A new roof is a substantial investment, and you wouldn’t buy a car without a Comprehensive warranty. Neither should you buy a new roof without the same considerations. Roof Materials warranties vary from Contractor to Contractor, as well as from manufacturer to manufacturer. That is why it is so important to ask questions up front.
Warranties 101:
Material Defect warranty - Comes with your new roof and covers any material defects from day one, this may include color changes, granule loss, corrosion, wind uplift failure at or below design criteria. And depending on the manufacturer are offered from 20 years to 50 years. Some manufacturers offer upgrades to longer, more comprehensive warranties, as well as transferable warranties when the property is sold.
Workmanship warranty – Supplied by your contractor and can vary greatly based on the type of project, or the confidence of your contractor in his/her work product. While one contractor might not offer any type of extended warranty, a more reliable contractor will warrant their work. That’s why it is so important to read the fine print. For example, here at CRS we offer up to a 10 year warranty on our workmanship, depending on the type of project and material.
Lifetime warranty doesn’t mean what you think.
Lifetime coverage refers to the lifetime of the material used, not the lifetime of the home or homeowner. The life expectancy of roofing material can change, not only from product to product, but from climate to climate as well. Making sure you understand the performance expectations of the products you choose is crucial to understanding your roof’s warranty.
If you didn’t think it was complicated before, now add the exceptions to the warranties.
Most warranties include verbiage that will exempt the manufacturer or contractor of liability under specific circumstances. You need to know what those circumstances are to protect yourself, your roof and your home. Examples of those exceptions are as follows:
Not acquiring a final inspection and manufacturer signoff at the time of install;
Failure to pay warranty fees by contractor or homeowner;
Failure to transfer warranty ownership within allotted time frame;
Failure to perform and keep record of required maintenance item(s);
Failure to repair damage in a timely fashion;
Repairs, alterations and additions not done to manufacturer’s specifications or by an authorized contractor.
Making informed decisions before you need to use your warranty is the key. That’s why we strive to be your roofing advocate at Contractor’s Roof Service, Inc. Our goal is to assist you in planning ahead, so if a problem arises, you are prepared and can have it taken care of with as little complication as possible.
