What does Owens Corning Preferred Contractor mean?
A designation the manufacturer gives to roofing contractors that meet its requirements, not a label a roofer gives itself. Wayne Gonzalez Roofing describes the standard on its Owens Corning page as professionalism, reliability and craftsmanship, and it installs Owens Corning products under that designation.
Shingle manufacturers put installers through a programme before they let them sell the longer warranties, and they remove people from it. That second half is the point. A credential that can be taken away means something that a sticker on a truck does not.
Why does a manufacturer certification matter when I choose a roofer?
Because almost nothing else in this trade is checked by somebody with no stake in the sale. A licence is checked by the state. Insurance is checked by the insurer. A manufacturer designation is checked by the manufacturer, whose name goes on the shingle and who does not want it installed badly.
It is one of seven things worth checking before signing, and the guide to choosing a roofing contractor in Tampa walks through the other six. On its own it does not make a roofer good. Alongside a verified licence, workers compensation and a written scope, it is a strong signal.
Is Wayne Gonzalez Roofing an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor?
Yes. Wayne Gonzalez Roofing Contractor, Inc., based at 5625 Patterson Rd in Riverview, is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and serves Tampa and the surrounding areas under that designation. The company has been roofing Hillsborough County since 1981 and holds Florida Certified Roofing Contractor licence CCC1325942.
The designation sits alongside the rest of what can be checked: the licence, held since February 2004 and registered with Hillsborough and Pasco counties; workers compensation and general liability on every employee; BBB accreditation since 2008; and crews on the company's own payroll rather than subcontracted.
Does a preferred contractor only install Owens Corning shingles?
No. Wayne Gonzalez Roofing is a certified installer for more than one manufacturer and installs architectural shingle, metal and flat roofs, choosing with you at estimate stage. Owens Corning products are what the designation covers, and most replacements in the area are architectural asphalt shingle, so that is where it comes up most.
Where metal is the better answer the company will say so, and the metal roofing page is honest about when it is and when it is not. A preferred contractor that only ever recommended one product would be a salesman, not a roofer.
What should I ask a roofer who says they are Owens Corning certified?
Three things. Which designation, by its exact name, because the programme has more than one level and the names are similar. Whether it is current, because the manufacturer removes contractors from the programme. And whether you can find it on Owens Corning's own list of contractors rather than only on the roofer's website.
Then ask the questions you would ask anyway: the licence number, the insurance certificate, who will be on the roof. The best roofing contractors in Tampa page lists them and gives this company's answers.
What warranty comes with a roof installed by a preferred contractor?
Two separate warranties, and it pays to know which is which. The manufacturer's warranty covers the materials and varies by product; the longer Owens Corning warranties are the ones the designation exists to let a contractor sell. The workmanship warranty covers the installation and comes from the roofer.
Wayne Gonzalez Roofing guarantees its own work for ten years on a full roof replacement and two years on a repair. Manufacturer warranties will vary, and the company says so rather than blurring the two into one number. Ask for both in writing on the scope.
Where does Wayne Gonzalez Roofing install Owens Corning roofs?
Tampa, Riverview, Brandon, Valrico, Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Wimauma, Lakeland and Bartow directly, and also Mulberry, Zephyrhills, Plant City, Thonotosassa, Wesley Chapel, Land o' Lakes, Lutz, Carrollwood and Clearwater. The yard is in Riverview, so the crew is not driving in from another county.
Full detail on the job is on the Tampa roof replacement page and, for the south of the county, the Riverview and Brandon roof replacement page.
Questions we get asked
Can I check the designation myself?
Yes. Owens Corning keeps its own list of the contractors it has designated, and that list is the place to confirm any roofer's claim, including this one's. Check the state licence at myfloridalicense.com at the same time; the two together take a few minutes.
Does the designation cover repairs as well as replacements?
The designation is about installing Owens Corning roofing systems, so it is most relevant to a replacement. Repairs are covered by the company's own two year guarantee and done by the same crews. The Tampa roof repair page covers that work.
Is the estimate free?
Yes. The company comes out, inspects the roof, explains what it found and writes a scope with the material named. There is no follow up call unless you ask for one.
Which other Tampa roofers hold it?
Westfall Roofing states on its own site that it is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, and the comparison page sets the two companies side by side. For the rest, the manufacturer's list is the place to look rather than any roofer's word.
Want a roofer to look at it?
Call the office and tell us what the roof is doing. We will come out, look at it and tell you what it needs.
