Commercial roofing recruiters serving Cleveland.
Cleveland's freeze-thaw climate and aging building stock make restoration the norm outside healthcare. Cleveland Clinic's concurrent hospital projects - and a 600,000 sq ft operations center - are the exceptions.
Restoration-heavy, with a healthcare exception.
Commercial roofing foremen in the Cleveland metro command a wage premium about 6% above the national average.
Cleveland's own market data names the freeze-thaw climate and a large aging commercial building stock as making restoration and re-roof outweigh new construction outside the healthcare corridor. The Unified Operations Center's 600,000 sq ft is named as a large single-project opportunity distinct from that pattern.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Cleveland, and we verify real restoration and large single-project experience rather than a general roofing resume.
The story behind the demand.
One health system running three concurrent mega-projects worth over $1.5B combined.
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A 1M sq ft hospital facility completing Q4 2026, carrying hospital-grade roofing scope at one of the largest single healthcare capital projects in Ohio.
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A multi-phase expansion adding ~250,000 sq ft of clinical space in Lorain County through 2029, adding hospital-grade roofing demand outside the core city.
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A 600,000 sq ft facility in Walton Hills - a large single-project roofing opportunity distinct from the hospital-grade work driving other Clinic projects.
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Part of the Clinic's broader systemwide campus expansion alongside Fairview Hospital work, adding steady downstream roofing demand.
What commercial roofing roles pay in Cleveland.
In the Cleveland metro, BLS puts the median for roofers at $55,690 a year, in line with the $55,440 national median. Among the 104 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Cleveland ranks 40th on pay. The range runs from $40,200 at the 10th percentile to $84,450 at the 90th, so experience is priced well above the middle of the market. Of the other field roles, sheet metal worker pays the most locally, at a $77,410 median. BLS does not publish Cleveland pay for roofing helper, which it withholds where a metro's sample is too small to be reliable. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Roofing Salary Guide.
| Role | Cleveland median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial RooferRoofers (47-2181) | $55,690 | $40,200–$84,450 | $55,440 | 0% | 780 |
| Roofing HelperHelpers--Roofers (47-3016) | – | – | $44,160 | – | – |
| Sheet Metal WorkerSheet Metal Workers (47-2211) | $77,410 | $45,760–$96,360 | $61,800 | +25% | 620 |
| Roofing ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,610 | $58,220–$106,340 | $79,920 | +1% | – |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,120 | $50,350–$128,440 | $78,740 | −1% | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Cleveland metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile. Headcount is shown for field occupations only; management, estimating and supervisory codes are counted across every industry in the metro.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring - that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how the Cleveland commercial roofing hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Cleveland roofing client at intake.
Why restoration outweighs new construction outside healthcare
Cleveland's own market data names the freeze-thaw climate and a large aging commercial building stock as making restoration and re-roof outweigh new construction outside the healthcare corridor - with the Unified Operations Center's 600,000 sq ft named as a large single-project opportunity distinct from that pattern.
Where Cleveland commercial roofing talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Cleveland. Standard restoration and re-roof crews draw on a genuinely available regional pipeline. Foremen who can staff large single-project industrial jobs like the Unified Operations Center are the harder fill.
Credentials worth filtering for
What actually separates candidates in Cleveland: verified restoration project history for standard commercial work, plus real large-scale single-project experience for jobs the size of the Unified Operations Center.
What candidates expect from a Cleveland roofing offer in 2026
Foreman comp runs about 6% above national, and commercial estimators run about 3% above - both match the metro's own published wage table directly.
Realistic timelines, by role
Standard roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer. Foremen for large single-project work run longer given how specifically that scale narrows the pool. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The roofing positions we fill, most often.
Across all Cleveland commercial roofing clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Foremen with large single-project experience are the role in genuine short supply - everything else draws on the metro's own available regional pipeline.
- Restoration/re-roof foreman
- Large single-project roofing foreman
- Commercial roofing estimator
- Roofing project manager
- Roofing safety manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Cleveland, see the Cleveland metro overview. To learn more about commercial roofing generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Commercial Roofing industry page.
