diff --git a/hack/verify-upgrade.sh b/hack/verify-upgrade.sh
index e0a1d714f..a00ce7e47 100755
--- a/hack/verify-upgrade.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-upgrade.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ SCRIPT_ROOT="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" > /dev/null && pwd )"
 export REPO_ROOT="${SCRIPT_ROOT}/.."
 source "${REPO_ROOT}/devel/lib/lib.sh"
 source "${REPO_ROOT}/hack/build/version.sh"
+export APP_VERSION="$(date +"%s")"
 
 kube::version::last_published_release
 
@@ -29,11 +30,28 @@ LATEST_RELEASE="${KUBE_LAST_RELEASE}"
 CURRENT_VERSION="${KUBE_GIT_VERSION}"
 
 # Ensure helm, kind, kubectl, ytt, jq are available
+echo "Building the required tools.."
 bazel build //hack/bin:helm //hack/bin:kind //hack/bin:ytt //hack/bin:jq //hack/bin:kubectl //hack/bin:kubectl-cert_manager
 bindir="$(bazel info bazel-bin)"
 export PATH="${bindir}/hack/bin/:$PATH"
 
-echo "Testing upgrade from ${LATEST_RELEASE} to ${CURRENT_VERSION}"
+# Build images from latest master and load into the kind cluster. These will be
+# used when upgrading with both kubectl and helm.
+# Tag images with APP_VERSION for consistency with devel/addon/certmanager/install.sh.
+echo "Building latest cert-manger images.."
+APP_VERSION=${APP_VERSION} \
+bazel run \
+  --stamp=true \
+  --platforms=@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:linux_amd64 \
+  "//devel/addon/certmanager:bundle"
+
+echo "Loading latest cert-manager images to cluster.."
+load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-controller:${APP_VERSION}" &
+load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-acmesolver:${APP_VERSION}" &
+load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-cainjector:${APP_VERSION}" &
+load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-webhook:${APP_VERSION}" &
+load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-ctl:${APP_VERSION}" &
+wait
 
 # Namespace to deploy into
 NAMESPACE="${NAMESPACE:-cert-manager}"
@@ -46,6 +64,8 @@ HELM_CHART="jetstack/cert-manager"
 # VERIFY INSTALL, UPGRADE, UNINSTALL WITH HELM
 ############
 
+echo "Testing upgrade from ${LATEST_RELEASE} to ${CURRENT_VERSION} with Helm.."
+
 # This will target the host's helm repository cache
 helm repo add jetstack https://charts.jetstack.io
 helm repo update
@@ -68,16 +88,28 @@ helm upgrade \
 # Wait for the cert-manager api to be available
 kubectl cert-manager check api --wait=1m -v
 
+echo "Creating some cert-manager resources.."
+
 # Create a cert-manager issuer and cert
 kubectl apply -f "${REPO_ROOT}/test/fixtures/cert-manager-resources.yaml" --selector=test="first"
 
 # Ensure cert becomes ready
 kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready cert/test1 --timeout=180s
 
-# 1. BUILD AND UPGRADE TO HELM CHART FROM THE CURRENT MASTER
+# 2. BUILD AND UPGRADE TO HELM CHART FROM THE CURRENT MASTER
+
+bazel build //deploy/charts/cert-manager
 
 echo "Upgrading cert-manager Helm release to ${CURRENT_VERSION}..."
-"${REPO_ROOT}/devel/addon/certmanager/install.sh"
+helm upgrade \
+    --install \
+    --wait \
+    --namespace "${NAMESPACE}" \
+    --set installCRDs=true \
+    --create-namespace \
+    --version "${CURRENT_VERSION}" \
+    "$RELEASE_NAME" \
+    "$REPO_ROOT/bazel-bin/deploy/charts/cert-manager/cert-manager.tgz"
 
 # Wait for the cert-manager api to be available
 kubectl cert-manager check api --wait=1m -v
@@ -85,13 +117,17 @@ kubectl cert-manager check api --wait=1m -v
 # Test that the existing cert-manager resources can still be retrieved
 kubectl get issuer/selfsigned-issuer cert/test1
 
+echo "Creating some cert-manager resources.."
+
 # # Create another certificate
 kubectl apply -f "${REPO_ROOT}/test/fixtures/cert-manager-resources.yaml" --selector=test="second"
 
 # Ensure cert becomes ready
 kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready cert/test2 --timeout=180s
 
-# 1. UNINSTALL HELM RELEASE
+# 3. UNINSTALL HELM RELEASE
+echo "Uninstalling the Helm release.."
+
 kubectl delete \
 	-f "${REPO_ROOT}/test/fixtures/cert-manager-resources.yaml"
 
@@ -108,6 +144,8 @@ kubectl delete "namespace/${NAMESPACE}" \
 
 # 1. INSTALL THE LATEST PUBLISHED RELEASE WITH STATIC MANIFESTS
 
+echo "Testing cert-manager upgrade from ${LATEST_RELEASE} to ${CURRENT_VERSION} with static manifests.."
+
 echo "Install cert-manager ${LATEST_RELEASE} using static manifests.."
 kubectl apply \
 	-f "https://github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/releases/download/${LATEST_RELEASE}/cert-manager.yaml" \
@@ -134,23 +172,6 @@ echo "Install cert-manager ${CURRENT_VERSION} using static manifests.."
 # Build the static manifests
 bazel build //deploy/manifests
 
-# TODO: refactor this functionality here and in
-# devel/addon/certmanager/install.sh so it can be reused.
-# Tag images with APP_VERSION for consistency with devel/addon/certmanager/install.sh.
-export APP_VERSION="$(date +"%s")"
-# Build cert-manager images.
-bazel run --stamp=true \
- --platforms=@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:linux_amd64 \
- "//devel/addon/certmanager:bundle"
-
-# Load all images into the cluster
-load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-controller:${APP_VERSION}" &
-load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-acmesolver:${APP_VERSION}" &
-load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-cainjector:${APP_VERSION}" &
-load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-webhook:${APP_VERSION}" &
-load_image "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-ctl:${APP_VERSION}" &
-wait
-
 # Overwrite image tags in the static manifests and deploy.
 ytt -f "${REPO_ROOT}/test/fixtures/upgrade/overlay/controller-ops.yaml" \
 	-f "${REPO_ROOT}/test/fixtures/upgrade/overlay/cainjector-ops.yaml" \
@@ -178,12 +199,16 @@ kubectl cert-manager check api --wait=1m -v
 # Test that the existing cert-manager resources can still be retrieved
 kubectl get issuer/selfsigned-issuer cert/test1
 
+echo "Creating some cert-manager resources.."
+
 # # Create another certificate
 kubectl apply -f "${REPO_ROOT}/test/fixtures/cert-manager-resources.yaml" --selector=test="second"
 
 # Ensure cert becomes ready
 kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready cert/test2 --timeout=180s
 
+echo "Uninstalling cert-manager.."
+
 # 3. UNINSTALL
 kubectl delete \
 	-f "${REPO_ROOT}/bazel-bin/deploy/manifests/cert-manager.yaml" \