Online course
U.S. Residential Roofing Basics
Learn the basics of U.S. residential roofing: roof shapes, materials, layers, flashing, ventilation, and drainage. Read roofing proposals and document concerns safely through diagrams, videos, and practical exercises. Local requirements vary.
Not yet reviewed
This content has been authored but not yet reviewed by a qualified subject-matter expert.
What you’ll build
Each lab asks you to produce something real and gives you the checklist to judge it against. Write your answer in the lab, and ask for feedback on it.
- Trace a leak hypothesis
Prepare a condition report that separates symptoms, possible causes, and professional checks.
- Make a roof-system handover brief
Summarize a roof system, open questions, and maintenance records for a homeowner.
Who it’s for
Homeowners, new office and sales staff, and people exploring residential roofing who want a clear foundation before supervised trade training.
What it assumes
No construction background required. Basic arithmetic helps. U.S. terminology; local requirements vary. All exercises are desk-based or use safe ground-level observations.
What you’ll be able to do
- Roof system componentsfoundational
- Roof shapes and slopefoundational
- Roof covering fundamentalsfoundational
- Roof drainage and flashingfoundational
- Attic ventilation and moisturefoundational
- Safe roof condition reportingfoundational
and 2 more
- Roof and solar coordinationfoundational
- Roofing scope and handoverfoundational
Credential
Once an expert has reviewed this course, passing its final exam earns a verified credential that appears on your profile where employers can see it. It has not been reviewed yet, so for now the exam is practice: passing it cannot issue a credential, and each attempt still counts toward your limit. 12 questions, 30 minutes, 75% to pass, up to 3 attempts.
Learning is free, and nothing anywhere on the site is charged today. Certification is where a fee is planned, because that is what makes a credential mean something to an employer.
Course content
1 Read the roof
Learn the vocabulary, shape, and layers of a residential roof.
- A roof is a water-management system
Identify the job of a roof and distinguish safe observation from roof work.
- Roof shapes and the names of their edges
Locate ridge, eave, rake, hip, valley, soffit, and fascia on a simple drawing.
- What is underneath the shingles?
Explain the distinct roles of decking, underlayment, leak barriers, shingles, and flashing.
- A roof is a water-management system
2 Materials, slope, and drainage
Connect roof geometry and material choices to how water moves.
- Slope, roof area, and the roofing square
Read rise/run notation and distinguish roof surface area from a house footprint.
- Choose a roof covering by its requirements
Compare asphalt shingles, metal, tile, and low-slope membranes without assuming one is best everywhere.
- Flashing, valleys, and roof penetrations
Describe why roof intersections need dedicated water-management details.
- Slope, roof area, and the roofing square
3 Air, moisture, and condition
Recognize symptoms while avoiding unsafe inspection and false diagnoses.
- Ventilation is different from insulation
Distinguish attic airflow, insulation, and air sealing.
- Observe condition without climbing onto the roof
Make a useful ground-level condition record and recognize urgent escalation.
- Lab: trace a leak hypothesis
Prepare a condition report that separates symptoms, possible causes, and professional checks.
- Ventilation is different from insulation
4 Plan and communicate the work
Understand scope, handover, and roof-to-solar coordination.
- Read a roofing proposal as a scope of work
Identify what a proposal includes, excludes, and leaves undecided.
- Coordinate the roof with residential solar
Explain why roof condition, attachments, and responsibilities should be resolved before solar installation.
- Lab: make a roof-system handover brief
Summarize a roof system, open questions, and maintenance records for a homeowner.
- Read a roofing proposal as a scope of work