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Confirm Bidder’s Certifications
It is important for designers of building envelope projects to confirm that bidders have the proper installation certifications issued by the designer’s recommended roofing system manufacturer.
One of the easiest ways to ensure bidders are qualified AND certified is to require all contractors that plan to bid on a project to complete and provide a pre-qualification checklist and require them to include a certification letter from the specified roof system manufacturer. This letter should, at a minimum, confirm that the specified contractor is approved to install the roof system recommended by the designer, or even better, the specified contractor is approved to install all the roof systems offered by the recommended roof system manufacturer.
Beware of any contractors who state that they are “certified to install (insert brand name’s) roof systems.” Because, as a result of that contractor’s spotty service record or warranty call-back rating, the named manufacturer may only certify that contractor as “restricted”—allowing them to install only the manufacturer’s simplest, basic roof systems with the lowest level of warranty coverage—often not what the building envelope project designer would specify.
The pre-qualifying and certification confirmation of construction service providers is a simple yet critical step in assuring the building owner receives the best possible service and that their time is not wasted tracking down contractor certification information prior to any pre-bid meetings or other preliminary activities.