What GAF Master Elite certification means for your roof

Mobley Brothers Roofing & Renovation is a GAF Master Elite residential roofing contractor, serving homeowners from our offices in Lebanon and Knoxville since 2007. When Mike explains it to homeowners, he keeps it short: "GAF, that's who warranties all of our work." The rest of this page is the longer version.

What GAF Master Elite status means

GAF makes shingles and the other parts of a roofing system, and it certifies the contractors who install them. Master Elite is its top residential certification. Before GAF grants it, GAF looks at whether a contractor is properly licensed and insured, has a solid reputation, and commits to ongoing training. Keeping it means keeping up with that training year after year.

For you, it is a second set of eyes on the company you hire. The manufacturer whose products go on your house has checked the contractor installing them and continues to hold that contractor to its standards.

What it lets us offer on your new roof

The practical difference shows up in the warranty. Master Elite status is what lets us offer GAF's manufacturer warranty programs: up to 50 years of coverage on qualifying new-roof installations through GAF programs, including the GAF Golden Pledge warranty.

Two words in that sentence matter. "Up to" means the coverage depends on the program, and "qualifying" means the installation has to meet GAF's requirements for that program, which includes using the right GAF components together as a system. Before you sign, we tell you which program your roof qualifies for and what it covers. GAF explains its programs on its residential warranties page.

Because this coverage runs through the manufacturer, it does not rest on any single contractor staying in business. That is one reason a GAF warranty program is worth asking about, whoever you hire.

How our crews install GAF roofing systems

A certification is only as good as the roof it produces. This is how a GAF roof goes on with us, in the same order at both offices.

1. 01

   We measure the roof by satellite and spell out allowances in the proposal, because what is under the shingles can change the job, especially on an older home. We look at the roof in person before install day, and sooner if you have a concern.

2. 02

   We photograph what we find and show you, from worn shingles to failed flashing.

3. 03

   You get an electronic written proposal with the terms and conditions, your shingle color, and the materials going on, from starter and underlayment to nails and shingles. If decking or a skylight might need replacing, that price is written in ahead of time.

4. 04

   On installation day we set up the Catch-All system where required to protect your landscaping, gutters, air conditioner and garage doors.

5. 05

   We tear the old roof off down to the decking, replace any bad boards at the price in your proposal, and install the GAF system.

6. 06

   We clean up and walk the finished roof with you.

We install architectural shingles, not three-tab. David puts it plainly: for a few dollars more, an architectural roof holds up better and homeowners are happier with it. Picking a color is part of the estimate, and our jobs show GAF colors like Weathered Wood, Charcoal, Hickory and Slate going on homes across both regions.

Training behind the certification

GAF training is not one class. David describes a mix of online courses, in-person classes and hands-on sessions, usually at a supply house, where GAF sets up a mock roof and shows crews how a new material or method goes on. When GAF changes a product or an installation detail, those sessions are how our crews learn it before it reaches your house.

Training also shapes how we repair GAF roofs. Harry Varnis (Harold), in a Google review of our Knoxville office, wrote: "They did the work under my original GAF warranty claim and noticed other things that they helped me get additional claim funds for." Knowing how GAF systems are meant to go together helps us spot what another installer missed.

Commercial roofs: GAF GoldElite

GAF also recognizes our Knoxville business as a GoldElite Commercial contractor, the commercial side of the same relationship. It applies to the TPO, EPDM and coating work we do on churches, offices and other commercial buildings. See our commercial roofing page for those systems.

How to verify our GAF certification

You should never have to take a contractor's word for a certification. GAF lists us in its residential contractor directory and its commercial contractor directory. Check that the certification shows as current, and ask any roofer you are considering to show you the same.

For our full set of credentials, including BBB, HAAG, FORTIFIED and our Tennessee license, see our accreditations and certifications page.

Get a free estimate for a GAF roof

If your roof is due, or you are not sure, start with a roof inspection. If the roof can be repaired, we will tell you. If it is time for a roof replacement, we will show you why, put the full scope in writing, and go over which GAF warranty program fits your roof. Call the Lebanon or Knoxville office, or send us a note from the contact page.