Last updated: September 2026 · Written by Cason Curriden
Key Takeaways
Homeowners searching for the best roofers in Salt Lake City usually compare prices first. That is the wrong first move — three bids on three different scopes are not comparable, and the cheapest number is often the one hiding the most exclusions. Seven criteria decide which contractor is actually the best choice.
Key points:
- Verify the Utah DOPL licence before anything else; it takes under a minute and eliminates most storm-chasing door-knockers.
- Manufacturer certification tier controls warranty length — 50-year coverage is only issuable by a certified contractor.
- The workmanship warranty matters more than the manufacturer warranty, because installation error causes most real failures.
- A bid without a per-sheet decking price is not a fixed price, whatever the total says.
- Olympus Roofing has served Salt Lake City since 1973 and holds both GAF Master Elite and Owens Corning Preferred certification.
Quick Answer
The best roofers in Salt Lake City are separated by seven criteria: an active Utah DOPL licence, manufacturer certification tier, a written workmanship warranty, a documented local track record, review volume alongside rating, bid transparency, and insurance verified directly with the insurer. Price is the last column, not the first — three bids on different scopes cannot be compared at all.
I’m Cason Curriden, Owner of Olympus Roofing. We hold Utah DOPL license #6402827-5501, carry both GAF Master Elite and Owens Corning Preferred Contractor certifications, and have roofed Salt Lake City homes since 1973. This guide is the checklist I would give a friend comparing contractors — including how to check us.
What Criteria Define the Best Roofers in Salt Lake City?
Seven, in the order they should be applied. The first three are pass or fail. The last four are where genuine judgement happens.
| Contractor criterion | What to check | Where to verify | Pass or judgement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah DOPL licence | Active, covers your scope | dopl.utah.gov | Pass/fail |
| Manufacturer certification | Master Elite, Preferred, Premier or 5-Star | Manufacturer contractor locator | Pass/fail |
| Insurance | General liability + workers’ comp, current dates | Certificate direct from insurer | Pass/fail |
| Workmanship warranty | Term length and what it covers | Written contract | Judgement |
| Local track record | Years working in SLC specifically | References from last 12 months | Judgement |
| Review profile | Volume alongside rating; read the 3-star reviews | Google, BBB, Yelp | Judgement |
| Bid transparency | Scope, decking price, ventilation, permits | Written quote | Judgement |
Source: Olympus Roofing, based on Salt Lake County project experience 2024–2026.
The 7 Criteria, in Order
1. An Active Utah DOPL License
This is the first check because it is binary and takes under a minute. Search the contractor’s name or licence number at dopl.utah.gov and confirm the licence is active and covers your scope. After a hail event, Salt Lake City sees a wave of out-of-state door-knockers, and this single check removes most of them.
2. Manufacturer Certification Tier
Certification is not marketing — it is what determines the warranty you can be offered. GAF Master Elite sits at roughly the top 2–3% of contractors nationally, Owens Corning Preferred and CertainTeed Premier are comparable tiers, and each requires ongoing quality audits, insurance verification and training compliance. Only a certified contractor can issue that manufacturer’s 50-year system warranty.
Verify on the manufacturer’s own contractor locator at gaf.com or owenscorning.com rather than the contractor’s website. Certifications lapse, and the manufacturer’s list is the current one.
3. Insurance Verified at Source
Request the certificate of insurance directly from the insurance agent, not as a PDF forwarded by the contractor. Confirm general liability and workers’ compensation are current for your project dates. If an uninsured worker is injured on your roof, the exposure can land on your homeowners policy.
4. A Written Workmanship Warranty
This is the criterion most homeowners skip and the one that matters most. The manufacturer warranty covers material defect. The workmanship warranty covers installation error — which causes the large majority of real roof failures. In Salt Lake City the range runs from two years to thirty depending on contractor. Get the term and its exclusions in writing before signing.
5. A Documented Local Track Record
Utah roofs fail in Utah-specific ways: ice damming at eaves, freeze-thaw working at flashing, high-elevation UV ageing shingles faster than national ratings suggest, and Wasatch hail. A contractor with years of documented Salt Lake City work specifies ventilation and ice-and-water-shield coverage accordingly. Ask for two references from the last twelve months in your neighbourhood; genuine local volume produces them immediately.
