Roof Warranties: What to Watch For

Getting a new roof installed is a costly venture. Roof Replacement on an average home usually starts around $5000, while large commercial roofs can easily be $100,000+. As with any big investment, knowing in advance what your warranty covers could save you thousands in the event that problems arise with your roof.

Who Provides a Roof Warranty?
Normally, a roof warranty is between you and the roofing materials manufacturer, with the contractor or professional roofer acting as the go between. The warranty protects against any manufacturing defects. However, another aspect of a concern is coverage against workmanship errors. Many roofing contractors provide their own warranty against errors in workmanship, sometimes for as long as ten years or more.

Length of Warranty
The length and terms of warranty will vary from company to company and the type of roofing materials selected. Look for a roof warranty that lasts at least 10 years. Keep in mind that no matter what roofing material is selected, it will not last more than 50 years.

Terms of Acceptance
The roof warranty only becomes active at a certain point. Normally, this is once the installation has been completed. Many manufacturers will send an inspector to check on installation before the warranty becomes active.

Things to Watch

• Read the terms of warranty carefully.
• Understand what the contractor or roof professional is responsible for and what the manufacturer is responsible for.
• If the warranty says materials only, then the labor that accounts for at least half of the cost of a roof is not included. If a leak develops in a roof with a warranty, many warranties exclude other damages. For instance, if your roof leaks and your ceiling is damaged, the leak will be repaired but the cost of repairing the ceiling won’t be covered.
• If labor costs are included, there may be a lifetime ceiling on claims that means that a claim halfway through a 10-year warranty will only be paid at 50 percent of the total cost.
• Get a third party to check and make sure the installation was properly done.
• When buying a building with an active roof warranty, get the warranty transferred to your name
• Maintenance — while roof warranties can offer a significant amount of protection, it is up to a homeowner to holdup his end of the bargain. Homeowners should always follow through with regular roof inspections and maintenance. Not doing so can void a roof warranty.
• Placing items on a roof, such as a satellite dish, can void a warranty.

A reputable professional roofer will tell you that selecting the right roofing system for your property is even more important than getting a roof warranty. The selection of a roof system application should be based on the product's qualities and suitability for the prospective project. A long-term warranty may be of little value to a consumer if the roof system is poorly installed, does not perform satisfactorily, or leaks because the material choice was poor for the project.