The three programs, from the warranty text
| GAF | Owens Corning | CertainTeed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry warranty with a certified roofer | System Plus: Certified, Certified Plus or Master Elite; no workmanship cover; 50-year non-prorated Smart Choice period | Preferred Protection: Preferred or Platinum Preferred; 10 years workmanship; 20-year non-prorated TRU PROtection on lifetime shingles | SureStart PLUS 3-Star: materials, labour, tear-off and disposal for manufacturing defects for up to 50 years; no workmanship |
| Middle tier | Silver Pledge: Certified Plus or Master Elite; 10 years workmanship (Timberline NS, HDZ, HDZ RS), 15 years (AS II, UHDZ) | — | 4-Star: adds 15 years workmanship |
| Top tier | Golden Pledge: Master Elite only; 25 years workmanship non-prorated (HDZ, HDZ RS), 30 years (AS II, UHDZ) | Platinum Protection: Platinum Preferred only; full workmanship cover for the first 25 years on a single-family detached home with lifetime shingles | 5-Star: 30 years workmanship in CertainTeed's table (its Roofing 101 page says 25 years for a SELECT ShingleMaster) |
| Product condition | At least 3, 4 or 5 qualifying GAF accessories by tier | Owens Corning shingles, underlayment, hip and ridge, plus two of three other component types | An Integrity Roof System installed by a credentialed contractor |
| Registration | — | By the contractor within 60 days of installation | Registered SureStart PLUS |
Sources: GAF residential warranties page; Owens Corning Platinum Protection and Preferred Protection warranty documents (for shingles bought after 1 August 2026); CertainTeed's Roofing 101 and credentialing pages. Where CertainTeed's two pages give different workmanship terms for 5-Star, we show both; the registered certificate is what counts.
What each warranty does not cover
- Early installation errors are still the roofer's job. Both Owens Corning documents say that if an application error is discovered or discoverable within the first 2 years, the installing contractor must make the repairs.
- Unregistered means unprotected. Owens Corning: "improperly registered warranties are not covered". Ask for the registration confirmation before you make the final payment.
- Proration after the full period. Owens Corning's TRU PROtection and CertainTeed's standard SureStart run for a set number of years (20 and, on most lifetime shingles, 10) and then reduce with the roof's age.
- Transfers shorten it. Owens Corning's Preferred Protection workmanship period "is non-transferable after 10 years"; Platinum Protection transferred in the first 20 years keeps a 25-year workmanship period from installation for lifetime shingles.
- Manufacturing defects only, in the base warranty. CertainTeed notes most brands cover only defects that cause leaks or affect performance; it says its own warrants freedom from manufacturing defects.
Certification is not the record: check both
A certified roofer can still let permits lapse. These are roofing permits in our cities; "reached final" is the share of permits a year or more old the city closed out, and the license match is the share of firms we matched to an active state license.
| City | Roofing permits | Firms | Usual filed value | Reached final | Usual days, issue to final | Active license match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | 18,620 | 1,483 | $13,000 | 93.0% | 85 | 75.9% |
| Saint Paul | 8,566 | 1,301 | $12,429 | 68.7% | 106 | 74.6% |
| Miami | 6,585 | 908 | $16,250 | 97.5% | 38 | 97.4% |
| San Francisco | 9,537 | 1,072 | $15,275 | 87.3% | 36 | 91.7% |
| Sacramento County | 5,397 | 748 | $16,575 | 88.1% | 19 | 78.9% |
| Cleveland | 4,923 | 586 | $10,500 | 78.3% | 91 | not matched |
Saint Paul shows why both checks matter: 68.7% of roofing permits reached a final there against 93.0% in Minneapolis, and 129 roofing firms with Saint Paul permits now hold a license that is expired, suspended or otherwise inactive. A manufacturer's badge on the website does not change either number.
Compare every Minneapolis roofer by permit record and license →
Check a certified roofer in five minutes
- Confirm the certification on the manufacturer's own contractor search, not the roofer's website, and note the level (Master Elite, Platinum Preferred, SELECT ShingleMaster).