6. Review Volume Alongside Rating
A 4.9-star rating from 300 reviews is a materially stronger signal than a 5.0 from twelve. Read the three-star reviews specifically — five-star reviews tell you the job went well, and three-star reviews tell you how the company behaves when it does not. Check Google, the BBB and Yelp rather than only the testimonials on the contractor’s own site.
7. Bid Transparency
A bid you can actually compare states: the shingle manufacturer and product line, the tear-off scope and number of existing layers, the per-sheet price for decking replacement discovered at tear-off, any ventilation correction, who pulls the permit, both warranty terms, and the weather-delay policy.
The decking line is the one that matters most. Without a stated per-sheet price, the total on the page is an estimate rather than a price, and the difference frequently appears as a change order at completion. Our guide to comparing roofing quotes in Salt Lake City works through a full side-by-side.
How Do You Compare Roofing Bids in Salt Lake City?
Put them in a column layout and compare in this order: system specified, tear-off scope, decking price per sheet, ventilation work included, permit responsibility, manufacturer warranty term and proration schedule, workmanship warranty term, schedule and weather policy — then price.
If one bid is dramatically lower, find the exclusion rather than assuming a better deal. The usual causes are a thinner shingle line, a re-cover instead of a tear-off, no ventilation correction, or decking left as an open variable. Ask every contractor to bid the same written specification and the comparison becomes real.
Which Salt Lake City Roofers Meet These Criteria?
Several do. We maintain a full ranked comparison in our guide to the best roofing companies in Salt Lake City, and a replacement-specific comparison in our best roof replacement companies in Salt Lake City guide.
For Olympus specifically: Utah DOPL #6402827-5501, GAF Master Elite and Owens Corning Preferred, BBB A+ accredited, Utah Roofing Contractors Association member, operating in Salt Lake City since 1973, with a 5-year workmanship warranty and a 4.8 out of 5 customer satisfaction average. Every one of those is verifiable independently, which is the point of the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What criteria define the best roofers in Salt Lake City?
Seven: an active Utah DOPL licence, manufacturer certification tier, insurance verified directly with the insurer, a written workmanship warranty, a documented Salt Lake City track record, review volume alongside rating, and bid transparency including a per-sheet decking price. The first three are pass/fail checks; the remaining four are where real comparison happens.
How do I check if a Salt Lake City roofer is licensed?
Search the contractor’s name or licence number at dopl.utah.gov, Utah’s Division of Professional Licensing, and confirm the licence is active and covers your project scope. This takes under a minute and eliminates most out-of-state storm-chasers who appear after hail events. Do this before spending any time on quotes.
How should I compare roofing bids in Salt Lake City?
Compare in this order: system and manufacturer specified, tear-off scope, per-sheet decking replacement price, ventilation work included, permit responsibility, manufacturer warranty term and proration schedule, workmanship warranty term, schedule and weather policy — then price. Two bids are rarely for the same scope, so ask each contractor to price one written specification.
What does GAF Master Elite mean for a Salt Lake City homeowner?
It means the contractor sits in roughly the top 2–3% of roofers nationally and has passed ongoing quality audits, insurance verification and training compliance. Practically, it means they can issue GAF’s 50-year system warranty, which a non-certified contractor cannot offer at all. Verify current status on GAF’s own contractor locator rather than the contractor’s website.
Is a cheaper roofing bid always worse?
Not always, but a materially cheaper bid almost always reflects a different scope. The common causes are a lower shingle line, a re-cover over existing shingles instead of a full tear-off, ventilation correction omitted, or decking replacement left as an open variable. Find the difference before treating it as savings.
How many roofing quotes should I get in Salt Lake City?
Three is the practical number — enough to see the range without stalling the project. More important than the count is that all three price the same written specification. Three quotes on three different scopes give you no comparison at all, which is the most common mistake homeowners make.
Should I choose a local Salt Lake City roofer over a national company?
Local experience matters in Salt Lake City because the failure modes are local: ice damming, freeze-thaw cycling at flashing, high-elevation UV and Wasatch hail patterns. A contractor with documented years in the city specifies ventilation and ice-and-water-shield coverage to match. National storm-chasing operations frequently do not, and are hard to reach for warranty work later.
What should a Salt Lake City roofing bid include in writing?
The shingle manufacturer and product line, tear-off scope and number of existing layers, per-sheet decking replacement price, any ventilation correction, who pulls the permit, the manufacturer warranty term with its proration schedule, the workmanship warranty term and exclusions, the projected schedule, and the weather-delay policy including who covers interior damage if the roof is left open.