Become a Union Roofing &
Waterproofing Apprentice
Paid from day one. No experience needed. No student loans — ever. A four-year path to a skilled trade, union wages, and work you can point to.
Apprentice jobs that pay you to learn
Most paths to a career ask you to pay first and earn later. This one pays you from the start. As an apprentice you earn $28.21 an hour from your first week — no experience needed — with raises on a written schedule as your skills grow, all the way to full journeyman scale of $47.01 an hour (as of July 2026).
And your education? No tuition loans, no student debt. A program fee of $20 for each week you work — about $500 a year — covers all four years of training, paid as you go from wages you're already earning. Four years from now you'll have a journeyman's card, college credit for your coursework, years of paychecks behind you — and not a dollar of education debt.
No experience needed
You don't need to know roofing to start — teaching you is the whole point. Apprentices come to us from restaurants, warehouses, retail, high school, and everywhere in between. What matters is what you bring: show up on time, work hard, and want a career you can build on. We'll teach the rest.
Am I qualified?
You're 18 or older
You have a photo ID
You have one of: a high-school diploma (or equivalent), a GED, or an NCRC certificate (Bronze level)
You're able to do physical work, including lifting and working at heights
You can pass a drug screening
Check every box? You're exactly who we're looking for. No application fee, and normally no waiting list.
How to apply — Oregon & Southwest Washington
1
APPLY IN PERSON
Visit the training center at 5032 SE 26th Ave, Portland, OR 97202. Bring your photo ID and your diploma, GED, or NCRC certificate. No fee, and normally no waiting list.
2
INterview
A friendly, straightforward conversation — your goals, your attitude toward work and learning, and what you'd add to the program. Come prepared and dress the part.
3
Pass a drug screening
Standard for the trade — safety is everyone's job.
4
Attend a half-day orientation
Get set up, meet the program, and learn how classes and dispatch work.
5
START EARNING
You’re dispatched to a union contractor in the region — your career starts with your first paycheck.
THE PREFERRED PATH
Get hired by a training agent first
The most direct way in is through a job: get hired by a training agent — a union contractor approved to train apprentices — and they register you with the apprenticeship program. You start working and earning right away, and your training follows.
Not sure who's hiring? Contact us and we'll point you to training agents taking applications.
Training agents
Union signatory contractors approved to train apprentices:
- ABC Roofing
Portland · 503-786-0616 - Anderson Roofing
Portland · 503-348-2606 - Anderson Roofing
Salem · 503-225-0843 - Arrow Roofing
Portland · 503-460-2767 - Carlson Roofing
Hillsboro · 503-846-1575 - Garon Roofing
Vancouver, WA · 360-254-0380 - Griffith Roofing
Beaverton · 503-643-1596 - McDonald & Wetle
Portland · 503-667-0175 - McGilchrist & Sons Roofing & Sheet Metal
Salem · 503-362-4176 - Pacific Roofing
Forest Grove · 503-647-2894 - Snyder Roofing
Tigard · 503-620-5252 - Umpqua Roofing Co.
Eugene · 541-302-6850 - FD Thomas (Waterproofing)
Bill Connell · 206-465-6979
CAREER PATH
A CAREER, NOT A JOB
The apprenticeship is step one of a long climb. Journeymen who love the tools keep building. Others step up to run crews as foremen, direct safety programs, manage projects as superintendents, move into sales and estimating, teach as instructors, or start companies of their own. Our members hold every one of those roles today — and the trade goes wherever you go, with full transfer of your status if you ever move.
YOU — APPRENTICE
SAFETY DIRECTOR
JOURNEYMAN
ESTIMATOR
FOREMAN
INSTRUCTOR
SUPERINTENDENT
YOUR OWN COMPANY
THE WORK
Straight answers about the work
Roofing is real work, and we'd rather you hear it from us. The work is physical — you'll be on your feet, lifting, and moving, and most apprentices find they get stronger and more capable every month. The year has a rhythm: summers run full (40–60 hour weeks from mid-April through October — great for the paycheck), winters ease off (20–35 hours), which is exactly when classes run. And safety comes first, always: it's trained constantly, built into every class, and backed by the whole crew. People who like working with their hands tend to love this life. If that's you, you'll be in good company.
Apprentice stories
“This program is a great opportunity because it opens up your door for so much more.”
— ARMANDO ARREDONDO, 4TH YEAR APPRENTICE
“This is for people that want to try something new, that love physical work, that love to be outside, and to learn new things.”
— JIM SAECHAO, 4TH YEAR APPRENTICE
Ready when you are
Your application starts with a visit and a conversation. Your trade lasts a lifetime. Questions first? Send us a message and a real person will walk you through your next step.