You can easily become confused whenever you are faced with a warranty. Most warranties aren't written in everyday language. This makes them difficult to understand. However, as a homeowner, you deserve to understand your roof warranty. And that starts with whether or not your roof installation includes a warranty.
Do Roofs Come With Warranties?
The short answer to whether or not your roof will come under a warranty is: "It depends." The answer will be yes if you hire a professional roofing company with a great reputation and connections with a top-notch roofing supply manufacturer like Owens Corning. On the other hand, if you go with a DIY-style operation that doesn't even have a website and purchases whatever roofing items they can get, you'll probably not have a warranty.
It's better to work with professional roofers and be assured of having a warranty. The last thing you want is to realize that although you saved a little money in the short term, you must spend much more.
How Do Roofing Warranties Work?
Roofing warranties can be divided into a couple of primary categories. The first is the manufacturer's warranty. The second is the contractor's warranty. Each of these types of warranties delivers peace of mind in specific ways.
First, let's look at the warranty offered by the roofing material manufacturer. Typically, this warranty covers defects in the materials. For example, a defective bundle of shingles would be covered under your manufacturer's warranty as long as the defects happened while the shingles were still within the manufacturer's control. However, if the shingles were defective because of something the laborers did, the manufacturer would no longer cover their replacement. (This is another reason to always go with a reputable roofing company with years of experience.)
A manufacturer will not necessarily cover the entire cost of replacing a defective product. The manufacturer's warranty typically covers the cost of replacing the product. This means you may have to pay for other elements of a replacement job, like disposing of some of the roofing material byproducts.
How does the contractor's warranty work, then? Every contractor's warranty is a little bit different. Ours is a generous 10-year, no-leak roof warranty length on replacement roofs, which is unsurpassed in the roofing business. We always recommend asking any responsive, well-regarded roofing company, " How long is a roof warranty that you will offer me?"
As you might imagine, the contractor's warranty covers work done by the roofer. This kind of warranty is all about workmanship. A contractor's warranty should help you feel better about choosing the contractor. After all, the warranty guarantees that you're covered in the case of labor defects.
Other Roofing Warranty Tips and Considerations
Now that you better understand how roofing warranties work, you should know that warranties won't cover everything. When a wind storm kicks up and severely damages your roof, repairs will not be covered by either a manufacturer's or contractor's warranty. But does home warranty cover roof repairs in those cases? Sometimes it will. It's best to ask your home warranty or insurance provider about the ins and outs of your contract to know ahead of time.
You should also know that your warranty won't cover future roofing needs, such as a roof built over a new addition to your home. Therefore, if you hire someone to build a sunroom, you must budget for a roofer to extend your current roof. Ideally, you'll want to choose either the same roofer who put your current roof in or a roofer whose materials can seamlessly blend in with your existing roof color and style.
As a final note on roofing warranties, remember that you can frequently extend a manufacturer's warranty. Extending a warranty can be a practical consideration, especially if you plan on living in or renting out your property for a long time. You'll have to pay to extend the warranty, but the amount you pay could be worth it to you. Ensure you understand everything you're getting before signing on the dotted line.
Warranties aren't always the easiest documents to understand the first time you look at them. That's why our team at Findlay Roofing is always ready to explain them to customers. Contact us to schedule an appointment to discuss your roof and the warranties available if you become one of the countless satisfied Findlay Roofing clients.
