Replacing an existing roof due to damage or age or choosing a roof for a new home construction is a big decision. A roof is a costly component of your home, so ensuring the roof you select has a comprehensive warranty for years into the future should be an important part of your selection process.
Years of the Warranty
One of the first factors to consider is how long the roof you select is warrantied for, and under what conditions. In some cases, the manufacturer will offer slightly different warranties, which can include significantly longer warranty coverage depending on which company is completing the installation.
Generally warranties will be extended when an approved roofing contractor completes the installation. This will also include using the system products the manufacturer recommends with the roof material, which only makes sense.
Manufacturers may offer a 10 year to a lifetime warranty on different products, systems, and options they offer. With higher quality and value roofing systems warranties are longer while for standard products the warranties may be 10 to 20 years.
What is Covered
A manufacturer’s warranty typically covers and defects in the materials. This includes the singles or other roofing selected, as well as the systems components through that manufacturer. These manufacturer’s warranties will last for the terms of the warranty period, which can be 10 years to a lifetime, and not all components may be warrantied for the same duration.
A warranty should also include coverages against workmanship errors and mistakes. This is important as the majority of problems occur because of faulty installation and not because of defects in the actual shingles and roofing components. Some of these warranties, if they are all wrapped together, will have a small warranty fee.
The No Dollar Limit warranty, which includes both materials and workmanship, is often considered the best for the consumer. This allows full replacement or repair of the roof for the entire term of the warranty if leaks occur because of the materials or the workmanship.
What to Watch
Be careful when reading the warranties and make sure you are comparing equal coverage and protection. Also, check the option to transfer the warranty to another owner should you decide to sell. Many manufacturers allow a one-time only transfer of the warranty.
At StormForce, we are always willing to talk to you about our warranty options for our roofing services. Working with the largest roofing materials manufacturer’s we offer the best warranties in the industry customize to your warranty coverage needs.