What It Takes Certification looks at what you already know and tests you on it. “The exam is a certifying tool,” says Dan Taddei, NARI’s director of education. “You show that you have a certain knowledge level of a subject.” Certification is different from a certificate program, he says, “which requires that you attend classes, and if you meet certain established requirements, you get a certificate.”
NARI offers six certifications, all of which require a minimum of five full-time years in the remodeling industry. Candidates answer a self-assessment, and can take courses on a variety of industry topics, such as business management and design/build, to increase knowledge before taking a certification exam.
The NKBA’s seven certifications require detailed work-history information, in addition to affidavits of professional experience, and an academic or design exam or both.
The NAHB refers to its three options as “designations.” Candidates first take the Professional Remodeler Experience Profile, which covers core areas of the remodeling industry: marketing and sales; business administration; design, estimating, and job cost; contracts, liability, and risk management; and project management. The PREP results determine the number of courses a candidate should take to fill the gaps in their knowledge — anywhere from zero to two courses in each subject area.
The American Institute of Building Design offers one certification, the Certified Professional Building Designer, which AIBD executive director Steve Mickley says is pursued by “those designers in states that allow people to design homes without being architects. Our certification helps differentiate those who have experienced education and taken a competency exam in that area of the architectural industry that would normally go unregulated.” The exams are given in 12 regions around the country.
Lori Bentley, CR, CKBR, and her husband and business co-owner Bruce Bentley, CR, CKBR, drove four hours each way once a week for nearly four months from their office in Hanford, Calif., to Sacramento to take a class and study with a group for their Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler designation. “Getting it requires discipline,” says Lori, who saw the designation as a milestone in her career. “It not only confirmed what I already knew, but I learned a lot of new things and made great acquaintances who we’ve stayed in touch with.”
NARI can create virtual study groups for those who can’t get enough local remodelers to pursue the designations. For both NARI and the NAHB, classes and seminars are held at various home builder shows throughout the country. The NKBA also holds classes in hotels nationwide.
Other Resources Not only associations offer certifications. Remodelers often seek certification in areas such as home or building inspection, land surveying, insurance restoration, or sustainable building. And many manufacturers offer some form of installation certification. Some offer on-site training, to builders in particular; others, such as Pella Corporation, have training in stores such as Lowe’s; and still others do so through a separate organization. GAF Materials Corp., the largest roofing manufacturer in North America, co-sponsors a nonprofit educational entity called the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence. Most CARE training classes are free, and and are conducted by dedicated trainers who travel the country.
It’s in everybody’s best interests — the manufacturer, the remodeler, the consumer — that the product is correctly installed. “We give contractors the tools to be more successful in their business, especially when it comes to proper installation,” says Mike DiStefano, GAF’s director of marketing – certified programs. “As a property owner, you don’t want to have someone inexperienced doing the installation when you’re making such an important investment.”
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) created a program called InstallationMasters to certify installers of doors and windows in residential and light-commercial markets. Now administered by Architectural Testing Inc., in York, Pa., the two-day program is offered in every state. There’s a $300 fee for the program and certification test, or a $200 fee for the program only. Says Ellen Marderness, program manager in the certification services department, “Taking the time to properly install doors and windows will minimize or eliminate the callback issue … and it also sets [that business] apart in its market.”
Whether it’s an association- or manufacturer-supported experience, the real value of certifications is “exposure to a learning opportunity,” says PREP creator Weiss. “Education is sort of a personality or state of mind. One of the things any designation does for you is to create an appetite and a habit for frequently checking into what’s going on. If nothing else, it makes you look at your procedures … your business, from an inquisitive standpoint.” Naysayers will just have to find out for themselves.