The Truth About Roofing Contractor Classifications
Top performers or top sellers? Masters or servants?
The major manufacturers want the consumer to think Platinum Preferred Contractors and Master Elite Contractors are the best roofers (contractors). Unfortunately for the homeowner and a group of exceptional Roofing Installers that is not the case (in some cases its far from true).
Platinum Warranties and Golden Pledge Warranties are offered by these contractors because they are the highest Gross Volume SALESMEN. The Marketing is simple – If Corporate America Tricks you (recommends to you) into contacting their best (LOYAL) Salesman, you are more likely to buy their product. If you go to the best Companies, some will give you options for DIFFERENT Manufacturers (based on your needs and budget). That’s because OUR LOYALTY is to the CONSUMER, not the supplier. Leak Stoppers does not work for GAF, CertainTeed, Tamko or Owens and Corning. Roofing manufacturers work for Leak Stoppers Inc. Leak Stoppers Inc. works for the Consumer. The DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANUFACTURERS IS FRACTIONAL but the differences are best known by installers that have experience with all shingles’ failures (THRU SERVICE). Roofing can last for 30 years or 50 years. It comes with 110 MPH or 130 MPH (And of Course a LIMITED Unlimited-wind-warranty) protection. Some have better mold resistance. Some have better fastening placement. Some have better Designer styles. They all have pros and cons and our experience tells us what is best for the homeowner budget, home style, roof pitch, exposure… THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROOFING CONTRACTORS IS EXPONENTIAL not FRACTIONAL. Homeowners need to stop listening to paid advertisers on the internet and start listening to Experienced Service Contractors who are Established. A shingle maker using a young inexperienced (and often under insured) installer is going to be the best priced. It is impossible for a company that manufactures tiles and has multiple class action lawsuits (based on production flaws) to properly train these new young Entrepreneurs on how to Service a customer. That is why all training is based on Roofing Sales techniques (REGARDLESS OF THE CUSTOMER NEEDS). They focus on training their certified guys on selling FREE FINANCING (That’s not free), Lifetime LIMITED Warranties (that are void due to code flaws in older homes (over 75% of jobs on Long Island)) and Sales techniques. If 3 out of 4 roofing companies fail after 3 years and only 1 out of 20 make it to 10 years, chances are when problems arise you will have no-one to service you (EXCEPT US – We are here since 1999 cleaning up after others)
Everyone knows most Contractors are shady. If 75% of contractors get CERTIFIED with manufacturers but 75% of contractors are no good, how is the roof going to last a lifetime. Oh YEH, it’s a LIMITED Lifetime. Read the fine print. We KNOW because we have conducted scientific tests using the most advanced Weather maker known to man. We have been testing materials, methods and theories for 20 years using Mother Nature to solve and prove leak theories. At Leak Stoppers Inc. we often tell you that a new roof is not needed (and your main issue is venting, plumbing, the skylight top, the chimney pointing, the window) … Unfortunately, most roofing Salesman have never been to our lab (outside everyone’s door). They shrug their shoulders and make excuses while we track wind direction, wind speed, size and type of precipitation, humidity levels, attic temperatures vs. outdoor temperatures… We believe our experience and knowledge of industry failures (common mistakes) combined with our founder’s innovative techniques for roofing installations combined with complimentary repairs to non-roofing items makes us the best choice for installation. Our repair teams exist and are always ready if there is storm damage. Our in-house advanced techniques and redundant use of materials used during new roof installations ensure leak free living for 30-50 years. There is no fee to use the lab. At the lab all you have to do is repair roofs that are leaking and not yet expired and stand behind your work. There are so many leaking roofs to be fixed. Just look at our ratings and ask yourself, why are they the only guys doing so many repairs?
Aside from most company’s inexperience (ability to analyze problems), top REPAIR/SERVICEMEN are shunned from Certified programs as they do not Force NEW ROOFING on EVERY Free Estimate (Including Repair estimates or leak repair estimates), causing low MATERIAL SALES figures (much higher labor/material ratio on skylights, flashing and chimney repairs).
Being HONEST and THOROUGH has helped us not only survive in a super competitive market, but it has also helped grow the TEAM at a controlled pace. We can’t lie to people just to sell roofs or sell product at a price that cannot sustain the company’s overhead and insurance or we would be just like the rest”.
Fast forward 10 years (current year) and I’m selling Owens and Corning Lifetime Duration shingles (because the Sure-nail Fastening strip addressed the FLAWS in the Timberline HD shingle) and I get a call from a Condo complex in Riverhead with 40 buildings (HUGE) where a Diamond pledge Owens and Corning contractor is in the middle of replacing all the roofs. Still on the property, after Owens and Corning INSPECTED AND CERTIFIED this Diamond Pledge Contractor’s roof, the HOA calls me in because the contractor is blaming 2 new leaks (on roofs installed within 2 weeks) on CONDENSATION. Long Story short, the roof had 2 leaks that the HOA paid me to Inspect and detail for $500. The roof was done by the manufacturer specs and the other company’s workers did a great job overall, but why was there NO SERVICE. HUNDREDS of Thousands on this project and there is not one troubleshooter capable of finding a nail sticking up through the new roof (directly above the leak). The second was poor technique (done around over a hundred vent pipe boots) that allowed water between the roof and underlayment. So this Diamond Pledge Contractor installs roofs but can’t even fix his own roofs. Turns out he is in business since 2016 and he has better credentials on Owens and Corning’s Website than my Top rated, 20-year-old company. Normally I charge $85 to diagnose a leak but this was $500 (honestly I was pissed) as I knew I wouldn’t get any work. The other contractor was still on the property and all he could do was make excuses. Ridiculous!!!
There are several High Quality and talented Roofing Companies in the Master Elite and Diamond pledge programs, but do not mistake high sales volumes with Great Products.
Best way to avoid poor Service or Roof leaks from a roof contractor
Hire a roofer or Roofing Contractor not a Contractor, Home Improvement Specialist or General Contractor. Go right to the Professional that insures properly. Companies not identified as Roofing companies or Roofing Contractors almost never carry ROOFING INSURANCE.
Make sure at least ¼ of the company ratings are for repairs so you know that they have master mechanic capable of troubleshooting (many companies today consist of Salesmen (that never roofed) providing complete roofs to SUBCONTRACTORS. Those companies you will see do not have any ratings for repairs as they are not capable (in many cases leaving a trail of repair work for us)
Do not hire friends or friends’ (associates’) referrals without checking BBB and Consumer affairs ratings/complaints.
Use BBB to check a company’s date of ORIGIN.
Use your County’s Consumer affairs department to check CURRENT LICENSE # against a company’s date of ORIGIN, to determine if the name or license has changed (that is never a good sign and you should ask for an explanation)
Use companies in business for a minimum of 5 years and make sure they have reviews related to repairs not just new roofs (Experienced roofers are not experienced service technicians). Roofing is not as easy as you think.
Most Importantly – Do Not Believe anything that Shingle manufacturers tell you. As you will read below, they lie, refuse warranties and Settle Class action lawsuits.
Results and past issues with Manufacturers’ LIMITED Warranties:
All major manufacturers have had and are currently involved in lawsuits. Accidents happen, but lawsuits happen when companies do not take responsibility or stand behind their product (WARRANTY). LIMITATIONS are often pages of fine print, giving reason and argument to get away with (SETTLE) any future claims.
Click on these links to read what we found on the internet and do some research. If what we’ve been told, witnessed and read is true, you may want to read the fine print…
https://www.roofcalc.org/gaf-timberline-shingles-class-action-law-suit/