You’re comparing Utah roofing contractors, and one certification keeps showing up. The first contractor’s truck has “GAF-certified” printed across the side. The second mentions the same certification on its website. A third includes it in a quote sitting on your kitchen table. At first glance, it seemed like you’d found an easy way to separate qualified roofers from everyone else.
But there’s a catch. “GAF-certified” is not a single designation. GAF offers different levels of contractor certification, and each comes with its own requirements, benefits and eligibility. That means two roofers can both accurately describe themselves as GAF-certified while having very different credentials.
If you’re hiring someone to replace your roof, you probably want to know what certification the company actually holds, what that certification means, and whether you can verify the claim yourself before signing a contract.
The good news is that with the right information, you can look beyond the logo on a truck or the certification badge on a website and confirm which designation a contractor has earned. Here’s how to check it and what to look for along the way.
GAF’s Certification Tiers Are Not Equal
GAF has three residential contractor certification levels: GAF Certified™, GAF Certified Plus™, and GAF Master Elite®. It also recognizes select Master Elite contractors through its President’s Club Award. Each designation comes with different requirements and access to different enhanced warranty options.
GAF Certified is the basic certification level. Contractors must meet GAF’s program requirements, which include state licensing where required, liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. GAF may also consider factors such as roofing experience and customer reviews when determining program eligibility. Certified contractors can offer GAF’s System Plus Limited Warranty on qualifying roofing systems.
GAF Certified Plus adds another level of eligibility. These contractors can offer both the System Plus and Silver Pledge enhanced warranties on qualifying roofing systems. The certification level can affect which GAF warranty options a homeowner can receive when choosing a particular contractor.
GAF Master Elite has more stringent requirements and is the certification level GAF describes as representing the top 2% of roofing contractors. Master Elite contractors can offer GAF’s Golden Pledge Limited Warranty on qualifying systems, in addition to the enhanced warranties available at the lower certification levels. GAF’s current program requirements include licensing, insurance, training, and other eligibility criteria. GAF may also consider factors such as roofing experience and customer reviews when determining eligibility.
Then there is the President’s Club Award. This is not another certification level but a recognition GAF gives to select Master Elite contractors for performance, reliability, and service. GAF currently recognizes President’s Club winners at one-, two- and three-star levels. The current warranty materials specifically identify three-star President’s Club winners as eligible to offer the President’s Club Limited Warranty on qualifying systems.
For homeowners, the practical takeaway is simple. “GAF-certified” by itself doesn’t tell you which designation a roofer holds. Before hiring a GAF-certified roofer, check the company’s current GAF profile and look for the specific certification or award listed there. The distinction can affect which enhanced warranty the contractor is authorized to offer.
How to Check a Contractor’s Claim
GAF maintains a public contractor locator on its own website. You can search by location or company name to find a contractor’s profile page. That page lists their current tier, contractor ID number, and how long they have held their current status.
That page is the fastest way to confirm a claim. Here are a few things to look for once you find their listing:
- Which specific tier is shown, since “certified” alone does not tell you whether it means Certified, Certified Plus, or Master Elite
- Whether the business name on the listing matches the contractor in front of you
- Whether the President’s Club or any other distinction appears alongside Master Elite
Checking this information only takes a few minutes, and it turns a verbal claim into concrete fact.
What to Do If the Claim Does Not Match
Sometimes, you may not find a roof repair company on GAF’s contractor locator at all. When that happens, don’t immediately assume the company is unqualified, but don’t ignore the discrepancy either. Start by checking the company’s name carefully, including alternate business names or spelling variations. If you still cannot find a match, ask the contractor to explain its current GAF status and provide documentation supporting the certification it advertises.
The same approach applies when the contractor’s advertising uses a broad claim that doesn’t match the specific designation shown in GAF’s records. A company may describe itself simply as “GAF-certified” even though its actual designation is Certified Plus or Master Elite. That wording isn’t necessarily misleading, but it doesn’t tell you which certification level the company currently holds. The GAF listing gives you a more precise way to verify the claim.
If you cannot find the contractor in GAF’s records or the information differs from what the company has advertised, ask questions before moving forward. Find out whether the certification is current, whether the company operates under another business name and which GAF warranties it is authorized to offer.
If the contractor’s explanation still doesn’t line up with GAF’s records, you have useful information to consider before signing a roofing contract.
What a Real Master Elite Claim Looks Like
BigHorn Roofing holds GAF Master Elite® status and is Utah’s only GAF 3-Star President’s Club contractor, a distinction earned by adhering to GAF’s ongoing standards of excellence. The company prides itself on maintaining this status and in providing high-quality roofing services.
A truck door or a sales pitch is not proof of anything on its own. When comparing what roofing contractors in Provo have to offer, look up each one’s GAF distinction before the estimate appointment. Let what the locator shows guide the conversation from the start.