When it’s time to choose a residential roofing contractor for your roof repair, roof replacement, or new roof installation, you have plenty of options. Although Florida has become known for roofing scams, it is also the home of thousands of qualified, hardworking roofing contractors.

Since there are so many excellent roofers, it’s important to choose the best for your project. You can start by looking for years of experience and positive customer reviews. But even among the roofing contractors who consistently do a great job, there are certain ways to select the best.

Among all the special credentials roofers can hold, GAF certification stands out.

What Does It Mean When a Roofing Contractor Is GAF Certified®?

GAF is one of America’s foremost manufacturers of modern, innovative roofing systems. With over a century of expertise, it’s one of the most trusted names in the industry. It’s known for quality, sustainability, and incredible roofing technologies.

For example, GAF is at the forefront of true roof-integrated solar panel systems. Among the great contributions GAF has pioneered in this space is the fact that its roof-integrated solar panels do not rely on separate brackets that present a natural weak point when the weather turns harsh. This makes them far more durable.

However, you don’t need to be looking for an unusual kind of roof to benefit from GAF. The company is just as celebrated for its outstanding roofing shingles. GAF roofing shingles look terrific, come in a wide range of colors, and can last for decades with regular maintenance. They are also environmentally friendly. Recycled materials are used in production and the shingles are also easy to recycle when they reach end-of-life.

While nearly any professional roofing contractor in good standing can use most GAF products, only a GAF Certified® Master Elite® roofing contractor can get maximum value from them. That includes access to features like extended roofing warranties that others can’t offer.

In order to get GAF certification, a roofing contractor needs to be experienced, licensed, insured, and demonstrate knowledge in GAF products. Plus, there are requirements to maintain that expertise through continuing education. For our team, it’s meant hundreds of hours of training above and beyond the norm.

There are various different forms of GAF certification depending on whether a roofing company works mainly with residential or commercial properties. So, even if a brand is certified, you should still take care to be sure they’re specialized in an area of roofing that pertains to your project.

Being certified doesn’t mean you’re just a “little bit more” knowledgeable or skilled than the average roofer, though. It comes with real perks and benefits that your Central Florida roofing contractor can pass on to you.

The Unbeatable Benefits that Come with Choosing a GAF Certified® Master Elite® Roofing Contractor

Sheegog Contracting is a GAF Certified® Master Elite® roofing contractor. Master Elite® is a premier level of roofing certification that comes with even more advantages. So, exactly what can you expect from a roofing contractor who has shown the dedication necessary to get these credentials? That’s what we’ll cover next.

Long story short, you’re always better off going with the highest level of certification you can find.

Let’s check out some of the reasons why:

1. Only a GAF Certified® Roofing Contractor Can Offer the Highest Level of Warranty Protection

When you’re looking for a new roof in Central Florida, it’s crucial to know the difference between warranties and guarantees. Each of these protects your interests in different ways. Ideally, you should have both of them.

A guarantee is offered directly by your roofing contractor. The guarantee is a way of asserting that they stand behind their work no matter what. For example, if your roof springs a leak just a few days after installation, a reputable roofing contractor should be willing to come right back and fix the problem.

A warranty is provided by the roofing system manufacturer. It is very specific and is available only under certain circumstances. Roofing manufacturers empower their certified contractors to offer warranties because they’ve proven their standards of quality and installation are high enough that the warranty is not often necessary.

With Sheegog Contracting, you can rest assured your job will be done right the first time. Our quality guarantee is second to none. We’ll put right anything that goes wrong because out of the hundreds of roofing projects we perform in a year, only one or two will ever have an issue that requires follow-up.

That said, a GAF roofing warranty is still highly valuable!

The GAF roofing warranty that applies to your roof replacement or new roof installation depends on a number of factors. Different roofing products are eligible for different warranties. Whatever the case, though, Sheegog Contracting enables you to qualify for the highest possible levels of protection. Non-certified roofers don’t.

GAF warranties for homeowners come in several different categories depending on the type of roofing product you’re using. Most products have four or five levels of warranty protection. In all cases, the highest levels come into play only when you use a GAF Certified® Master Elite® roofing contractor.

