The roofing industry, like every other industrial sector across capitalist economies, has a common union or association with strong membership links, with a sole aim of protecting the members and helping its members to attain the topmost spot in service delivery.

NRCA Roofing Association

One of the roofing industry associations in the US is the National Roofing Contractors Association, a voice in the roofing industry, providing members with information, education, technology, and advocacy. The association was founded in 1886, is purely a non-profit outfit that represents all segments of the roofing industry, including contractors; manufacturers; distributors; architects; consultants; engineers; building owners; and city, state government agencies. The association has more than 3500 members from all 50 states and 53 countries and is affiliated with 97 local, regional, regional, and international roof workers associations.

The roofing contractors associations in the US include;

• Subcontractors Association of Alabama
• Arizona Roofing Contractors Association
• Associated Roofing Contractors of Northern California
• The Association of Roofing Contractors of the Bay Area Counties
• Independent Roofing Contractors of California, Inc.
• Roofing Contractors Association of California
• Roofing Contractors Association of Southern California, Inc.
• San Diego Roofing Contractors’ Association
• Union Roofing Contractors Association
• Colorado Roofing Association
• The Connecticut Association of Sheet Metal and Roofing Contractors
• Connecticut Roofing Contractors Association
• The Roofing, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association of Florida
• Northeast Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Assn.
• The Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors’ Association of Palm Beach County
• Roofing Contractors Association of South Florida
• Georgia Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association
• New York Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association
• Roofing Contractors Association of Hawaii
• Chicago Roofing Contractors Association
• Indiana Roofing Contractors Association
• Iowa Roofing Contractors Association
• Kentucky Roofing Contractors Association
• The Boston and Eastern Massachusetts Association of Building Trades Employers
• Michigan Roofing Contractors Association
• Southeastern Michigan Roofing Contractors Association
• Mississippi Roofing Contractors Association
• Roofing & Siding Contractors Alliance
• Montana Roofing Contractors Association
• New Mexico Roofing Contractors Association
• Ohio Roofing Contractors Association
• Roofing, Metal & Heating Associates, Inc.
• Puerto Rico Roofing Contractors Association
• Tennessee Association of Roofing Contractors
• North Texas Roofing Contractors Association
• Roofing Contractors Association of Texas
• Utah Roofing Contractors Association
• Virginia Association of Roofing Professionals, Inc.
• Roofing Contractors Association of Washington
• Wisconsin Roofing Contractors Association

Roofing Membership   

The membership of the NRCA is open to all segments of the roofing industry, including contractors, manufacturers, distributors, architects, consultants, engineers, building owners, and the regional, state and national government agencies.

The contractors under the umbrella of NCRA vary in size from companies with less than $ 1 million in annual sales volumes (which is a 50 percent of current membership) to the big commercial contractors tagged with an annual sales volume of more than $ 20 million. More than half carry both residential and commercial roof coverings, and more than a third have been active for more than a quarter of a century.

Qualification for Membership

• License and insurance

Having a license means having permission to provide services in the local area. In the meantime, liability insurance and employee compensation hold you liable if there is an accident in your home, such as roofers working in the area.

• Head office

Having a head office implies that you have a permanent physical business address, a telephone number, a tax identification number, and a business license.

• Accreditation of the Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau symbolizes a firm’s reputation. The Better Business Bureau or BBB is a good place to check whether a roofing company has filed complaints against them. If your prospective roofer has none, this is a good indication of their reputation.

Benefits for Membership

1. Regulation and legislation: The NRCA can represent its members by looking for various regulatory and legislative efforts that affect the roofing industry, such as tax reform, labor and personnel training, and energy efficiency.
2. Improve public relations: the NRCA enables its members to elevate their image as a professional roofing contractor and the image of the association as a whole.
3. Timely and relevant education: the NRCA serves as a source of education for all its members. Through the membership, members can have access to relevant training courses ranging from monthly webinars to special reports discussing technical, risk management, safety, and legislative developments that affect the roofing industry.

Roofing Certification

Becoming a certified roofer is a good way to prove to your customers that you are experienced and knowledgeable in your field. Not only will the training and education you receive allow you to be more confident and professional in your work, but with a certification, you can become more attractive to potential customers. There are no national certification programs because each state sets its own guidelines and manages its certification programs, but many of the requirements are comparable from state to state.

Experience is required for certification; as a contractor, you have to first invest in your knowledge and experience. Wherever you may find yourself, get acquainted with the certification requirements in the locality. Go for the study guides, which will help you study for the contractor’s exam. There are many sources for study guides, some states offer them on their exam site, or you can still find study guides at your local bookstore. Sit for the exam; the success score is determined by the state administration. You must be aware of the requirements to pass before taking the exam as a way to prepare yourself for the rigors of the test. After scaling through the aforementioned, present the required documentation to the state competence board; this generally includes proof of identity, training, experience, test results, background and credit checks, and licensing fees. The details vary from state to state, but you must not only prove that you have passed the test, but that you have real work experience and are safe and financially responsible. And finally, renew your state license as required in your country.

The GAF certification

A Master Elite ™ certification from GAF is the highest level of roofing certification in the roofing industry. For a contractor to be eligible for the certification, he must have the right license, be adequately insured and have a proven reputation

• Be committed to continuous professional training

Of all roofing companies, only 2% qualify as Master Elite ™. This means that of the thousands of roofing companies in New York for example, only a few hundred were able to meet GAF’s high-quality standards. To maintain these standards, GAF randomly inspects a large number of the roofs that each company imposes each year.

In some states, including Georgia, roofing companies are not required to have a specific roofing permit. This makes Master Elite ™ certification one of the few ways to determine whether the contractor you have chosen is actually qualified to perform work on your roof.

Most Prestigious Awards

Awards are given in recognition of excellence, commitment to quality, best customer relation, top service delivery, outstanding workmanship, and best environmentally friendly and ergonomics. Some of the most prestigious awards in the roofing industry include;

• The Firestone Inner Circle of Quality Award
• The Master 10 Certificate of Quality award.
• The ESP award
• The Firestone master contractor award
• The Houzz award

Royal Renovators Inc. 118-35 Queens Blvd Forest Hills, NY 11375 (718) 414-6067 https://www.nycrenovators.com/