HOW TO FIND THE BEST ROOFING AND WATERPROOFING CONSULTANT
There are no licensing requirements for roofing or waterproofing consultants in most states. As a result, many people have entered the profession who lack independence, have little experience and less than adequate credentials. Unfortunately, many building owners have paid for this lack of competence in many ways. Frequently building owners pay in form of over priced roofing and waterproofing projects. Other times they pay with premature failure and leaks because the wrong materials were specified or installed by the wrong installer. We have developed a brochure to help building owner choose the correct consultant for their roofing or waterproofing projects.
The building owner should always be concerned about the overall reputation and integrity of the prospective consultant. Unfortunately, these characteristics are usually subjective and difficult to measure. There are, however, three objective and measurable characteristics that building owners can easily identify. They are: independence, experience and credentials.
INDEPENDENCE
Many roofing and waterproofing material suppliers and installers have opened roofing and/or waterproofing consulting firms. These "consulting firms" are, for the most part, little more than extensions of the parent company's marketing department. While some are distinct corporate entities with separate corporate offices, many share the name or even office space with their parent companies.
Some consultants are also sales representatives for roofing or waterproofing materials. Frequently these manufacturer's representatives offer their consulting services at no charge. They do this in order to be in a position to make recommendations for the products they sell. The first question you should ask a prospective consultant is, "Do you have any affiliation with any manufacturer, supplier, or installer of roofing or waterproofing materials?" If the answer is "yes", you should find another consultant. You should compare their physical address with the addresses of suppliers and installers in the yellow pages. If the consultant gives only a Post Office box, ask him for the physical address of his office in order to make the comparison. If necessary visit the address in order to see with whom he or she may share space. A consultant's opinion has value only if you know that it was formed with independence.
EXPERIENCE
The second set of questions to ask a prospective consultant is, "How long has your firm been in business?, How long have you been a member of the firm?, and What did you do prior to joining the firm that prepared you to become a roofing and waterproofing consultant?" You should ask more specific questions concerning the consultant's experience such as the following. "On what type of roofing and waterproofing situations have you provided consulting services? and How many times have you provided consulting services on situations similar or the sane as mine?"
CREDENTIALS
Historically there have been two national credentialing organizations: the Institute of Roofing & Waterproofing Consultants (IRWC) and Roof Consultants Institute (RCI). Both institutes offered Professional Membership status for people who are engaged full-time in the profession of roofing and /or waterproofing consulting. After an extensive test and proof of annual continuing education, both institutes offer Certification and Registration of qualified Professional Consultants. IRWC certified qualified consultants and them the Certified professional Roofing Consultant (CPRC) designation. RCI registered qualified consultant and gave them the Registered Roof Consultant (RRC) designation. The two institutes have recently merged under the name RCI.
When considering a prospective consultant one should ask if they are a member of RCI. More importantly however, they should be asked if they or a principal of their firm is certified or registered or both. It is the CPRC or RRC designation that indicates that the consultant's knowledge has been extensively tested and that the consultant is engaged in a continuing education program. |
