Key takeaways
- Federal data puts the roofing fatality rate at 48.7 per 100,000 workers — about fifteen times the all-worker rate of 3.3.
- That does not automatically mean a higher premium. Carriers differ enormously, and some write the trade at standard rates.
- Where a carrier does rate it, the charge is a flat extra of $2.50–$7.50 per $1,000 of cover a year — $52 to $156 a month on $250,000.
- A flat extra is tied to the job, not to you. It can usually be reviewed off if you leave the trade.
- Carrier choice moves your premium further than your age does. A rated 40-year-old pays more than an unrated 50-year-old.
See what cover would cost you
Four short questions and a licensed agent will tell you which carriers write your trade at standard rates.
Free, no obligation, and no payment or bank details at any point. Four questions, about two minutes.
How carriers actually view the job
Roofing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, and the number is not close. Federal data puts the fatal injury rate for roofers at 48.7 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers — against 3.3 for the workforce as a whole. That is roughly fifteen times the average risk.
| Occupation | Fatal injuries per 100,000 | Deaths in 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Logging workers | 110.4 | 51 |
| Fishing and hunting workers | 88.8 | 24 |
| Roofers | 48.7 | 104 |
| Structural iron and steel workers | 37.8 | 14 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors | 37.4 | 36 |
| Aircraft pilots and flight engineers | 36.7 | 73 |
| Helpers, construction trades | 35.8 | 18 |
| Driver/sales workers and truck drivers | 25.7 | 950 |
| Welding, soldering and brazing workers | 6.9 | 42 |
| All workers | 3.3 | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries — rate and number of fatal work injuries in selected occupations, 2024 reference year, released 19 February 2026. Rates are per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Source.
Underwriters see the same table you do. What matters is that only some of them price off it. Occupation is a rating factor at every carrier, but the weight each one puts on roofing differs enormously — and a few write the trade at standard rates provided the rest of the application is clean. That single fact is worth more to you than anything about your health.
When it gets rated, and by how much
A hazardous occupation is not priced like a health condition. Instead of moving you into a worse rate class, the carrier adds a flat extra: a fixed annual charge per $1,000 of death benefit, sitting on top of your ordinary premium. Published ranges put it at $2.50 to $7.50 per $1,000 a year.
| Cover | Flat extra at $2.50/$1,000 | Flat extra at $7.50/$1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $21 a month | $63 a month |
| $250,000 | $52 a month | $156 a month |
| $500,000 | $104 a month | $313 a month |
Source: Experian, Life Insurance for High Risk Applicants, updated 8 September 2026 — flat extra charges of $2.50 to $7.50 per $1,000 of coverage a year. Source. Monthly figures are the annual charge divided by twelve, rounded to the nearest dollar. The flat extra is added to the base premium, not substituted for it.
Two things follow. First, the charge scales with the death benefit, so the gap between a rated and an unrated carrier widens the more cover you buy — at $500,000 it can exceed the entire base premium. Second, a flat extra is attached to the occupation, not to you. Carriers will usually review and remove it if you leave the trade, which is not true of a health rating.
Which carriers write roofers at standard rates?
Start with your ZIP code — availability varies by state.
The questions that decide your rate
Very little of the underwriting turns on the word “roofer”. It turns on the answers to four questions, and knowing them before you apply is most of the job:
- How high do you work? Residential work under two storeys is treated very differently from commercial and industrial work at height. Some carriers draw an explicit line and rate only above it.
- Employee or owner? An owner who quotes, manages and occasionally goes up is a different risk from a crew member on a roof every day. Say which you are, and say how many hours a week you are actually on a roof.
- Do you subcontract? Carriers often ask whether you employ crews or work as a sub, because it changes both exposure and income verification.
- Do you do anything else that rates? A motorcycle, a pilot licence or a DUI in the last five years will move the file further than the roofing will.
Answer these accurately. An application that understates the exposure is the one that gets rated on review, or contested at claim — which is the outcome the whole exercise exists to avoid.
What it costs
Start from the ordinary market rate for a $250,000 20-year term policy, then add the flat extra if your carrier applies one:
| Age | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | $20 | $23 |
| 40 | $28 | $35 |
| 50 | $59 | $77 |
| 60 | $157 | $215 |
Source: MoneyGeek, How Much Does a $250,000 Life Insurance Policy Cost?, updated 16 September 2026 — market-wide averages, 20-year level term, non-smoker of average health. Source.
For a 40-year-old man that is $35 a month unrated, $87 with a flat extra at the low end, and $191 at the high end. The spread between carriers is larger than the spread between ages — a 40-year-old at a rating carrier pays more than a 50-year-old at a standard one. Full $250,000 rate tables.
How to avoid paying more than you need
Apply to more than one carrier, through someone who knows which ones are lenient on the trade. This is the whole game. Roofing is a well-known underwriting category, the carriers have settled positions on it, and those positions are not public — an independent agent who places this trade regularly knows them and you do not.
Two further points worth knowing. A group policy through an employer rarely follows you and is usually one or two times salary, which will not clear a mortgage. And accidental death cover is not a substitute for life cover: it pays only if the cause of death qualifies, which is precisely the argument you do not want your family having.
Frequently asked questions
Can roofers get life insurance?
Yes, and often at standard rates. Roofing is a recognised underwriting category rather than a decline, and carriers differ widely in how they price it. Where a carrier does rate the trade it usually adds a flat extra of $2.50 to $7.50 per $1,000 of cover a year rather than refusing the application.
How much more do roofers pay for life insurance?
It depends entirely on the carrier. At the published flat extra range, $250,000 of cover costs an additional $52 to $156 a month on top of the ordinary premium — and some carriers add nothing at all. Applying to more than one carrier matters more than any other factor.
Is roofing really that dangerous?
By the federal statistics, yes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 104 roofer deaths in 2024, a rate of 48.7 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers against 3.3 across all occupations. Only logging and commercial fishing rate higher.
Will the extra charge come off if I leave the trade?
Usually. A flat extra is tied to the occupation rather than to your health, and carriers will normally review and remove it on request once you have been out of the trade — typically for twelve months. Ask the carrier what its rule is before you buy, because they differ.