The truth is that roofing warranties are complex, and many struggle to understand them.
However, if you repair your existing roof or install a new one, you must understand the warranty. This will help you make better and more informed decisions about the services you choose and learn more about your roof’s longevity and future performance.
Do you need help understanding the warranties your roofing contractor or material manufacturer has offered you? Don’t worry! This article contains all the information you need.
What You Should Understand About Warranties for Roofing Projects
To understand how long do roof warranties last, you should learn about several things. Let’s explore the most important ones:
Types of Warranties for Roof Repair, Installation, and Replacement
The first factor you should analyze is the type of roofing warranty you’re receiving. Your contractor may offer a workmanship warranty, which covers anything that goes wrong during the roof replacement, repair, or installation process.
In other words, the roofing contractor or company offers a workmanship warranty. Plus, it covers errors, failures, damage, or malfunctions in the roofing system after the project is completed.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof? Will that affect the warranty that comes with my roofing service? Answering such questions is challenging for most people. There’s another common type of warranty you may hear about if you need to repair or replace your roof. This is offered by the manufacturer of the roofing materials you purchase and often lasts five years for asphalt shingles and more for other materials.
The standard manufacturer’s warranty covers only defective roofing materials or products. Thus, you’ll be responsible for labor costs and other expenses.
Although less common, some companies offer extended manufacturer warranties covering contractor workmanship and product damage.
What Roofing Warranties Cover and Don’t Cover
Another key aspect that you should understand about roofing warranties is their coverage. It’s limited in all cases. In other words, some things are covered, and others are not.
To understand what’s covered and what’s not, you should delve into the coverage details by reading the proposal or estimate offered by the contractor or manufacturer. This information should be there.
Explore the roof components that the available warranty types cover. Contractors often exclude wood decking, flashing, and fasteners. This type of coverage doesn’t include issues that aren’t caused by the workmanship, such as the following:
- Storm and high wind damage
- Other damage caused by extreme weather conditions
- Water damage
- Damage caused by foot traffic
- Damage caused to roofs that have been altered after installation
- Damage caused by ice dams
- Leaks resulting from impact from falling tree limbs or debris
Moreover, the warranty offered by the manufacturer of the roofing materials often covers the shingles (on an asphalt shingle roof) and other products only if they’re defective and not damaged during the installation process.
Duration and Limitations
Besides exploring what the coverage includes and excludes, you should also look for information about the warranty’s duration and limitations. This may vary depending on the roofing contractor or material manufacturer.
Some roofing contractors offer a lifetime warranty, but not all homeowners will get long-term protection. Actually, this coverage is short-term in many cases.
It’s essential to know the lifespan and limitations of your roofing warranty. Otherwise, you will need to prepare to deal with potential issues in the future.
Warranty Compliance Requirements
The contractor who repaired or replaced your roof may set conditions for a warranty claim. More often than not, it’s just proper maintenance.
In simple terms, most roofing contractors require homeowners to perform regular and proper maintenance to care for their roofs and keep the warranty valid.
Some warranties also require regular inspections. Therefore, it’s important to look for this information in the estimate or contract or request more details from the roofing contractor you’re working with.
Is It Possible to Transfer a Warranty?
What if you just installed an asphalt shingle roof on your property but plan to move? These projects cost much money, so you wouldn’t want to lose your warranty.
Well, that is only sometimes necessary. Some warranties are transferable, meaning you can pass them on to the person who buys your property if you plan to sell it.
Besides giving you peace of mind, transferable roof warranties offer properties an added selling point. You’ll really get value for money!
The Fine Print
You already know the details of the warranty the contractor offers for roof replacement or repair and the coverage that the manufacturer provides for damage to materials. However, that’s not all. It would help if you always read the fine print.
When it comes to roofing warranties, the fine print always holds crucial information that many people overlook. Unfortunately, this often means they’re being taken advantage of because it outlines important coverage details.
Reading the fine print in your roofing warranty can prevent surprises and misunderstandings in the future. The limitations and conditions you should analyze usually appear in this section.
If you really want to understand your roof warranty, carefully read the fine print. This will help you be fully informed about your rights and the protection you have for your roof.
Final Thoughts: Why Is It Important to Understand Roofing Warranties?
Everyone may need roofing services at some point. Whether provided by the materials’ manufacturer or contractor, homeowners who use them usually get this type of protection.
However, this information will only be useful if you understand how roof warranties work, what they cover, and how to keep them valid. That’s why exploring all the information outlined above is so important.
Roof warranties are more than a piece of paper. These documents provide peace of mind, address common errors, and protect expensive roofing projects.
Also, a warranty can prove that a roofing contractor is fully committed to installing a high-quality roof and going the extra mile to achieve excellent, long-lasting results.
