What to Look for in a Orange County Roofing Contractor

SELECT ShingleMaster^TM Orange County Roofing Contractors

When you’re looking for Orange County roofing contractors for your roof repair or replacement, do you know what to look for? One obvious place to begin is with licensing information. You definitely need to ensure that the contractor you hire is licensed in the State of California.

While licensed professionals have a certain level of expertise and experience, not all professionals are excellent at what they do. So how do you find the best contractors out there, who can offer excellent products, excellent service, and excellent guarantees?

One option is to look at third party certifications, such as those offered by renowned roofing products company CertainTeed. This company offers extra certifications to businesses who sell its products - which are known for their high quality and great warranties. So if you’re looking for a roofing contractor in Orange County, check to see if they have additional CertainTeed certifications.

How it Works

CertainTeed offers several certifications, some of which are based on tests of knowledge. In other words, a roofer has to know and understand certain principles of roofing to become a Shingle Quality Specialist^TM.Next, a roofer can become a Master Shingle Applicator^TM with another test.

To become a ShingleMaster^TM contractor, a company must hire a qualified crew with at least one job supervisor certified as a ShingleMaster^TM, or they’ll have to send some of their supervisors to an extensive ShingleMaster^TM Credential Course put on by CertainTeed. Courses like these ensure that roofing crews have the knowledge they need to properly install products and to make customers - like you - happy.

When you’re shopping for Orange County roofing contractors, any of these certifications is a clue that you’re working with a company that cares about quality. But the certification you really want to look for is that of SELECT ShingleMaster^TM. Unlike the first two certifications, this one is about much more than passing a test. Roofers with this certification have a track record of providing the highest-quality work around.

What it Takes

So what does it take for a roofing contractor to become a SELECT ShingleMaster^TM? Here are the requirements for a contracting company to earn this rigorous certification:

• Must have been in business for at least 5 years, or been a ShingleMaster^TM for at least one year
• Have 50% of their shingle installation crew, plus any job supervisors, certified at the Master Shingle Applicator^TM level
• Employ a Shingle Quality Specialist^TM
• Have a company owner who has passed the Business Fiscal Responsibility^TM exam
• Hold current liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance, as required by their state’s laws

As you can see, for a company to rise to the level of SELECT ShingleMaster^TM certification takes quite a bit of work, planning, and experience!

Why it’s Important

CertainTeed certifications are certainly not the only third-party certifications for roofing contractors. The point here is not that you must hire a SELECT ShingleMaster^TM certified company. The point is that you, as a consumer and homeowner, should understand what these certifications are and how they work.

A company that is dedicated to quality work will want to work towards third-party certifications like these - even if those certifications take a lot of time and effort. These are the sorts of things that set Orange County roofing contractors with experience apart from newer - or, perhaps, less reputable - companies.

Often times, companies who have these certifications will advertise that on their websites or brochures. But don’t take a company at its word about a fancy-looking title. A quick Google search will reveal the criteria for earning that title. As you’ve seen, some of the CertainTeed certifications would look snazzy on a website, but they’re really the most basic options that the shingle company offers. They’re a start, but a company that’s been in business for a long time should have higher-level certifications to show for its experience.

Also, sometimes these certifications can come with added value for you. For instance, sometimes more highly-certified roofers can offer better warranties on their roofs. For instance, with CertainTeed, highly-credentialed roofers can offer extended warranty coverage to their customers.

Why is this? It’s because the shingle company only wants to offer long-term warranties on work that’s done right. Otherwise, they risk paying out too much for warranties just because the roofing company didn’t do its job. So when you work with a SELECT ShingleMaster^TM, you could have access to a better warranty - or even better pricing - than if you choose a non-credentialed roofer.

Again, there’s more that goes into choosing a roofing company than just third-party credentials. But these are an important item to note when you’re choosing between Orange County roofing companies. You’ll also want to consider things like customer reviews, local licensing, and the actual quotes that a company gives you.

If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to Luke Roofing. A long-established Orange County roofer, we provide prompt, reliable expertise for every residential roofing need and situation. Wherever and whenever you need roofing services in Newport Coast or anywhere else in OC, you definitely can count on Luke Roofing.