For instance, a homeowner installing Timberline Shingles on their roof can qualify for a Golden Pledge Limited Warranty. This lifetime warranty gives you 50 years of Smart Choice Protection along with an algae warranty of up to 30 years. The wind warranty lasts 15 years. LayerLock-enabled shingles feature no maximum wind speed attached to the warranty. That makes it especially attractive here in Florida.

The Golden Pledge Limited Warranty goes above and beyond with its workmanship coverage, giving you a standard term of 25 years of coverage while Timberline UHDZ products receive 30 years of coverage. That means true peace of mind since no other level of warranty protection covers workmanship!

Before your project begins, we will walk you through your product options and tell you exactly what you could do to maximize your warranty coverage. We will never pressure you to purchase anything you don’t need. You have the final say and will always get the insights you need to make an informed decision.

2. GAF Certified® Roofing Contractors Help You Get the Most Value from Premium Roofing Materials

Whenever you decide to go with GAF, you know you’re getting some of the best roofing products in the world. High-quality materials and unbeatable know-how combine so you end up with a roof that will stand the test of time. But, at least theoretically, any roofer could go to your local hardware store and buy many GAF products.

So, why should you use a GAF Certified® Master Elite® roofing contractor?

Well, it’s a little more complex than it might look. While roofers can get many GAF products at retail, only vendors who have proven their exceptional capabilities to GAF can install these with GAF’s special warranty protection. Savings on products and materials are only one part of the story of why a highly qualified roofing contractor matters.

To qualify as a GAF Certified® roofing contractor, you need to have been around the block a few times when it comes to residential or commercial roofing. For the Master Elite® level, you have to be in business for at least seven years and meet a number of special requirements based on roofing best practices.

That includes, for example, holding at least $1 million in liability insurance (which covers issues like on-the-job accidents, injuries, and property damage) and an average Google Review score of 4.0 or higher. Obtaining the GAF Certified® Master Elite® credential unlocks many warranty types, such as the 25-year Stainguard Plus algae protection.

Sheegog Contracting has not only earned Master Elite® status as a residential roofing contractor but also holds the President’s Club Award. Less than 2% of U.S. roofing contractors qualify for Master Elite®, and less than half of those reach the President’s Club Award, which is based on excellence in Performance, Reliability, and Service. As GAF updates these standards, Sheegog Contracting continues to raise the bar on quality.

3. With GAF Certification, You Know Your Roofing Project Is In Good Hands from Start to Finish

In addition to meeting all these requirements and more, Sheegog Contracting is a BBB-accredited business since 2018 and holds an “A+” BBB rating with a 5/5 review score. That’s a further testament to our focus on excellent service – and it’s one more way we give you peace of mind while upholding the GAF Certified® Master Elite® standards.

Roofing isn’t just about the technical skills involved, but also managing the complexities of a roofing project while delivering sound customer service from beginning to end.

Experienced, certified roofing contractors know how to effectively estimate how long a project will take, who needs to be on the team to get that project done, and what materials they’ll need to have on hand. This is the key to getting every project done on time and within your budget.

At Sheegog Contracting, we know that unexpected surprises are part of the reason why so many homeowners are wary of working with roofing contractors. We aim to do away with that extra layer of concern by putting the facts in writing whenever you call us to repair a roof, replace a roof, or install a new roof in Central Florida.

Even with the best of intentions, a roofing contractor who doesn’t offer that perspective will run into problems they simply didn’t plan for. While they might be able to come up with a solution, it almost inevitably means that you pay more money or wait longer than planned.

When It Comes to the Safety of Your Home and Family, Accept Nothing Less than The Very Best

GAF Certified® Master Elite® roofing contractors represent the best of the best in the roofing industry. But we also know we need to earn your business every day. At Sheegog Contracting, our goal is to live up to those standards and your high expectations every time – so we’ll become your Central Florida roofing contractor of choice.

Contact us today to find out more or get started. We look forward to helping you soon.