When you are looking to hire a roofing company, you’re likely looking for ways to differentiate your top choices. As your list gets narrower and narrower, it can be difficult to make that final decision. Obviously, you do your homework and make sure you aren’t going get ripped off, but how to judge the final contenders that check out?
One of the easier ways to differentiate roof contractors is to look for and compare industry certifications and awards. Roofing material manufacturers like GAF and CertainTeed offer programs that allow roof contractors to prove themselves and achieve different levels of certification to show to potential customers their commitment to quality and high customer satisfaction through special badges indicating their status. This allows homeowners and commercial building owners to quickly see which roof contractors have achieved these levels and compare their accomplishments.
Now certifications and awards are well and good, but what if you aren’t in the industry and don’t actually know what these awards actually mean or who is giving them out? They sound good and badges always look great, but what does it mean to YOU, dear homeowner?
For starters, if a company has a huge list of “awards” and “certifications” from places you’ve never heard of, it’s good to be skeptical! These days anyone can create a nice badge and crown themselves “King Roofer 2022” and that means nothing to consumers. So, stick with the known companies, click on the badge to see who’s giving it. If you aren’t sure about a company, “Google” them! Don’t be fooled by fake accolades.
For the purposes of this post we will be describing the different levels of residential certifications that GAF, one of the largest, most respected names in the industry, offers and what it means for the roofing company that holds them.
Who Is GAF?
GAF is the leading roofing and waterproofing manufacturer in North America who have been around for 135 years. As one of the largest, most respected names in the roofing industry, they offer a certification program for all contractors that use their products. These certifications help consumers understand the roofing company they are considering and what kind of business they run.
GAF Residential Roofing Certifications
GAF Authorized
The lowest tier certification, this is awarded to contractors reviewed by GAF and authorized to sell their catalogue of products.
This also allows recipients to offer GAF’s System Plus Limited Warranty, providing a 50-year coverage on all material defects
GAF Certified
The next level is a GAF Certified badge. To be obtain this certification, a company must be licensed in its state (if its state requires a license), maintain a BBB rating that is satisfactory and verified by GAF, and commit to continuous training of their crews, so that they are always up-to-date on the latest methods and products.
GAF Master Elite
The highest level of the certification program is GAF’s Master Elite status. This certification means that a roof contractor has met all of the requirements to be Certified, plus carries an adequate insurance policy, protecting customers from financial liability in the case of any injuries or property damage during the process of a job.
The big benefit of holding this certification is that it allows roof contractors to offer GAF’s Golden Pledge Limited Warranty. This provides the 50-year defect coverage of the System Plus warranty, while adding a 25-year workmanship coverage. That means that GAF will cover any issues caused by product defects, or installation errors for 25 years after the roof was installed, even if the roof contractor who installed it is no longer in business!
The warranty also allows for a customer to request a 40-point problem prevention inspection, conducted by GAF, to ensure that their roofing system was installed correctly, and that they won’t need to be called on again to fix mistakes made by the roof contractor down the road.
GAF President’s Club
For “The Best of The Best”. Though not necessarily a part of its standard certification program, GAF offers its “President’s Club” award to less than 2% of roofing companies in the nation. Master Elite Roofing contractors qualify for this award by adhering to strict requirements in a number of ways, including:
- a long history of offering the best quality and protection to their customers
- contractors that participate in activities that focus on giving their customers the best possible service, protection and quality
- contractors that consistently offer their customers the best possible warranty protection.
Atlanta Roofing Specialists attained this award for 2022.
Hopefully, this helps you understand the GAF certification process a little better so when you see these badges on roofs you are looking into you know what they mean and how that affects you and your home. When looking for a roof contractor, look for these and other certifications by major industry players and know the roofer your hiring will do the job right!
Atlanta Roofing Specialists is a GAF Master Elite & 2022 GAF President’s Club recipient, with 30 years of service in Metro Atlanta, GA. Contact us today at (770) 419-2222 for your free, no-obligation estimate on your next residential or commercial roofing project!