Understanding Roofing Warranties: Workmanship vs. Manufacturer Coverage Explained

Paying for a brand new roof and not getting a warranty is like buying a new home without insurance.

Replacing your roof is the single largest purchase you will make for your home. It’s critical that you work with a contractor that offers a waterproof (pun intended) warranty for your brand new roofing system.

Let’s break down some warranty basics.

Workmanship warranty:

A workmanship warranty is exactly what it sounds like – a warranty on the quality of the actual workmanship that went into your roof replacement. This typically will include but not limited to the following items:

• Tar spills or stains on driveways, drip edge, chimneys, and even the shingles themselves.

• Buckled shingles caused by improper installation

• Uneven cuts of shingles or underlayment that are aesthetically unappealing

• Broken wood, siding, windows, or components on your roof caused by the roofing crew.

Long story short, if it’s something that was done by a lack of care by a crew or even something that was unintentional that went unnoticed at the time of the build but caused by the crew – you’re likely covered.

DISCLAIMER – most contractors have clauses in their contracts that limit the things that they’ll cover. Items like damaged drywall from the shaking of the roof, driveway cracks from the heavy machinery, broken landscaping, etc. Make sure you read the exclusions or ask your contractor about damages during the project.

Manufacturer Warranty:

Now that we’ve covered what the workmanship warranty will cover, it’s important to understand the distinction of what a Manufacturer’s warranty will cover. This will typically be an add-on expense for a homeowner during the project unlike the workmanship warranty which should be included in your contract price.

Although additional expenses outside of the contract value are no ones favorite -this is one that you should strongly consider.

Depending on the manufacturer, there are various packages that can be chosen from to fit your needs ranging from $25 - $5000 depending on the roofing system and warranty.

You should evaluate these options and pick the ones that make the most sense for your roofing systems. Everything from the product defects to covering a full replacement in the instance of wind damage, the choice is yours!

As a Platinum Preferred Contractor with Owens Corning – NEXGEN Roofing is able to offer the highest caliber of warranty available in the industry, only available to 1% of shingles installers in the world. The Mac Daddy. The Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Warranty. To even qualify for this you must use 4 Owens Corning components in addition to an Owens Corning shingle. This ensures that the system being installed is of the highest standard. With this warranty you are covered in almost any situation, weather related or not.

Transferring Your Warranty

Most folks don’t realize that the contractor/manufacturer warranties CAN be transferred (typically a one-time transfer). This is a great value to you and any future homeowners that could purchase your property. Having the ability to transfer a warranty offers a unique value point for any sale and helps the purchasers of the property sleep a little easier knowing their covered in case of a roof failure.

What did we learn?

1.        The difference between a workmanship warranty and a manufacturer’s warranty are the items they cover and the entities covering them. Make sure you understand what makes either unique when dealing with a contractor.

2.        Understanding the terms of transferring your warranty should you ever sell your home. This makes ethical AND business sense for a would-be buyer or seller.

Warranties and Insurance are typically seen as a scam – just another way for the big guy to make a buck. Well, in the case of roofing, a warranty could be your best friend and don’t typically cost an arm and a leg to get. In fact, the workmanship warranty is almost always included (it better be, at least). Don’t forget to ask questions to your contractor – they SHOULD be there to help you as the knowledgeable party.