Because your roof is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your home, it’s important to verify any claims that your contractor makes before any work starts. For example, any company can put “GAF-certified roofers” on a truck or a website, even if their certification has lapsed. Thankfully, that claim takes only a few minutes to confirm, and it’s worth doing before you sign anything for a project this significant.
Why Verification Is Important
GAF-certified contractors must meet program requirements that include product and installation training and standards for customer service. Depending on the contractor’s certification level, GAF may also give the contractor access to enhanced warranty options that aren’t available to every roofer.
Those benefits are one reason it is important to verify the certification rather than simply taking the contractor’s word for it. If the contractor’s certification is no longer current, or if they hold a different designation than you were led to believe, you may not receive the warranty options you expected when you hired them. Worse yet, the workmanship may not be up to GAF’s standards.
Verifying the contractor through GAF lets you see their current certification and designation. If a contractor is offering a GAF warranty, you can also confirm that the warranty is one they are authorized to offer. That small step can help you understand what you’re actually getting when you choose a GAF-certified contractor.
How To Confirm That Your Contractor is GAF Certified
Nothing stops a contractor from describing themselves as certified, even if their standing with the manufacturer has lapsed or never reached the tier they’re implying. Thankfully, there are a few steps you can take to verify your contractor’s certification status before any work happens on your home.
Step 1: Use GAF’s Official Contractor Locator
GAF maintains a public contractor locator tool that lists certified contractors by region and their current certification level. A search for a specific company name here lets you find out whether the contractor is listed and, if so, at which tier.
This tool relies on GAF’s own records, which makes it a reliable source for confirming a certification claim. If a company name doesn’t appear in the locator, you may want to follow up or look for further confirmation.
This step generally removes the guesswork entirely. Rather than relying on a truck decal or a website badge that anyone can display, the locator shows exactly what GAF itself currently has on record for that specific company.
Step 2: Ask for the Specific Certification Tier
“GAF-certified” often gets used loosely in casual conversation, but the actual tiers matter. Ask specifically whether a contractor holds Master Elite® status, which goes to roughly the top 2% of roofing contractors nationwide, or the President’s Club recognition, which is reserved for a smaller group within that tier.
Vague language like “we’re GAF certified” without a specific tier specified warrants a direct follow-up question, since the difference between tiers affects both installation standards and the warranty coverage available to you.
Step 3: Confirm the Certification and Specific Tier Is Current
Certification isn’t permanent. GAF requires companies complete ongoing training and meet performance standards to maintain higher tiers, which means a contractor who held Master Elite® status several years ago isn’t necessarily still holding it today.
This detail may not come up unless you ask directly. A contractor whose status has slipped doesn’t necessarily do worse work than before. Still, manufacturer-backed guarantees tied to active certification, such as enhanced warranty tiers, typically depend on maintaining current standing rather than on a certification earned in the past.
Ask when the contractor’s certification was last renewed or reviewed, and cross-check that against what the GAF contractor locator currently shows. Since updating a website is often a lower priority than an active project pipeline, a lapsed certification may still be mentioned in marketing materials.
Step 4: Ask What Warranty Tier the Certification Provides
Certification level and warranty access are directly connected. Higher certification tiers often provide access to stronger manufacturer-backed warranties, sometimes including extended workmanship coverage that lasts for decades beyond a standard warranty.
Ask your residential roofing contractor what warranty tier your specific project qualifies for based on their certification. A contractor’s certification level determines the ceiling on what warranty is even possible. This step protects you from a mismatch between a contractor’s promise of a warranty that sounds impressive without confirming whether their actual certification tier supports it.
What Does It Take to Become GAF Certified?
To earn GAF-certified status, companies have to meet requirements established by the manufacturer.
Contractors Have to Keep Learning
Roofing products and installation practices change, so GAF doesn’t treat training as a one-time requirement for its higher-level contractors. Master Elite contractors, for example, must earn learning credits each year to maintain their status. GAF’s program guidelines also require participating contractors to follow its expectations for professionalism, communication, responsiveness, honesty, and customer service.
For you as a homeowner, that means the certification represents more than familiarity with a particular brand of shingles. There are ongoing requirements behind the designation, and contractors have to continue meeting them to maintain certain levels of GAF certification.
Installers Need Training
The contractor’s certification isn’t the only training involved. GAF also provides training for employees of certified contractors, including training focused on proper installation of GAF roofing products. Its training materials have included requirements for foremen and installers to complete product and installation training and pass knowledge reviews.
The person who sells you the roof isn’t necessarily the person who installs it. When you’re evaluating a contractor, it’s reasonable to ask who will actually perform the work and what training those installers have received.
GAF Watches Contractor Performance
GAF’s requirements also go beyond technical roofing knowledge. Its program guidelines establish expectations for how contractors interact with homeowners, including being professional, communicating clearly, responding to customers, and providing homeowners with information to help them make decisions.
For example, Master Elite contractors must meet annual requirements that include learning credits as well as minimum amounts of qualifying roofing activity. Meeting those requirements is necessary for renewal, although it does not guarantee continued Master Elite status.
What This Means When You’re Choosing a Roofer
When you know what goes into a certification, you have a better reason to verify it. You’re checking whether the company currently holds a designation that reflects the requirements GAF has set for its contractor program.
That doesn’t guarantee that every roofing project will go perfectly. But it does give you additional information about the company you’re considering.
Before You Hire a Salt Lake City Roofer
Verification takes a few minutes and costs nothing, making it one of the easiest steps to protect your roofing project. GAF makes this process easy, since the information you’re checking is public and easy to find. When you’re searching for roofing contractors in Salt Lake City, be sure to verify any claims they make to ensure you’re making the best decision for your roofing project.