Differences Between a Manufacturer Warranty and a Workmanship Warranty

Differences Between a Manufacturer Warranty and a Workmanship Warranty

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When you need to get a new roof, you need to know as much as possible about the manufacturer’s warranty and the workmanship of the roofing services. Any roofing company you select should provide detailed coverage of both. It’s hard for most people to sit back and enjoy their new roofs until they understand the various limits of coverage. You don’t want to be surprised or upset if something happens to your new roof. Before you’re rocked by an incident, event, or defect, find out what’s covered by the manufacturer or the workmanship service.

Three Different Types of Roofing Warranties

The roofing industry uses three common types of warranties. They are:

  1. Manufacturer Material – this warranty is useful if your roofing material has defects.
  2. Manufacturer’s System – this warranty is for when your roofing material has defects, and there were labor defects during the installation.
  3. Contractor’s Workmanship – this warranty covers material and labor defects as a guarantee.

Under the three different types of warranties listed above, you have five provisions you want to look for to determine if this is the roofing company and warranty you want to hire.

Consider These Five Provisions in the Different Types of Warranties

The five provisions represent the coverage in each type of warranty. In other words, after reading what your roofing company is providing you, you will know what to count on having or eliminate as a covered material or service. The key provisions are:

  • Applicability – Does the event or circumstance apply to this warranty?
  • Contractor Workmanship – Is the roofing service work guaranteed?
  • Monetary Limits – How much are you given, and when if there is an issue?
  • Exclusions – What isn’t included in your warranty contract?
  • Nullification – What coverage would be null and void due to your actions? What actions cause the nullification of the warranty?

The differences between the manufacturer warranty and a workmanship warranty have even more differences and crossovers you need to know.

Manufacturer Warranty

It’s important to understand that a typical manufacturer warranty covers you for about 20-50 years. But, be aware the 20-50 year coverage is only if there are defects in the roofing materials. In other words, the roofing materials used are breaking off, falling off or failing. What’s even more concerning is your manufacturer’s warranty can be voided if you can’t prove you provided periodic maintenance. Most of the time, manufacturing defect warranties are rarely used. Warranties are needed when your dealing with poor roofing installation. That’s why it’s important to hire a reputable roofing company that consistently provides excellent workmanship for their roofing installation projects.

Read and Understand Your Manufacturer’s Warranty

One article after the other warns consumers the warranty you get for any product or service needs to be read and understood before you sign a contract for anything. Something most people don’t realize is that even if the manufacturer warranty doesn’t cover what’s wrong with your roof, all 50 states give you implied warranties. The implied warranty is covered under the Uniform Commercial Code. These unwritten guarantees for your product state the product must be free of defects and function correctly for a reasonable amount of time. It is the word, reasonable, that may result in you having to go to court to prove your case. The hardest thing to fathom for new roof owners is even if your manufacturer’s warranty is excellent it will only cover the prorated value of the material. You will still have to pay for the re-installation yourself.

Manufacturer System Warranty

Because this warranty covers both defective material and some labor and service provided by your roofing company, people think this is as good as the Contractor Workmanship Warranty. But, it’s not. The Manufacturer System Warranty is very narrow in scope and by definition. These warranties last about two years for the quality defects. So in essence, it excuses your contractor from any workmanship liability after two years. Something else you want to look for is the roofing material under this type of warranty excludes certain things like; edge metal, pitch pans, flashings, etc.

It is the third warranty you want to try to get because it guarantees the workmanships the contractor provided installing the roof and the materials used. But the warranties are short in length and only last between one to five years most of the time. You do need to review and understand the contractor’s list of exclusions under this contract.

Roof Warranty Provisions

You may think it should be in your roof warranty provisions, but there’s no roofing contractor that will replace your roof system. Material costs and sometimes labor is included, as we listed above. But there are many key items listed in the warranty you need to understand to obtain those provisions.

One of the provisions listed in all roofing warranties is applicability. That’s when the manufacturer contends they have the right to determine whether or not your roof is covered under warranty based on their determination of the situation’s applicability. Another provision is the contractor workmanship guarantee. This guarantee provision allows the consumer to enforce the warranty provision covering flawed workmanship the contractor provided — however, its only good for the length of years stated in the warranty.

Monetary limits is another provision you want to keep your eye on because most roofing warranties don’t include a limit as to how much money they’re covering their work. That type of warranty is called a no dollar limit warranty and is the best kind to have. You also need to pay attention to the exclusions listed in any warranty. Exclusions are what manufacturers use most to fight back against any claims of the defective material.

Nullification and Warranty Process

Nullification is also in every roofing warranty. Nullification gives manufacturers and contractors a lot of leeway to use if they need to fight a claim. Most of the time the items of events or items that nullify a warranty are as long and as wide as the roof itself. You can avoid the aggravation of dealing with the bottom of the barrel roofing contractors by using the listing services provided by Roofing Architects. When you want the best roof, at the most reasonable price Roofing Architects, provides the information and details to keep you informed.

