The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) established its Quality Asphalt Roofing Case Study (QARC) Awards to identify and celebrate the best asphalt roofing projects across North America. For contractors, consultants, and design professionals working with asphaltic roofing products, these awards offer more than recognition. They provide a benchmark for quality that can elevate the standard of work across the entire industry. Understanding what makes a project award-worthy gives roofing professionals a clear framework for improving their own installations, material selections, and project documentation.
This article examines the criteria, systems, and best practices that define quality asphalt roofing, drawing lessons from ARMA’s recognition program and the technical standards that underpin durable, long-lasting roof installations. Whether you work with asphalt shingles, modified bitumen, or built-up roofing systems, the principles outlined here will help you deliver projects that meet the highest industry standards.
Understanding the QARC Awards and Their Impact on Roofing Quality
The QARC Awards program, administered by ARMA, recognizes outstanding commercial and residential projects that use asphaltic roofing materials. The program is open to contractors, consultants, and design professionals working with shingles, modified bitumen, or built-up roofs on new construction or renovation projects. Award winners are selected for their innovative design, sustainable building methods, and successful renovation techniques.
Program Structure and Eligibility
The QARC program operates on an annual submission cycle, accepting projects completed within the previous calendar year. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of industry experts who assess each project against a standardized set of criteria. The program is free to enter, which encourages broad participation from firms of all sizes.
- Open to commercial and residential projects of any scale
- Accepts submissions from contractors, architects, and engineers
- Covers new construction and renovation project types
- Evaluates design innovation, material performance, and installation quality
- Recognizes sustainable and energy-efficient roofing approaches
Each submission requires comprehensive project documentation, including photographs, specifications, and a narrative describing the challenges and solutions implemented during the project. This documentation serves as a valuable case study that other professionals can learn from.
Why Industry Recognition Matters
Award recognition in the roofing industry carries significant weight. Winning a QARC Award signals to potential clients, building owners, and industry peers that a firm delivers work at the highest level. For commercial projects especially, third-party validation of quality can be the deciding factor in competitive bidding situations. The awards also create a repository of documented best practices that helps raise the bar for the entire profession.
Key Criteria for Award-Winning Asphalt Roofing Projects
Understanding the evaluation criteria used by ARMA’s judging panel helps contractors align their project planning and execution with award-winning standards. The criteria fall into several broad categories that together define roofing excellence.
Design Innovation and Problem Solving
Award-winning projects typically address complex design challenges with creative solutions. This might involve adapting asphalt roofing systems to unusual roof geometries, integrating multiple roofing technologies on a single structure, or finding innovative ways to meet strict performance requirements within budget constraints.
Design innovation in asphalt roofing can take many forms:
- Adapting slope requirements to match existing building structures during renovation work
- Integrating solar-ready features into asphalt roof system designs
- Combining multiple asphalt roofing products to achieve specific performance goals
- Designing transitions between different roof sections with attention to water flow and drainage
- Incorporating reflective or cool-roofing technologies to meet energy code requirements
Installation Quality and Workmanship
Even the best-designed roofing system fails without proper installation. The QARC judging process places substantial weight on the quality of workmanship demonstrated in each project. Judges look for precise application of materials, proper fastening patterns, consistent overlap and exposure, and careful attention to flashing and penetration details.
Key indicators of installation excellence include:
| Installation Element | Quality Indicator | Common Defect to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Shingle alignment | Straight, parallel courses with consistent exposure | Staggered or crooked rows |
| Fastener placement | Correct nail placement per manufacturer specs | Over-driven, under-driven, or misplaced nails |
| Flashing integration | Continuous, sealed transitions at all penetrations | Gaps, corrosion, or incomplete sealing |
| Valley construction | Proper open or closed valley techniques | Inadequate width or improper layering |
| Ridge and hip finishing | Even, tight-fitting ridge cap shingles | Exposed fasteners or uneven coverage |
| Ice and water barrier | Full coverage in required zones | Gaps at eaves or valleys |
Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Approaches
Sustainability has become a central consideration in modern roofing. ARMA’s award criteria recognize projects that demonstrate environmental responsibility through material selection, waste reduction, and energy performance. Green building codes continue to reshape roofing standards, and projects that stay ahead of these requirements earn recognition.
Sustainable roofing practices evaluated in the QARC program include:
- Use of cool-roofing asphalt products with high solar reflectance
- Recycling of tear-off materials and construction waste
- Integration with building insulation and ventilation systems
- Selection of products with recycled content or low-VOC manufacturing processes
- Design for long service life to reduce replacement frequency
Understanding Asphalt Roofing Systems: Shingles, Modified Bitumen, and Built-Up Roofs
The QARC program covers three primary types of asphalt roofing systems, each with distinct characteristics, applications, and installation requirements. Understanding the differences between these systems is essential for selecting the right approach for any project.
