You’ll have quite a few decisions to make when it’s time for a new roof. Two of these decisions are hiring a roofing contractor and picking your shingle.
Some homeowners pick a shingle brand and try to make all their decisions based on that. This includes finding a roofing contractor that installs the type of shingle without doing the rest of the research required to find a great roofer.
Finding a great roofing contractor and choosing a shingle are important decisions. But the truth is, one is more important than the other.
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has educated homeowners to make all the right decisions for their roof replacement. Because of this, we want to help you understand if choosing a brand of shingle or roofing contractor is the more important decision.
In this article, you’ll learn how the shingle brand and a roofing contractor impact your roof replacement. After that, I’ll get into which decision is more important.
How does the brand of shingle and roofing contractor impact your roof replacement?
Both the shingle brand and a roofing contractor impact your roof replacement. But they both impact it in different ways.
Before we get to which is more important, let’s break down how the shingle brand and a roofing contractor affect your new roof.
How the shingle brand impacts your roof replacement
The brand of shingle used during your roof replacement affects cost, the material warranty, and your color/design options. All the major shingle manufacturers have different “lines,” but the majority offer all three types (3-tab, architectural, and luxury) of asphalt shingles.
But some have more options for the different types of asphalt shingles. For example, Certainteed offers multiple lines of luxury shingles (Grand Manor, Belmont, Carriage House, etc.), while Owens Corning offers one.
They also offer different material warranties and “functions” specific to the brand of shingles. However, most of them are pretty much the same, and they’re just called something different.
For example, both Certainteed and GAF have an algae protection warranty. Certainteed’s is called StreakFighter (15 years), and GAF’s is called StainGuard (10 years or 25-year limited warranty on StainGuard Plus).
The important thing to take away from this is that all of the shingle manufacturers offer different warranties, length of warranties, and lines of shingles. But at the end of the day, the top shingle manufacturers are around the same quality and have pretty much the same functionality, just packaged a little differently.
How a roofing contractor impacts your roof replacement
A roofing contractor impacts every aspect of your roof replacement. This includes the final cost of your new roof, the length of workmanship warranty, the quality of installation, and so much more.
But how much all of this impacts your new roof depends on the roofing contractor you hire. For example, workmanship warranties vary from company to company.
This could be anywhere from 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 25 years, to even a lifetime warranty. A roofing contractor should offer at least a 10-year workmanship warranty.
But if they do things the right way and believe in their work, there’s no reason they shouldn’t offer a 25-year to a lifetime warranty. This is just one important example of how a roofing contractor impacts your roof replacement project.
Is choosing a specific shingle brand or hiring a roofing contractor more important?
Now you know that the shingle brand and roofing contractor impact your roof replacement differently. So, is choosing the shingle brand or hiring a roofing contractor the more important decision?
Hiring the right roofing contractor is the most important decision you’ll make during the entire roof replacement process. I’m not saying the shingle brand isn’t important.
But choosing a specific shingle means nothing if you don’t hire a quality roofing contractor to install it. Most roofing contractors can even find the shingle you’re looking for or a comparable match.
So, it’s absolutely crucial to find a great roofing contractor first and then discuss with them about finding the shingle you want or finding something close to it.
Why would a roofing contractor recommend a specific shingle brand?
So, you may have been turned on to a shingle brand by a roofing contractor. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but why would they recommend a specific manufacturer?
This honestly depends on the roofing contractor and what the brand means to them. Maybe they really believe in the product and think it’s the best shingle brand around.
It could also be that the product is readily available and the manufacturer isn’t experiencing shortages. Some roofing contractors are even certified by the manufacturer(s), so they can offer the best material warranties on your roof replacement.
Some get kickbacks or rebates for selling a certain amount of a specific brand. Whatever the reason a roofing contractor recommends a certain manufacturer, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
They’ll be able to find something in your budget that gives your roof the look you want, no matter what type of brand is used.
How do you find the right roofing contractor?
Now you know that finding a great roofing contractor is the most important thing you need to do for your roof replacement. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.
The roofing industry is saturated all over the country, and there’s a good chance your area has a lot of options. So, it can be hard to spot a great one if you don’t know what to look for.
That’s why we wrote another article that gives you the tips needed to find a great roofing contractor for your upcoming roof replacement.
The team at Bill Ragan Roofing Company has provided roof replacements for thousands of homeowners in Nashville and surrounding Middle Tennessee areas since 1990. We take pride in our work and provide a lifetime workmanship warranty to back it up.
If you’re local to Nashville or another Middle Tennessee area, don’t hesitate to contact us for your roof replacement needs.
Whether you’re local or not, here are 7 Tips to Find a Great Roofing Contractor for your roof replacement or other roofing project.
