Description
Install, repair, and maintain built-up and modified bitumen roofing on low-slope roofs using hot asphalt/tar, felts, and gravel. Operate kettles and related equipment to mop, pour, and apply bitumen to seal, waterproof, and insulate roof assemblies and adjacent surfaces.
- • Inspect problem roofs to determine hot-mop or patch repair procedures.
- • Set up scaffolding, fall protection, and roof access for safe work areas.
- • Set up, operate, and monitor asphalt kettles, pumps, and hoses; maintain proper bitumen temperature.
- • Mop or pour hot asphalt or tar onto roof bases and between plies.
- • Apply alternate layers of hot asphalt or tar and roofing felt or paper to build built-up roofs.
- • Lay, align, and embed ply sheets and cap sheets using hot bitumen, chalk lines, and gauges.
- • Install vapor barriers and rigid or tapered insulation on flat or low-slope roofs.
- • Cut felt, flashing, and cap sheets to fit angles, penetrations, and intersecting surfaces.
- • Cement or nail flashing, gravel stop, and metal edge details to make joints watertight.
- • Attach roofing paper in overlapping strips to form bases for other materials.
- • Smooth and prepare substrates; remove snow, water, or debris before applying materials.
- • Glaze or flood-coat top layers to achieve specified finish and coverage.
- • Apply gravel or pebbles over top layers; embed surfacing in hot bitumen.
- • Cover exposed nailheads and fasteners with roofing cement or caulking.
- • Waterproof or damp-proof roofs, walls, or foundations with hot-applied bitumen or membranes.
- • Apply primers, adhesives, and reflective or protective coatings as specified.
- • Torch or heat-weld modified bitumen membranes where required.
- • Install roof drains, scuppers, pitch pans, and penetration flashings.
- • Inspect, locate, and repair blisters, splits, fishmouths, and leaks in built-up roofing systems.
- • Maintain and clean kettles, torches, mops, and related equipment.
- • Enforce hot-work, fire watch, and ventilation safety procedures.
- • Estimate materials and labor required for hot tar roofing jobs.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
