There is honestly no telling how many roofs I have installed in my life and sometimes this question comes up. Normally there is a type that asks this kind of question and I absolutely love them. It really speaks volumes about that persons character in my humble roofer opinion.

The question if you should tip your roofer really comes down to if you want to. It is not expected, but it is always appreciated.

When should I consider tipping the roofer?

I’ve been a part of some roofing projects where everything went wrong. You can’t even imagine how sideways things can go on a roofing install, all though it does happen far less often with the more expereience you have (like anything in life).

Property damage, roofing nails in vehicle tires, trash on the ground and I have even kicked a crew off a job for drinking beer on a roof! What a nightmare!

The worst story I have was back in 2003 we were installing a wood shake roof on a property owned by a celebrity I won’t name and the crew was all excited thinking that they would get a huge tip if they did a good job on this guys house.

Well, everything went wrong that could go wrong. A storm came in and while we had the roof tarped and all the roofing underlayment down, water still got in and got on his $30,000 couch.

Do you think these roofers deserved a tip? LOL

But honestly, when our roofing crews are clean, do good work and are respectful of the property and the owners, often they offered something.

What should I consider tipping my roofer?

Sometimes it is cash (rarely) while other times it is food, snacks or a small gift. Just ordering some pizzas would make them love you!

The guys do not expect any tips but their eyes light up one they receive one. I often think unexpected kindness trumps anything to lighten up a persons day.

If you are looking to give cash, I would say $20 – $100 per person doing the actual roof is a good range. Do not tip any of the owners, project managers or salesmen, they have never been tipped nor would they ever expect it.

We are curious what your experience has been with tipping service people in general. Let us know in the comments!