Asphalt Shingles: The Residential Standard
Asphalt shingles remain the most widely used roofing material in North American residential construction. They combine affordability, durability, and aesthetic versatility in a product system that has been refined over decades. Modern asphalt shingles are available in a range of styles, including three-tab, architectural, and premium laminated options.
The quality of an asphalt shingle installation depends on several factors. Proper deck preparation, correct underlayment selection, and precise fastener placement all contribute to long-term performance. Wind uplift resistance is a critical consideration, particularly in regions prone to severe weather. Manufacturers specify fastener patterns and wind resistance ratings that must be followed exactly to maintain warranty coverage.
Key benefits of asphalt shingles for award-worthy projects include:
- Broad color selection for design flexibility
- Established installation standards with clear manufacturer guidelines
- Excellent wind resistance when properly installed
- Class A fire ratings available on premium products
- 30-year to lifetime warranty options on architectural shingles
- Relatively low material cost compared to alternative roofing systems
Modified Bitumen: Commercial Durability
Modified bitumen roofing systems are commonly used on low-slope commercial and institutional buildings. These systems consist of asphalt modified with polymers such as APP (atactic polypropylene) or SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) to enhance flexibility, durability, and weather resistance. They are typically installed in multiple layers with reinforcing fabrics or mats.
Modified bitumen systems offer several advantages for commercial applications:
- Superior waterproofing through multi-layer construction
- Excellent resistance to UV degradation and thermal cycling
- Flexible installation methods including torch-applied, self-adhered, and cold-adhered
- Compatibility with green roof and solar panel systems
- Proven long-term performance on low-slope roof decks
Built-Up Roofing: The Time-Tested System
Built-up roofing (BUR) represents the traditional approach to low-slope commercial roofing. It consists of multiple layers of bitumen and reinforcing fabrics, often topped with a reflective coating or gravel surfacing. BUR systems have a long track record of reliable performance, with many installations lasting 20 to 30 years or more when properly maintained.
The layered construction of BUR systems provides redundancy that enhances long-term reliability. Each layer of bitumen and reinforcing ply adds to the system’s waterproofing capability, so minor damage to the surface layer does not necessarily compromise the roof’s integrity.
Best Practices for Documenting and Submitting Roofing Projects
Whether you are pursuing a QARC Award or simply want to maintain excellent project records for your own quality assurance program, thorough documentation is essential. The submission requirements for the QARC program provide a useful template for any contractor looking to improve their project documentation practices.
Essential Documentation Components
A complete project submission should include photographic documentation at every stage of construction. Start with the existing conditions or substrate preparation, then document each layer of the roofing system as it is installed. Close-up photos of critical details such as flashings, penetrations, valleys, and terminations provide evidence of quality workmanship.
- Before-and-after photographs showing the scope of work
- Detailed specifications and material data sheets
- Manufacturer installation instructions and compliance documentation
- Narrative describing project challenges and innovative solutions
- Test results for wind uplift, fire resistance, or energy performance where applicable
- Client testimonial or building owner feedback
Quality Assurance Throughout the Project
Documentation alone is not enough. The quality of the finished project depends on attention to detail at every stage. Cool roofing technologies and solar reflectance standards are increasingly important in meeting modern building codes, and projects that incorporate these features tend to score higher in award evaluations.
A structured quality assurance program should include:
- Pre-installation meeting with the entire crew to review project specifications
- Substrate inspection and preparation verification before roofing begins
- In-progress inspections at each layer of the roofing system
- Final inspection with photo documentation of all completed work
- Warranty registration with material manufacturers
- Post-installation follow-up at six months and one year
Learning from Past Award Winners
Previous QARC Award winners have demonstrated that excellence in asphalt roofing is achievable across a wide range of project types and scales. Common characteristics of winning projects include meticulous attention to detail, innovative approaches to site-specific challenges, and a clear commitment to quality at every stage of construction.
As ARMA continues to document outstanding projects through its case study program, the body of knowledge available to the roofing community grows. Contractors who study these case studies gain insights that can be applied directly to their own projects, helping them achieve the same level of quality and recognition.
The QARC program serves a dual purpose: it celebrates exceptional work while simultaneously creating a library of best practices that elevates the entire asphalt roofing industry. For contractors committed to quality, participating in the program—whether as a submitter or as a student of past winners—is a professional development activity that pays dividends on every future project.