Roofing, both commercial and residential, is a multi-billion dollar industry. Residential roofing is growing on a regular basis.  It is estimated to be expanding about four percent per year until at least 2020. Contractors dominate the industry. In fact, just 6700 account for twelve percent of the industry total.

Materials for roofing come in many different varieties.  Traditional styles are asphalt shingles, cedar shakes and tiles.  That is changing as more products are being developed. In states with high fire dangers, shakes that are not made of wood have been used a great deal.

There is also a tendency to go for metal roofing or shingles that are not made from asphalt.  One of the materials being used is hemp, which is a renewable resource. These shingles can be used inside or outside and are made entirely of recyclable material.

The people who do the work vary in wages.  Some work for as little as ten dollars an hour while others make over twenty-eight dollars an hour.  This is dependent on two things; where the person lives and the amount of experience they have. This is a growing field with jobs being added on a regular basis.

There are downsides to having a job as a roofer.  It has a very high rate of injuries. Two of the most common are falls and burns.  Some roofing materials require hot tar or other materials that have to be handled carefully.

Another downside would be complaints.  The industry is in the top ten for customer complaints with the Better business bureau. A quick search for local roofers on Google will reveal very quickly how shady some contractors can actually be. These reasons are documented to help both the industry professionals and the consumers know what to look for when researching a roofing company.

The number one complaint is poor workmanship.  This accounts for more than half of the complaints filed.  An example of poor workmanship is having a roof leak right after the work is done.  Leaving a low spot for rain to collect in is another example.

Twenty-five percent of the complaints were customers having difficulty contacting the company that bid for or did the work.  These complaints may have a great deal to do with the first one.

Twenty-nine percent involved failure to stop or start work as scheduled or to make repairs.  Eleven percent claimed that they had poor customer service. This could be a failure to communicate between the workers and the customer or those answering the phones not having answers to questions asked.

The last complaint accounted for ten percent of the cases filed.  These involved missed appointments. Homeowners may have to take time off work to get bids done for the work and having a no-show means they lose time and money.