Warranties

Most residential roofing materials or projects come with warranties. Here at AskARoofer we have outlined the basics of how these work.

When you start looking into finding a roofer near you, you will quickly realize how many decisions you need to make. From roofing products to warranties to colors and more, it can quickly become overwhelming. Because a roof is such a big investment, you can feel a lot of pressure to get it right.

A lot of the choices you will have to make are up to personal taste (like color) and regional needs (like materials), but things like warranties exist across the roofing industry. Roofing warranties can seem very complicated at first glance, but ultimately there are three main types: standard manufacturer’s warranty, contractor workmanship warranty and extended manufacturer’s warranty.

Standard manufacturer’s warranty

This warranty covers the roofing products you purchase. Most shingles come with a basic limited lifetime warranty, which is the industry standard, and means your roof is warranted as long as you own your home. The definition of “limited” can vary depending on the manufacturer, which will affect the degree of protection you receive, so make sure you understand what your warranty covers.

Contractor workmanship warranty

This warranty comes from the roofing company you choose to work with and will cover installation in addition to protecting you from material failures due to worker error or improper installation techniques. The length of this warranty will differ among roofers. Additionally, these warranties will typically cover the cost of labor and materials needed to complete any repairs and related damages to the interior of the home, furnishings and personal items. 

Extended manufacturer’s warranty

This warranty is also known as “comprehensive coverage” and covers the contractor workmanship and expanded coverage for the roofing products at an additional cost. Some manufacturers offer optional extended warranty coverage on new roofs that are installed by authorized contractors who are certified to install the roofing system - ventilation, insulation, shingles - according to the manufacturer’s installation specifications.

Protect your warranty

Overall, it's important that you ask the professionals you are working with for any information about roofing warranties you don't understand. Further if you encounter any roof problems or need roof maintenance, it's important to make sure your warranty is not void so that you can still submit claims related to it.

There are four key ways to protect your coverage:

1. Get regular inspections: When you have your roof inspected every one to two years, your contractor can identify and fix any minor issues. Staying ahead of these repairs and preventing major work enables you to maintain your warranty coverage.
2. Stay with your original contractor: Many times a contractor’s warranty will be voided if a different company is hired to alter the original installation. Staying with your original roofing contractor will not only help you maintain warranty coverage but it also allows your contractor to correct his or her own mistakes.
3. Register your warranty: Without submitting your warranty registration, you might not have coverage at all. 
4. Read the fine print: Ensure you understand all aspects of your warranty.  Something that could be missed is as simple as a warranty becoming void if the installing contractor isn’t certified through the shingle manufacturer and authorized to provide the warranty.

Learn more about warranties and how to protect yours. 

Have a question? AskARoofer.

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