- Ask which warranty the quote includes, by name, and for the sample warranty document. If it is the entry tier, there is no manufacturer workmanship cover.
- Check the accessories list on the quote against the warranty's product condition.
- Look the firm up on our compare page for your city: permits, finished share, license status. Our hiring a roofer guide has ten more questions.
- Ask for the registration confirmation before the final payment.
What this does not tell you
We have not matched roofers to manufacturer programs, so certification status is not on our pages. The terms above are from the manufacturers' pages and documents as read on 23 October 2026; Owens Corning's apply to shingles bought after 1 August 2026, and earlier roofs carry earlier terms. Warranties are contracts with exclusions we have not reproduced; read the document. For how long the roof itself lasts, see how long does a roof last.
How we know this
Warranty and certification terms are quoted from GAF's residential warranties and roofer certification pages, Owens Corning's Platinum Protection and Preferred Protection limited lifetime warranty documents, and CertainTeed's Roofing 101 and credentialing pages, all read 23 October 2026. Roofing permits, filed values, finished share, days to final and license matches are from each city's permits in its three-year window ending September 2026; the license match is by firm name against the state register on our snapshot date.
Numbers come from City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS); Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permits inside Colorado Springs city limits; City of Miami building permits (since 2014); San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, with the contractor from the city's permit contacts file; City of Saint Paul building and trade permits (the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025, and the City's PAULIE permit system since September 2025), with the contractor named on each permit; City of Cleveland building permits, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- What do manufacturer certifications tell you about a roofer?
That the manufacturer lets the roofer register its longer warranties, the ones that cover installation mistakes. A GAF Golden Pledge can only be installed by a Master Elite contractor; an Owens Corning Platinum Protection only by a Platinum Preferred Contractor; CertainTeed's longest SureStart PLUS cover only through a credentialed contractor. It does not tell you the roofer's license status or permit record; check those separately.
- Is a GAF Master Elite roofer worth it?
Only if you want the Golden Pledge warranty, which GAF says is installed by a Master Elite contractor and covers workmanship for 25 years (Timberline HDZ, HDZ RS) or 30 years (AS II, UHDZ) with at least five qualifying accessories. Ask for the warranty to be registered in writing before the final payment.
- What is the difference between Owens Corning Preferred and Platinum Preferred?
The workmanship cover. Preferred Protection, which a Preferred or Platinum Preferred contractor can register, covers workmanship for 10 years. Platinum Protection, for Platinum Preferred contractors only, gives full workmanship cover for the first 25 years on a single-family detached home with lifetime shingles. Either must be registered by the contractor within 60 days of installation.
- How long is a roofer's own workmanship warranty?
CertainTeed says contractor workmanship warranties 'typically are for one to five years'. The manufacturer-backed versions above run from 10 to 30 years, which is the main reason to hire a certified roofer.
- Does a certified roofer pull a permit?
Certification has nothing to do with the permit; whether a re-roof needs one is your city's rule (see our roof replacement permit guide). Check the firm's permits on our roofing compare page: in Minneapolis 1,483 firms pulled 18,620 roofing permits in three years, and 93.0% of those a year or more old reached a final.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How long does a roof last? Lifespans by material, and how many roofs get replaced
- Does a new roof add home value? What Realtors, Berkeley Lab and the permit file say
- What's a good completion rate for a contractor? The benchmarks from 12 trades and cities
- Hiring a roofer: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against roofing permits in 28 cities
For one city
- Residential Warranties (System Plus, Silver Pledge, Golden Pledge) — GAF (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Roofer Certification — GAF (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Platinum Protection Limited Lifetime Warranty (shingles purchased after 1 Aug 2026) — Owens Corning (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Preferred Protection Limited Lifetime Warranty (shingles purchased after 1 Aug 2026) — Owens Corning (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Roofing 101: Worry-free warranties — CertainTeed (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Cred for Street Cred: why credentialing matters (SureStart and SureStart PLUS tables) — CertainTeed (accessed 2026-10-23)