Inquire about “roofing warranties in Houston.” A reputable roofing company should offer warranties and guarantees on their work, providing you with peace of mind and quality assurance.
Many Houston roofing companies offer a lifetime workmanship warranty, 15, 10, and 5 years on workmanship. But do those warranties carry any weight? You’re right; those warranties do not have any weight.
The safe choice as a homeowner is to ask for manufacturer-certified warranties; I put together a list of the largest shingles manufacturer companies and the level of credentials required to offer those warranties. Always check the manufacturer’s website to verify if the roofing contractor has the certifications they claim to have and if they are up to date.
GAF takes very seriously how they handle their credentials, especially their GAF Master Elite Certification.
The top shingles manufacturers you can take seriously are GAF and Owens Corning.
This Shingles Manufacturer has two levels of certification that are:
GAF
- GAF Certified Contractor
- GAF Master Elite
OWENS CORNING
- Owens Corning Preferred Contractor
- Owens Corning Platinum Contractor
In both shingles, manufacturers have entry-level requirements to earn a very easy minimum, like having an office, registered business, general liability insurance, and other minimum requirements.
But the GAF Master Elite credentials and Owens Corning Platinum Credentials are tough to earn. Therefore, they are extremely cautious about whom they handle their credentials, and the contractor has to pass a rigorous verification process, such as a background check and credit check. Plus, there is feedback from 60 customers for the last three years on customers with their roofing installation under their entry-level certification plus their construction knowledge.
Suppose you live in a state with no roofing licensing requirement, like Texas. In that case, hiring a contractor with these credentials can benefit you as a consumer.
Also, and most importantly, hiring these contractors unlocks some warranties that a GAF Master Elite Contractor and Owens Corning Platinum Contractor can only handle. For example, a GAF Master Elite Contractor can give you a warranty where the shingles are guaranteed 50 years against manufacturer defects and 25 years of protection against installation errors. Your manufacturer’s shingles cover everything, not your roofing contractor.
I know that manufacturer warranties have many gaps. Still, when you get one of these warranties in your house, your contractor must comply with manufacturer installation standards and provide you with premier shingles, not second-hand shingles, AKA recycling shingles. These, AKA defective shingles, didn’t pass the quality control. However, the contractor has to register those warranties and make sure to receive the guarantee in writing. You don’t have anything if you don’t have it on paper.