There are a lot of roofing contractors out there, some new and some old. One of the easiest ways to figure out if a contractor has many years of quality experience and training is to see if they are certified by a reputable manufacturer. To become certified, a contractor has to go through meticulous training, demonstrate many years of competence on the job, and continuing education. The most reliable way to learn about a contractor’s certification status is through the manufacturer’s website – it will show their list of certified contractors. Unfortunately, not every contractor is honest about their certification, so it’s best to do a quick search and see if they actually are certified by the manufacturer that they claim to be certified by.

What a manufacturer certification says about a contractor

If you manage to confirm that a contractor is certified, then you can be certain that they are also licensed and insured. You can be sure that the manufacturer has fully vetted the contractor before they were allowed to begin the certification program. In the case of GAF, their Master Elite certification requires 7 years of experience repairing, replacing and installing roofs in addition to that they must install a certain number of system warranty roofs. Every certified contractor is also required to have a 99% satisfaction rating in their local area to ensure that their contractors provide the best possible customer service. In addition to demonstrating elite proficiency and customer service, the certified contractor also has to show a commitment to ongoing training – keeping up with the latest roofing technologies and methods.

Manufacturers offer the best warranties to their
certified contractors

If a manufacturer is going to stand by a 50 year warranty, they certainly want to make sure that the contractor performing the install has extensive experience using their products and knowledge of how their roofing systems work. All of the hard work that a contractor goes through to become certified is for the benefit of the homeowner. They have the working knowledge to install entire roof systems with minimal error and in turn, the homeowner gets several different warranty options that a non-certified contractor can’t offer.

Some of the best certifications to look for are GAF and Owens Corning. Roofing Turtle has put in the work to become GAF certified so that we can offer you the best roof warranties on the market.