Roof Rating Program

After initial testing of a product sample (a set of test specimens), the sample is sent to a CRRC Approved Test Farm where it will be exposed to outdoor weathering for three years. Outdoor exposure occurs at CRRC Approved Test Farms in three designated locations in the United States that collectively represent the average U.S. climate: Arizona (hot/dry), Ohio (cold/temperate), and Florida (hot/humid). After three years of field exposure, the weathered specimens are sent back to an AITL for aged testing.

ABOUT THE RATED ROOF PRODUCTS DIRECTORY

Rated roofing products are listed on the Rated Roof Products Directory. A product's placement on the Directory does not mean that the product is "cool," as defined by any particular code, standard, or program.

ABOUT THE CRRC PRODUCT LABEL

Licensees are permitted to use the CRRC Product Label to display the rated values on a product’s packaging. Visit the Product Label Use Guidance page.

The CRRC Product Label aids in quick compliance of building codes and programs that require roofing products meet specific radiative performance levels for the reduction of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and/or helping mitigate the impacts of the urban heat island effect.

A key part of the CRRC Product Rating Program is the three-year weathering process, which informs consumers of product radiative performance in the field over time. In order to accelerate product development and assist manufacturers in getting products on the market sooner, the CRRC has established the Rapid Ratings Program, which is based on the standard laboratory aging practice in ASTM D7897.

CRRC Rapid Ratings is an optional product rating process that provides interim laboratory-aged values. This process allows CRRC Licensees to list the laboratory-aged radiative property values at an accelerated rate—the aging simulation can be completed by an approved CRRC Rapid Ratings Lab in less than a week.

The Rapid Ratings process is not a substitute for three-year weathering at a CRRC Approved Test Farm. These interim values are displayed on the Rated Roof Products Directory and on the CRRC Product Label until the product completes the required three-year weathering process and aged testing. Upon completion of three-year weathering and aged testing, the three-year aged values replace the Rapid Ratings on the Directory and CRRC Product Label.

To learn more about CRRC Rapid Ratings, visit the Rapid Ratings page.

Validation Testing provides quality assurance of the Rated Roof Products Directory through routine verification of a product’s rated values. A product's rating is required to be validated with passing test results seven (7) years from Initial approval or from the last Random Testing or Validation Testing year, whichever is more recent, and every seven (7) years thereafter.

For more information on the Validation Testing Program, see Appendix 3 in the CRRC-1 Product Rating Program Manual.

Some industries (e.g., factory-coated metal) have thousands of colors that may be offered for a particular roofing product. Rating each product would be onerous, as well as prohibitively expensive. Since creating various colors within any roofing technology involves simply altering the selection and levels of pigments, it is reasonable to assume that the performance of a product within a narrowly defined color range will behave similarly to other products of similar—but not identical—color. For this reason, the CRRC has adopted the concept of Color Families, Color Family Groups, and processes to qualify a limited set of products within a given binder/resin material technology to represent the entire color line within that product.

For companies wishing to list individual products, these products may be submitted for testing as unique materials per Appendix 5 in the CRRC-1 Product Rating Program Manual.

For a deep dive into Color Family Ratings for metal products in the CRRC Roof and Wall Programs, check out this recorded webinar on Demystifying the CRRC Product Rating Process for Metal Roofing and Siding hosted by METALCON Online on September 4, 2024.

See the CRRC Fees and Dues Structure for the appropriate Product Rating fee.