What credentials should a roofing contractor have?

I was inspired to write up this ‘homework’ after talking with my neighbor recently. 6 months ago she had hired a roofer after seeing his advertisement on a telephone pole. She thought he seemed nice enough and charged a reasonable price to re-roof her house. And he did arrive on time to start the work. 6 months later she had 3 leaks in her house. But that wasn’t the worst part – the roofer had disconnected his phone number. Needless to say my neighbor was not pleased. But after further investigation she found out that the roofer wasn’t even licensed or insured. So the end result was that she had been left to deal with the damage to her house, and she was left high and dry with no way to try to get her money back.

So how does someone do their research to hire a roofer that won’t cost them money in the long run? This is a question that has really been on my mind lately because most people research and hire a roofer after something has already gone wrong. Something expensive to fix.

Next up are the credentials of any roofer that you are looking to hire to work on your home. These are the non-negotiables that will save you money in the long run. Most homeowners are unaware of what they need to do in order to research a roofer properly until something goes wrong with their roof and they have incurred significant expense to fix the problem.

The non-negotiables before anything else

First off, the minimum required credentials for any roofing contractor are: Licensing and insurance. There are many other credentials a roofing contractor can have, but these are the most important and must be met before moving on to others.

One thing to remember is that different states have different licensing requirements. This means that in some states a contractor can work with out a license while in other states every contractor must have a license. And just because a contractor is licensed in your state does not mean that they are qualified to do your job. Many trades are required by law to be licensed, roofing is one of the few trades that are required by law to be licensed because it is so dangerous. And just because a contractor is licensed does not mean that they are good at their job. It only means that they have met the minimum requirements for getting a license in the state in which they are working. So make sure you check the licensing requirements in your state and then make sure that your contractor has met those requirements.

Insurance is typically written in two separate policies, a liability policy and a workers compensation policy. Liability coverage protects the homeowner from damage that the contractor causes to the home while performing repairs. Workman’s compensation covers the contractor and his workers for medical expenses if they are injured on the job.

• General liability insurance covers damage to your property if something goes wrong during the job
• Workers’ compensation insurance covers the crew if someone gets hurt on your roof. Without it, that liability can fall on you as the property owner

When verifying a roofer’s insurance ask for certificates of insurance and ensure they are up to date prior to the commencement of the work. Typically any quality roofing contractor can supply certificates prior to starting on your home.

What manufacturer certifications actually mean (and why most people tune out too early)

In addition to a contractor’s licensure and insurance, homeowners can also look into manufacturer certifications for roofing contractors. The major roofing manufacturers – GAF, Owens Corning, and CertainTeed – all have programs for authorized contractors. Contractors who are certified by these manufacturers agree to install their products according to the manufacturer’s specifications and the homeowners are then covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for the roofing materials. Typically, these warranties are much longer than a typical warranty for similar products would be. For example, while a typical warranty for shingles might last for 25 years, a contractor who is certified by GAF might offer a warranty on GAF shingles that lasts for 50 years. However, this warranty would only cover material defects. The installer portion of the warranty would typically only last for 25 years, similar to a typical warranty for shingles. That being said, the warranty on the materials would typically be significantly longer than a typical warranty for similar products, and would be a major selling point

On top of this, the major roofing manufacturers such as GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed and more have certification programs for their approved contractors. This is where the homeowner can really make the most out of their research because these certification programs require contractors to follow the most stringent of standards to install products under the manufacturer’s brand name. Furthermore, to become certified by these manufacturers, contractors are required to possess adequate insurance to cover their customers in the case of an accident on the job. It is also typical for these manufacturers to require their certified contractors to have an excellent record of previous work as well. These programs essentially grant their approved contractors a “franchise” to do business under the roofing manufacturer’s brand name and as you can probably imagine, these manufacturers put a lot of money into establishing and upholding these certification programs so it is safe to say that only the very best of the best are granted this privilege.