How we recruit commercial roofing in Cleveland, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Cleveland's commercial roofing segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Cleveland roofing, we also confirm whether the job is standard restoration or large single-project work, since that changes the sourcing pool.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Cleveland commercial roofing candidate network, filtered for verified restoration or large-scale project experience as required.
- Vetted short list (week one). Three to five candidates. We verify real project-delivery history rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Standard roles close in 4-6 weeks. We help with offer math against Cleveland's own wage table.
Cleveland runs 13% fewer commercial roofing workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Roofers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Cleveland's commercial roofing market compares
In 2023 the Cleveland metro had 46 nonresidential roofing contractors (counted by business location), with about 676 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $70,247, 6.3% below the national average of $74,959 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 6.2% over the year even as it grew 6.7% nationally, which usually means people leaving the trade or moving to other markets rather than a lack of work. That works out to 2.2 per 100,000 residents against 1.8 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often. These firms account for 1.8% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 95 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Cleveland ranks 38th for headcount, 37th for median pay and 56th for concentration for roofers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 780 | $55,690 | 0.87 | 46 |
| Cincinnati | 770 | $49,210 | 0.80 | 36 |
| Columbus | 700 | $49,420 | 0.73 | 33 |
| Akron | 370 | $54,660 | 1.33 | 15 |
| Dayton | 320 | $51,410 | 0.98 | 13 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial roofing employers in Cleveland, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Cleveland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Cleveland's commercial roofing market has changed since 2018.
Cleveland had 46 nonresidential roofing contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. Headcount at those firms went down 16%, to about 676 people. Average annual pay there went from $54,736 to $70,247 (+28%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: business locations | 46 | 46 | +0% |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: employment | 804 | 676 | −16% |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: average annual pay | $54,736 | $70,247 | +28% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — commercial roofing hiring in Cleveland.
Why does restoration outweigh new construction in Cleveland roofing outside healthcare?
Cleveland's own market data names the freeze-thaw climate and a large aging commercial building stock as making restoration and re-roof outweigh new construction outside the healthcare corridor. The Unified Operations Center's 600,000 sq ft is named as a large single-project exception to that pattern.
What major projects are driving commercial roofing demand in Cleveland?
The $1.1B Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, the $322M Cleveland Clinic Avon campus expansion, the $142M Cleveland Clinic Unified Operations Center, and the Cleveland Clinic Innovation District all carry substantial commercial roofing scope.
What do roofers earn in Cleveland?
BLS puts the Cleveland median for roofers at $55,690 a year, about the same as the $55,440 national median. That ranks 40th of 104 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $40,200 at the 10th percentile against $84,450 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Ohio metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire roofers in Cleveland?
It is about average. Roofers are as common in Cleveland as they are nationally (location quotient 0.87), with about 780 in the metro. The 46 nonresidential roofing contractors here average about 15 employees per location.
Which commercial roofing roles pay the most in Cleveland?
Of the roles we recruit for, Roofing Foreman pays the most in Cleveland, a $80,610 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Sheet Metal Worker at $77,410, 4% below it. Commercial Roofer is the lowest-paid field role at $55,690. Relative to national pay, Sheet Metal Worker is the strongest-paying role here (25% above).
How many nonresidential roofing contractors operate in Cleveland?
BLS counted 46 nonresidential roofing contractors in Cleveland in 2023, employing about 676 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (46). That averages 15 people per location. They pay an average of $70,247, 6% below the $74,959 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Cleveland for roofers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Akron (30 miles, about 370, $54,660 median), Detroit (90 miles, about 1,450, $63,390 median) and Pittsburgh (115 miles, about 770, $52,350 median). Detroit has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Detroit pays 14% more, which is where Cleveland employers tend to lose people.
2 commercial roofing seats are open in Ohio right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in Cleveland this week. These are the live commercial roofing searches elsewhere in Ohio - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced September 28, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Hiring commercial roofing talent in Cleveland?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.