Is your roofer certified?
What the heck does that even mean?
Recently, a viewer of our YouTube videos left a comment on one of our videos about this issue of roofers being certified. The video was "5 Questions You Must Ask A Roofer." We made this video to give homeowners a foundation upon which they can evaluate the roofers they're talking to. The reason we think this is an important video is because, for many people, the time when they're interacting with a roofer is normally when the roofer shows up at their front door after a hail storm and wants to get on the roof to do his "free inspection."
If you're a homeowner, how in the world can you know if these roofers are any good or not? Are they trust-worthy? Are they honest? Do they know what they're doing?
So we provide a really short list of questions you can ask the roofers to help you evaluate which ones you may want doing your project if your roof does need some work.
But George took issue with me. He left a comment on the video questioning not just my advice, but my experience as a roofing contractor as well. He said, "Hmm. I question whether you really have the experience. To me one of the most important questions is are you certified."
I thought that was a fair question to ask a roofer, but it requires some qualification. What I mean by that is, if you ask your roofer, "Are you certified?" and he says, "Yep," then what? What does that tell you? Does that give you enough information about him or his company to know if you want to hire him?
What does certification mean for a roofer?
Here are just a couple of examples.
Most, if not all, shingle manufacturers offer certification programs for roofing contractors. Many of them, especially some of the larger and most well-known shingle companies have certification programs that are available to roofers at a "buy-in" level. That means that to become "certified" with those shingle companies, all a roofer has to do is be able to pay the entrance fee and then complete a certain number of qualified roofs each year.
Does that tell you whether or not the roofer is qualified? Does it say anything about his aptitude to do the job correctly? Does it reveal anything about his knowledge of roof installations?
I would say that it doesn't.
By contrast, the shingle manufacturer, CertainTeed, has their own certification programs. One is called The ShingleMaster and the other is The Select ShingleMaster. Each of these programs require the shingle installers, project managers, and the business owner to take and pass a knowledge test about shingle installation. If the business wants to become a Select ShingleMaster, then the business owner must also pass a business knowledge test to demonstrate that he understands how to run a business. The CertainTeed ShingleMaster program is designed to demonstrate aptitude in roofing and business practices. (Disclaimer: Homestead Roofing is a CertainTeed Select Shinglemaster)
Another type of certification is administered by an organization called Haag Engineering. It's the Certified Residential Roof Inspector. This requires about 30 hours of online classroom study followed by a 4 hour test. This certification is designed to instruct the student in identifying storm damage on all types of roofing material. Homestead Roofing's project manager, Jeff Smith, is a Haag Certified Residential Roof Inspector.
There are a multitude of other certification programs. The commercial roofing material manufacturers have their own programs; some of the contractor marketing websites have certification programs; the National Roofing Contractor Association has a credentialed program; and there's even an organization called Certified Contractor's Network, although I'm not sure that they actually certify any of the contractors in anything specific.
So before you let a roofer convince you that he's the right contractor for your job, do some research, ask the right questions, and find out what he means when he says he's "certified."
Homestead Roofing has inspected, repaired, and replaced thousands of roofs in Colorado Springs and the surrounding counties.
As a family-owned business, we take every project personally, committing all our efforts to ensure you and your loved ones have an excellent roof for your living space. Contact us today for more information about our roofing solutions.