The Ten Must Ask Questions to Your Roofer

The Ten Must Ask Questions to Your Roofer

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Almost everyone eventually needs a new roof. When you need a new roof, you are usually already dealing with a roof that has issues. So, you begin to scour the internet to find a reliable roofing company. If that isn’t bad enough, most people know little about how to build or repair a roof and have to rely on a roofer’s expertise. It can be a very unnerving issue. It helps if you know what to expect or what questions to ask.

Is there an internet resource you can use that can help you find roofing contractors in your area? Or are there common questions about the roofing materials and process you need to ask? The answer is yes to both those questions. Learn more about the questions you need to ask a roofing company before hiring them in the informational guide that follows.

How Long Has Your Company Been in Business, and Are You Licensed?

The first question to ask roofing companies is about the experience the roofing contractor has. The roofing company should be licensed in your state as this is a requirement in most states. If your contractor has a licensed roofing company you know they are held to the state’s standard and must meet codes, rules, and regulations. Having a licensed roofer install or repair your roof also allows you to use legal recourse, if and when needed.

Is There A Warranty on The Work You Perform In Addition to The Roofing Material You Install?

You should never hire a contractor who doesn’t warranty their work and the products they are installing on your roof. Most roofing material and products carry at least a twenty-five-year warranty. Every roofing contractor has different warranty policies, but it behooves you to use a roofing contractor who does warranty the quality of their installation work.

Do you Have Workman’s Comp and General Liability Insurance?

Every roofing contractor should have a workman’s comp for the employees or subcontractors. There are roofing contracting companies who don’t carry General Liability Insurance as they believe nothing will ever happen. However, you can’t afford to believe that. You will need to make sure your homeowner’s insurance is up to date and only hire a roofing contractor who has both workman’s comp and general liability insurance. Make sure they give you a copy of both policies.

Is Drip Edge Metal Installation Part of my New Roof Contract?

There may be nothing worse than installing a new roof, and finding out the drip edge metal wasn’t part of your roofing installation package. The next time it rains you’ll have no system in place to guide your runoff into the gutters. Drip edge metal also helps protect your wood or your roof’s fascia. Many roofers don’t include it, so you almost always have to ask for it to be installed if you want it.

Ask to Speak to and See Some of Their Past Roofing Projects

You should never hire anyone for any project without checking their references. You need to start with a quick online check and notice any comments or reviews listed underneath the company name. Then look up the roofing company to see if they’re listed on the Better Business Bureau.

You also want to speak to a few past customers on the phone, and if you have time, drive-by their house to review the roofer’s final product.

What Measures do You Take to Protect the Driveway, Lawn, Home, and Property from Damage While You Work?

There are have been many recorded instances where roofing contractors damage a home or property while they work, and the homeowner is left footing the bill to fix the damage. You want to ask how the roofers will access your roof, what kind of ladder stabilizers they use, and where they store their equipment as they work.

Who Do I Communicate With About the Project When There Are Issues, or I Have Questions?

There are times you may have questions about what you see the roofing workers doing as they install your roof. Or you may have questions about the amount of time it is taking for them to finish your job. No matter what your issue or reason, you need a roofing company liaison to communicate so, you can have peace of mind. There are always last-minute issues and its best to avoid serious headaches by having a designated person to go to for your concerns.

Get a Written Estimate

No roofing job or contract should begin without you holding an agreed upon written estimate. You want to know how they bill you, and you also want to know what can result in the written estimate deviating from the final price.

How Long Will It Take to Finish My Roof And When Can You Schedule It?

When replacing a roof, it can take anywhere from a couple of days to a week or so. Replacing a roof is a labor-intensive project that requires several workers at a time. Roofing contractors have to deal with weather delays. The time it takes to finish your roof installation project has many moving parts, so it’s important to be aware of things out of your control when you schedule a roofing project. Also reputable roofers may have full schedules. Make sure you find out when they can firmly fit you in and try not to accept any tentative start dates.

Eco-Friendly Company and Materials

Many people want to know if the roofing company they are hiring is eco-friendly. You may want to save your last question for asking if the company uses recycled content material in your roof? You also may want to find out if the roofing product used is recyclable at the end of its life when the roof needs replaced again in 20 or 30 years?

You’ve asked your roofing contractor all the questions you need to, and you’re ready to move forward with your roofing project. Be alert to any hidden costs you see in the bill you were not given in your estimate. Accept nothing less than what was agreed upon because your roof is one of the most important aspects of your home. When you need to check out roofing contractors in your area, reach out to us. Roofing Architects will help you every step of the way.