Once you’ve determined that your roofer has the proper licensing and the proper insurance, then we can get to the good stuff. The good stuff for homeowners is manufacturer certifications for specific roofing products. Most of the major roofing manufacturers, GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, have programs in place to certify specific contractors to install their roofing products. These contractors are typically held to a higher standard for their installation of that specific product line and the homeowner can reap the rewards of a longer warranty for that roof. Typically, the shingles on a roof are warranted for 25 years or more, but that’s just the material. What’s more important to homeowners is the warranty on the roof as a whole. Most of these manufacturer certifications carry a 25 year warranty on the installation of the roof, and that’s a huge area of exposure for homeowners. A failed shingle is one thing, but a failed roof installation is an entirely different ball game. And the manufacturer’s warranty for the installation of a roof covers that type of failure, not the warranty on the individual shingle.

Below is a chart comparing the levels of certification with what you can expect to receive with each level of certification. Please note that for the best warranty coverage it is best to seek a Master Elite ^{SM} certified contractor.

Local Knowledge

The biggest myth about hiring a roofer is that hiring a nationally recognized, large regional company is better than hiring a local contractor who could be a “fly-by-night” guy. However, local contractors have more to lose by failing to complete quality work for their customers. As a contractor, word of mouth is the best advertising for a company, and that is how local, independent contractors are able to compete with larger, corporate organizations. Large regional contractors with nationally recognized names can have regional offices that are 2 hours or more from the customer. Unless the customer is willing to wait a couple of days for return phone calls, emails, or visits, they are unlikely to get the level of service and personal attention that they deserve from a contractor who is not local. In addition, it is well known that the regional offices of these large, corporate contractors do not always follow the rules as local, independent contractors. Therefore, the best contractor for any job is a homeowner should be looking for is a local contractor that has a lot of knowledge of the local market.

It is also very important to know that the manufacturers of roofing materials have created certification programs for roofing contractors to become certified to install their specific products. Contractors who go through these programs are held to higher standards for installation of that manufacturer’s specific roofing products, and the homeowner can receive extended warranties on those products that are backed by the manufacturer as well as the contractor. These warranties can extend the length of time that the homeowner receives coverage on the roofing materials as well as cover defects in the installation of those materials as well. These warranties can be a huge amount of money to the homeowner over the life of the warranty, and is definitely worth doing some research into the various certification programs that are available for contractors to become certified in different roofing products.

(Additionally, the fact that a contractor has an office that you can drive past is a good indicator that they will be accountable for their work. This is the geography of accountability, which is especially relevant when searching for roofing contractors Rockville MD.)

Common mistakes homeowners make when checking credentials

The common mistakes that people make when they try to verify the credentials of a contractor are typically similar.

• Accepting a verbal “yes, we’re licensed” without asking to see the actual license number
• Assuming a low bid means the contractor skimped on materials, when sometimes it means they skimped on insurance
• Overlooking the workers’ comp piece entirely because it sounds like the contractor’s problem — until it isn’t
• Not checking whether the manufacturer certification is current. Some expire. Some get revoked.

I wish people knew how to verify a contractor’s credentials in 20 minutes or less. The process can be as simple as making a few phone calls or searching the web for information about the contractor. It can also be as simple as asking a few direct questions. This is a process that can save a homeowner a lot of trouble in the long run. My neighbor for example, hired a contractor to do some repairs on his home. The contractor did not have any licenses or permits to do the work that he did. My neighbor did not verify the contractor’s credentials prior to hiring him doing the work. He thought it would not make a difference in the end. Well it did make a difference. For several months after the repairs were completed, my neighbor’s house would leak. All of this could have been avoided if he had taken the time to verify the contractor’s credentials prior to him doing the work. It would have only taken 20 minutes or less of his time.

One last thing worth saying plainly

Having a contractor’s credentials means that he or she is accountable for their work. As mentioned earlier, having a license to work in your state, having insurance to protect himself and your home, and being certified by a manufacturer to install specific roofing products does not necessarily mean that the contractor is producing quality work. However, it does mean that poor work will be covered by the contractor’s work, by the insurance that the contractor has, by the licensing board of the state in which you live, and by the manufacturer’s warranty on the materials as well as the work. In addition to all of that, you would also be able to file a lawsuit against the contractor for any defective work that they perform. This is why having a contractor’s credentials is so very important.

This house is your house. Your roof is the first line of defense against rain, snow, sleet and sun. Take the 20 minutes required to check a contractor’s credentials before you commit to hiring him.