Understanding Roofing Warranties: What Homeowners Need to Know
Roofing warranties are common offerings, but can be fairly complicated to understand. Review the most common warranties you’ll see when you purchase a new roof.
Roofing warranties are common offerings, but can be fairly complicated to understand. Review the most common warranties you’ll see when you purchase a new roof.
A new roof is a significant investment that protects your home and increases its value. Like any significant investment, it’s important to ensure you’re maximizing your return on it. While the last thing property owners want to think about is problems with a newly installed roof, one factor that can help offer some peace of mind with such an investment is a roofing warranty.
Roofing warranties are common offerings but can be fairly complicated and difficult to understand.
Let’s review some of the most common warranties you’ll see when you purchase a new roof.
A manufacturer warranty is one of the most common types of offered warranties. Fitting to the name, a manufacturer warranty comes from the company that manufactures the shingles installed on your home. Most cover either 25 or 30 years, though it’s not uncommon to find a “lifetime” 50-year warranty as well.
Basic manufacturer warranties only cover materials, not workmanship. So, should you file a claim, you would still be on the hook for labor costs to repair or replace any shingles. Additionally, material prices are often prorated, so you may pay the difference in cost from when your roof was initially installed to what the costs are when you file the claim. Disposal of any existing shingles also isn’t typically covered.
Finally, you need to work with a roofing contractor certified by the shingle manufacturer. While basic manufacturer warranties cover product defects, they won’t cover issues that arise from faulty installation.
A workmanship/labor or contractor warranty covers the quality of the installation. A good roofing contractor will offer this type of warranty to stand behind their work. However, these warranties tend to look different from contractor to contractor. Some contractors only offer workmanship warranties for certain periods, while others offer lifetime warranties.
Most contractor warranties cover the cost of labor and materials to make any qualifying repairs, but they typically exclude problems unrelated to workmanship, like roofing damage caused by severe weather and/or damage from roofing alterations.
Extended warranties are usually available at an additional cost and tend to cover any gaps in standard manufacture and workmanship warranties. These warranties may cover both roof replacement costs and the cost of labor and materials. Extended warranties also last beyond the standard 10-year warranty coverage and span either 50 years or a “lifetime.”
However, extended warranties often cost several thousand dollars, while standard manufacturer and workmanship warranties are typically included with the installation.
While many property owners may think a lifetime warranty is just that—peace of mind that you’ll be covered for any issues over the lifetime of the new roof—that’s not always the case. A lifetime warranty usually only offers coverage for as long as you own the home unless it is transferable and can be given to any new owner, should you sell the property.
Additionally, most lifetime warranties are also “limited,” meaning that coverage is in full for a certain period and then prorated from there on out. Read any fine print and fully understand warranty information before signing the paperwork.
You may also come across contractors offering a workmanship guarantee. A guarantee is generally similar to a workmanship warranty but without the fine print. Similar to workmanship warranties, a workmanship guarantee lasts for a defined period, covers any labor-related issues, and typically won’t cover damages from natural disasters or homeowner negligence.
A guarantee isn’t necessarily better or worse than a warranty; it just serves as an oral contract rather than a written one. Both are legally enforceable. Guarantees can be less confusing than warranties because written contracts can be long and contain confusing language, making it difficult to understand what is and isn’t covered. A guarantee is typically easier to understand.
Bottom line—ensure your investment is covered under some type of workmanship guarantee or warranty, and be sure you see or hear the contract in full and understand it before you accept the contractor’s quote.
There are several instances where a roofing warranty may become void, including:
So, how can you ensure that your new roof stays under warranty for the entire term?
Well, it starts with reading the fine print and making sure you understand what the warranty covers. It’s also important to register your warranty. However, if you’re working with a contractor, they should be registering the warranty for you.
Other tips include:
As we mentioned throughout this post, the most critical factor in a new roof installation is working with the right professional. You need someone like L&S Home Improvements who is qualified, certified, and experienced.
We’re certified to install CertainTeed’s Integrity Roof System® and back every job with a fully transferable, non-prorated, 25-year guarantee that covers both materials and labor. Additionally, because we hold a SELECT Shinglemaster certification from CertainTeed, all of our roofs are backed by an additional 50-year warranty from CertainTeed. This means that should we ever close our business or move, CertainTeed would back up the roof and hire another SELECT Shinglemaster to handle the warranty claim.
In addition to our superior craftsmanship, we’re dedicated to the customer experience, as shown by our numerous 5-star reviews. We also pride ourselves on clear communication, transparency, honesty, and fair pricing.
Visit our website to learn more about our work, or contact us today to request a free installation estimate.
