Roofer Chiara has built her career from the ground up—from a 9-to-5 office worker to on-site expert, from apprentice to master of the trade. This is her first large-scale job since becoming site manager. We got to spend a day with Chiara to find out what makes her tick, who’s cheering her on from the sidelines, and what her plans for the future are.
Wattenscheid, Bochum. It’s approaching 6 o’clock on a warm June morning. It’s 63 degrees out, but the fresh morning air is still chilly enough to raise the hairs on your arms. Over at the yard, Chiara and her colleagues load ladders, toolboxes, and roof battens into the dark blue Monteton roofing company vans. Today, we’re joining them on another large construction site in the heart of Bochum. For the past year, around ten employees have been working on over 26,000 square feet of flat roof each day. “It’s our biggest project to date,” explains Chiara. It’s also her first job since she became a qualified roofer and site manager.
Going All In
March 2023. It’s an overcast day and drizzling heavily. It’s been over a year since we’ve seen Chiara—the last time we saw her, she was an apprentice working on the roof of an apartment complex and had been telling us all about her plans to become a qualified roofer. “It’s a nine-month course preparing me for the mastership exam. After that, I’ll officially be a qualified roofer—or so I hope!” Something Chiara had initially underestimated, but it was soon to become her biggest challenge. Thinking back on how she managed to study to gain her qualification and continue to work hard on her business, all while posting content for her almost 300,000 Instagram and TikTok followers, she muses, “I had to go all in.”
Life on Site
The outer walls of the U-shaped building complex are lined with scaffolding. We start off with the apartments on the left-hand side, climbing 15 meters up the ladder to the seventh floor. Monteton’s freight elevator leans against the wall, lifting the parapet into place. Chiara and her colleague Manu hang over the scaffolding, keeping an eye on proceedings. As the load approaches, they reach out and grab the silver aluminum plate, pulling it toward them. Together the pair work to balance the panels on the riveted scaffolding floor, which wobbles and sways as they work. They continue like this, methodically laying each panel, screwing on the brackets, clicking in the sheets, and removing the film. The aluminum reflects the sun and the heat hits us in the face. 10am. 73 degrees. Chiara is headed downstairs to the site manager’s meeting.
100 People, 20 Trades, 1 Woman
Monteton has been working on this site for a year, sending out two or three teams a day which is equivalent to around a third of their workforce. In total, between 100 and 150 different skilled workers are on the job at any one time. Now we didn’t really want to bring it up, but it’s too obvious not to mention: Chiara is the only woman on site. “I really don’t think people understand what I—a woman—am doing here,” she shares. When people don’t take her seriously, Chiara remains cool and calm, exuding an impressive air of professionalism. “It’s not always easy, though,” she admits. Although the working environment can be difficult to navigate at times, qualifying as a roofer has boosted her confidence both professionally and personally.
Chiara and Luca, the Dynamic Sibling Duo
Chiara’s dad Ingo gave her her first taste of construction work when she dropped out of college to complete an apprenticeship at her parents’ company. During our last visit, she explained, “It was the only thing I enjoyed doing.” Ingo has since taken a backseat from on-site work, focusing on the administrative side of things instead. These days, he only works two or three days a week, and likes to work from home. Discussing the latest developments after taking over the business from her dad, Chiara reports, “The yard is full of cars now—Luca hired ten new employees while I was studying for my qualification, so he can see we’re doing well.” Chiara’s brother Luca supported her when she had to take three months off work to finish school. “We get on really well. Although there are times we don’t see eye to eye, we always make up quickly,” Chiara enthuses. Luca, who’s sitting in the office next door during our interview with Chiara, smiles when he hears what his big sister has to say about their relationship.
Off the Clock—But for One Night Only
After the site manager’s meeting, Chiara moves to the right-hand side of the building complex, where a hotel is to be built. We climb 25 meters back up the scaffolding. The flat roof is to be landscaped, but first the team has to seal the substrate with bitumen sheeting. Five workers use gas burners to heat the black underside of the sheets and activate the adhesive. The cylinder heads spit flames from below, while the sun beats down on our heads from above, and safety-boot-clad apprentices roll out the tracks. 12 noon. 86 degrees. Chiara calls it a day for the team. If everything goes according to plan, Monteton will finish up work on their first large-scale job in September.
Best Roofers in Bochum
When we ask Chiara about her plans for the future, she makes one thing very clear—this definitely won’t be their last big job. “I’ve been dreaming of adding another team, a couple more cars, and a new press brake for a long time.” But the most important thing is that all her employees are happy. “As long as the boys are okay, then I’m okay,” she declares. Her ultimate goal is to become the go-to roofing company in Bochum—for young aspiring roofers, as well as for her customers. “If you’re living in Bochum and wake up one day thinking ‘I want to be a roofer’, give Monteton a call,” she grins. One thing’s for sure—this won’t be the last we hear of Chiara.
