodity and logistics shocks (industry cost pressure context)https://www.bls.gov/cpi/
02
BLS PPI tracks roofing-related materials; producer price changes influence contractor margins and estimateshttps://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?ppi
03
Commercial construction wage indices show upward pressure affecting roofer staffing costshttps://www.bls.gov/ppi/
04
Difficult-to-fill jobs and labor shortages increased wage growth in construction sectors in recent years (context for labor cost)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm
05
Roofing firms face insurance premium volatility for general liability and workers’ comp; insurance rate indices show movement over timehttps://www.naic.org/prod_serv_stats_filing.htm
06
General Liability Insurance price trends are tracked via U.S. insurance pricing indices; contractor operating costs are affected by underwriting cycleshttps://www.naic.org/industry-insight/premium-trends
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the cost analysis of the roofing industry, rising asphalt shingle prices in 2021–2022 together with wage growth from difficult-to-fill jobs is squeezing contractor margins, while volatile general liability and workers’ comp insurance premiums add another layer of operating cost uncertainty.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). HR In The Roofing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-roofing-industry-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "HR In The Roofing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-roofing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "HR In The Roofing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-roofing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)