Jackie, a first-time homeowner, had a pleasant 3-bedroom house in Staten Island. When she needed her roof replaced, she got three bids from different Staten Island roofing contractors. Each had good ratings on Google and Facebook. A young, energetic contractor quoted her at a lower price than his competitors and won the bid. In very little time, Jackie had an attractive new roof. She was delighted.
A little over a year later, Jackie walked outside after a thunderstorm to find a shingle laying in her yard. Two weeks and two storms later, there were a dozen more. And her roof was leaking near the dormer windows in her upstairs bedroom.
While frustrated, Jackie was glad that she’d purchased a 10-year warranty on materials and labor at the time of installation. Getting this fixed should only take a phone call.
… Or so she thought.
According to the Better Business Bureau, home improvement contractors receive an unusually high volume of customer complaints. And unfortunately, roofing contractors are the worst offenders, with 4 out of 5 complaints going to low-cost bidders. This is as distressing to honest roofers as it is to homeowners.
But shouldn’t a warranty keep you from getting hosed? I mean, it doesn’t make sense for a contractor to cut corners if he’s going to have to come back and fix it free of charge. In theory, that’s true. But consider this:
According to the Small Business Administration, about half of all small businesses fail within the first five years, and only a third survive longer than 10 years. This is a key point to consider because while a hungry, newly established contractor might offer you a low price, the possibility that they’ll fail is very real.
When your contractor goes belly up, all the warranties on their work also go up in smoke.
In the example above, Jackie learned this the hard way when she called her Staten Island roofer only to hear an error message:
“The number you’re calling is no longer valid. The contractor you are trying to call is now living two states away, doing business under a different name, under-bidding the competition and doing rush jobs that aren’t up to code. We’re sorry.”
* (This error message is satirical.)
Certification through GAF isn’t a rubber stamp: It’s an instrument of accountability and a symbol of reliability.
Only 3% of roofing contractors have qualified for GAF certification. The requirements for qualification through GAF are stringent:
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Proof of compliance with state licensing and insurance requirements
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General good standing in the service area covered
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A commitment to ongoing professional training and continuing education
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Contractors are subject to random inspections by GAF
Need a roof repaired or replaced?
Contact B&B Siding today for a quote.
You pay tomorrow what we quote you today—no surprises.
Working with a GAF certified roofing contractor virtually ensures that you’ll get quality work up-front and peace of mind down the line.
If you hire an GAF Master Elite® roofing contractor, you’re covered under virtually any contingency—even if your contractor gets mauled to death by a sasquatch*. Here are some of the specific ways you’ll benefit:
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Only Preferred contractors are able to offer Golden Pledge Limited Warranties. These include lifetime manufacturing defect coverage and extensive coverage for workmanship and environmental hazards. (Again, even if your contractor were to go out of business, you’d be covered by the largest roofing manufacturer in North America.)
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Certification virtually ensures that your contractor is up to date on code requirements and best practices for installation.
- ACCOUNTABILITY. Certification means it’s easier to assess your contractor’s track record and reputation. It’s easy to game the system with social media reviews alone, but not with the GAF Master Elite® contractor designation.
A frightening but gentle giant.
Because we’re GAF certified roofers, we’re able to offer the GAF Golden Pledge Limited Warranty. Here’s a summary of the terms:
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Manufacturing Defect Coverage: Lifetime
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Wind Warranty Coverage: 15 Years
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Algae Warranty Coverage: 10-25 Years
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Misapplication Coverage: 30 Years
*By the way, we think it’s only socially responsible to point out that while sasquatch encounters can be frightening, sasquatches are extremely nonviolent and peaceful.
Whatever your budget, vet every contractor like they were asking one of your best friends on a date.
There are certainly young companies that do quality work and stand by their promises. After all, B&B Siding and Roofing was a startup once. We’re not suggesting that you automatically reject every bid you get from less seasoned contractors.
But you definitely have to be more diligent when deciding whether to hire them: Do they seem generally organized? Are they forthcoming with documentation like proof of insurance and licensure? Do you trust, or distrust them with your gut?
Working with a GAF Certified roofing contractor guarantees that the labor and materials are warrantied. It virtually guarantees that all work will be on-quality and done to code. And it ensures that even in a worst-case scenario where the contractor goes bust, you won’t.
Psst! We’re also certified through Owens Corning. As with GAF, Certification through Owens Corning is an instrument of accountability and a symbol of reliability.
You can only become an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor by invitation. Here are the requirements for qualification:
Manufacturing Defect Coverage: Lifetime
Wind Warranty Coverage: 15 Years
Algae Warranty Coverage: 10-25 Years
Misapplication Coverage: 30 Years