More than just shingles

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about the variety of careers and jobs available through the roofing industry. 

When most people think about their roof or the businesses that repair and install them, they probably think of handling shingles and a nail gun. But the roofing industry is far more than that, and that’s something Rachel Narveson, the founder/CEO of Proficient Construction and winner of QXO’s 2025 North American Female Roofing Professional of the Year Award, wants more people to know. We interviewed her for an episode of Roofing Road Trips® where she shared more of her thoughts. 

Rachel has experienced the diversity of work options available across the industry firsthand. She shared a bit about the different roles she has been in, explaining, “I have always been in different roles within the industry. I've ran crews. I've been a field supervisor. I've done marketing. I've done door knocking. I've ran canvassing teams, call centers, all of that.”  

Her main takeaway from those different experiences? More people need to know they have options in roofing! She explained, “Not many women think about roofing for a career path. There’s an idea that all you can do is stack up shingles, you know, putting them on your shoulders, going up on the roof and nailing them, but there's so many different careers.”  

Rachel hopes that programs like QXO’s North American Female Roofing Professional of the Year will help raise awareness of the variety of careers available in the roofing industry. She elaborated, “QXO does a really good job showcasing women in construction. I really appreciate what they stand for and it's cool that they really want to see more education in front of women, getting them into the trades and into those different careers.”  

Listen to the full podcast to learn more about Rachel and her journey to being QXO’s 2025 North American Female Roofing Professional of the Year.