Getting a new roof for your home is a substantial investment. The costs pile up quickly, with several line items involved in the project:
- Labor costs for your roofing contractor, including removing the old roof and putting on the new roof
- Costs of disposing of your old roofing materials
- Costs of purchasing your new roofing materials
Reputable roofing companies will also encourage you to get a variety of roofing warranties with your roof replacement. With all the expenses listed above, you might be tempted to skip the roofing warranties, thinking that it’s not worth the cost.
However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Roofing warranty coverage can protect you in cases where your materials were installed improperly or the materials fail before they should.
Keep reading to learn what your roof warranty options are and why it’s important to get warranty coverage from your roofing company.
Workmanship Warranty
After installing your new roof, your contractor will offer you a workmanship warranty for a specified amount of time. This protects you in cases where improper installation techniques were used during the installation of your roof.
A good workmanship warranty covers:
- Installation errors
- Workmanship faults
- Interior damage caused by the initial workmanship
The length of workmanship coverage varies, with some companies offering just a few years post-installation all the way to lifetime terms. There will likely be limitations to the coverage, especially on lifetime warranties. Take the time to read the terms of the warranty to fully understand the coverage you’re receiving.
Any reputable roofing company will offer some form of warranty to cover potential workmanship errors. If the contractor you’re talking to doesn’t, we suggest avoiding working with that contractor.
Manufacturer Warranty
While a roofing contractor’s workmanship warranty covers damage caused by faulty workmanship, a manufacturer’s warranty covers the cost of damages that occur due to a fault in the product itself. Examples of expenses covered under this type of warranty include:
- Replacement of shingles with factory defects
- Installation costs for new shingles (sometimes)
There are two main types of manufacturer’s warranties available to homeowners: standard warranties and extended warranties.
Standard Manufacturer’s Warranty
A standard manufacturer’s warranty covers only the actual product (asphalt shingles, metal panels, etc). It is very common for manufacturers to offer a basic limited lifetime warranty. This means that as long as you live in your current home, you’ll have some form of coverage if you ever discover a fault with the roofing materials.
Often, there’s an initial time period when the total cost of replacing defective shingles is covered. After that, the manufacturer will usually only provide partial coverage of the replacement costs.
This kind of warranty sometimes covers the cost of labor for the installation of your replacement product. It hardly ever covers the costs of removing and disposing of old, faulty shingles.
Extended Manufacturer’s Warranty
An extended manufacturer’s warranty always covers the cost of both the products you’re purchasing and the associated installation costs. These warranties are often offered with a longer coverage period than the standard warranty option.
When you work with a contractor certified by the manufacturer, you often have the option to get an extended manufacturer’s warranty. This means that the manufacturer trusts the contractor to install the product according to their instructions. Because of this assurance, they’re willing to provide extended coverage to you as the homeowner.
Often, you’ll need to have your entire roofing system installed by a single contractor, with all the products being offered by a single manufacturer. The extended warranty will also be more expensive than the standard option.
While the costs are somewhat steep, the benefit is that you get essentially comprehensive, long-term coverage for your entire roofing system, including materials and installation costs.
How Warranties Are Voided
Not all damage to your roof will be covered by workmanship or manufacturer warranties. Generally, any damage caused by events that can’t be controlled by either of those parties won’t be covered. Examples of these events include:
- Major inclement weather events, like hail and thunderstorms ⛈️
- Ice dams 🧊
- Fallen debris 🌳
- Walking on your roof 🥾
In these instances, it might make more sense to go to your insurance company for coverage of the repair costs instead of going to the product manufacturer or your roofing contractor.
Certain additions to your roof can also void your manufacturer’s warranty, particularly if the following materials are installed improperly:
- Roof flashing
- Gutter guards
- Vents
- Ice shields
Always read the terms of your warranties so that you know which additional roof system components you can and cannot install.
Our Roof Warranty Options
Here at Best Exteriors, we are certified partners with the following companies:
- Owens Corning
- CertainTeed
- GAF
When you work with us for your roof replacement and use any of these roofing materials, you can get not only a 25-year workmanship warranty but also a 50-year extended warranty provided by the manufacturer. We’re able to provide these enhanced warranty options because we follow the manufacturer’s installation requirements closely, and we have the necessary certifications from the companies to ensure that we’ll provide you’ll with superior installation services.
Get the Coverage You Crave
The next time you need a roof replacement, take the time to understand your warranty options to ensure that you get the best coverage for your roofing system. When necessary repairs come up related to faulty product creation or installation, you might find that they can be done on someone else’s dime!
At Best Exteriors, we want to provide you with nothing but the best our industry has to offer. That’s why all our roof repairs and replacements come with specified warranty plans to cover workmanship and defective materials, affording you peace of mind that you’re covered, no matter what happens.
Ready to get the best roof you’ve ever had? Contact us now to set up your appointment!
