The Hardest Type of Remodeling

If you asked 1,600 trades people what the most physically demanding job in remodeling is, what would they say? Apparently the answer is “roofing,” according to a survey from home improvement lead provider CraftJack, which did just that. 

Thirteen percent of the 1,609 contractors surveyed agreed roofing was the most physically demanding aspect of remodeling: more than demolition (11%), carpentry (7%), drywall (7%), and so on. 

It’s no secret that roofing is physically demanding. The severe injury rate for roofing contractors is 60% higher than that of construction workers overall, and they're more likely to injure multiple body parts, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics. But while that may be obvious to contractors, until now you couldn’t be certain it was obvious to consumers, who may not be so familiar with the occupational hazards of certain remodeling professions. 

Turns out, it is just as obvious to consumers—or at least to the 600+ CraftWork surveyed. Twenty percent said roofing was the most physically demanding job a contractor could have. In fact, consumers were right on a lot of their assumptions on what is and isn’t physically demanding (though, it’s all physically demanding to a degree). 

Check out the graphs above and below for a full comparison on what contractors and clients believe to be most physically demanding.