Roof warranty explained

A roof carries two separate warranties that people routinely mistake for one. The manufacturer covers the shingles. The contractor covers the installation. Most roof problems are installation, and the manufacturer's warranty does not touch them.

Understanding which is which is worth more than the paper either is printed on.

The two warranties

The manufacturer's warranty covers defects in the shingles themselves. It is typically "lifetime" — meaning as long as you own the house — with a non-prorated period of ten to fifteen years, after which the payout drops each year toward nothing. It covers material only unless you buy an enhanced version.

The workmanship warranty comes from the contractor and covers their installation. It runs anywhere from one year to twenty-five, and it is worth precisely as much as the contractor's continued existence.

Nearly every roof failure that is not simple wear is an installation failure: flashing done wrong, nails in the wrong place, inadequate ventilation. That is the second warranty, and it is the one to ask hard questions about.

What voids the manufacturer's warranty

The list is short and it catches a lot of roofs:

• Inadequate ventilation. The commonest one. Most manufacturers require balanced intake and exhaust to a stated ratio, and an attic that does not meet it is out of warranty from day one.
• Improper nailing. Wrong count, wrong placement, overdriven or underdriven.
• Installation over an existing layer, on many products.
• Mixing manufacturers. Using one company's shingles with another's underlayment or ridge cap can invalidate a system warranty.
• Pressure washing.
• Unauthorised repairs by someone other than an approved contractor.

So a homeowner with a "lifetime" warranty and a badly ventilated attic has no warranty and does not know it.

Enhanced and system warranties

Manufacturers offer upgraded coverage — names vary, and they typically require the contractor to be factory-certified and the whole roof system to be that manufacturer's products.

What they add:

• Labour as well as material, which matters because on a warranty claim the material is the cheap half
• A longer non-prorated period, sometimes the full term
• Coverage of the contractor's workmanship by the manufacturer for the first years, which survives the contractor going out of business

They cost $500 to $2,000 more on a typical roof and require using a certified contractor. On a roof you intend to keep, this is usually the better buy than a longer workmanship warranty from a small firm.

Reading a workmanship warranty

Ask these before signing:

• How many years, and is it in the contract or a separate document
• How long has the company traded under this name, locally. A twenty-five year warranty from a two-year-old company is a number, not a protection
• Is it transferable, and what does the transfer cost. This matters at sale
• What is excluded. Storm damage, ice dams and "acts of God" are commonly excluded, which is reasonable, but check whether flashing is covered
• What is the response time, and is there anything in writing about it

Registering it, and keeping the paperwork

Most manufacturer warranties require registration within a set window after installation, often 30 to 90 days. Miss it and the enhanced coverage drops back to the basic one.

Keep, somewhere you will find it in fifteen years:

• The signed contract and the final invoice
• The manufacturer's warranty certificate and its registration confirmation
• The workmanship warranty
• The permit and the passed inspection
• Photographs from during the work, especially the deck and the flashings
• The product name and colour, for future repairs

That folder is also what a buyer's inspector asks for, and it materially helps a sale.

Making a claim

1. Photograph the problem and note the date
2. Read which warranty applies — material defect or installation
3. Contact the contractor first for anything that could be workmanship
4. For a material claim, the manufacturer usually requires an inspection by an approved contractor
5. Expect prorating if you are past the non-prorated period
6. Expect the ventilation question, because it is the first thing they ask

Frequently asked questions

Is a lifetime warranty really for life?

For as long as you own the house, prorated after the first decade or so, covering material only unless enhanced. A shingle failing in year twenty might yield a few hundred dollars against a fourteen thousand dollar roof.

Does the warranty transfer when I sell?

Usually once, within a set window after the sale, sometimes for a fee. Workmanship warranties transfer less often. Check both before listing.

My contractor has gone out of business. What now?

The workmanship warranty is gone with them. The manufacturer's material warranty stands, and an enhanced system warranty that covered workmanship may still respond — which is exactly the case for buying one.

Does repairing the roof myself void anything?

The manufacturer's warranty usually requires approved contractors for repairs. Clearing gutters and removing debris is fine; anything involving shingles or flashing is worth checking first.

Is a longer warranty worth paying for?

An enhanced manufacturer warranty covering labour, yes, on a roof you plan to keep. A longer workmanship warranty from a firm whose longevity you cannot judge, less so.