More than a few homeowners don’t bother to read their roofing warranty paperwork before signing it. While we appreciate homeowners who trust their roofing contractor at their word, you should nevertheless make sure that you understand your warranties. In this blog, JAM Roofing takes a closer look at how you can make sure you’re covered by your roofing warranty.
Manufacturer and Workmanship Warranties
A typical roofing warranty has two types of coverage. The manufacturer, factory or material warranty has coverage against defective materials and manufacturing errors. Problems such as premature aging and roofing blisters are common problems in this category.
Workmanship or installation warranties covers problems caused by installation errors or subpar workmanship. Wind damage caused by incorrect nailing patterns and forgetting to install flashing are just a few examples. Workmanship warranties vary and are often covered by the roofing contractor, but some manufacturers include workmanship as part of their warranty coverage. For example, the GAF Golden Pledge® Limited Warranty includes up to 30 years workmanship coverage in addition to up to 50 years material coverage.
Understand the Exclusions
You also have to make sure you are aware of the exclusions in your warranty, which varies per manufacturer and/or contractor. Exclusions are conditions that are not protected by the warranty coverage. Nearly every roofing company would have exclusions that pertain to extreme weather, acts of terrorism or if the roof is neglected. Note that your warranty coverage might not include the tear off, installation and disposal costs.
Check the Warranty Requirements
Roofing warranties may have requirements that, if not fulfilled, could void coverage. One of these is regular maintenance, performed by an authorized contractor which, in most cases, is the same contractor who installed the roof. If you already have a specific roofing system and/or manufacturer in mind, verify the contractor’s designation. For instance, if a contractor claims to be a GAF Master Elite® contractor, the contractor should be listed as such on GAF’s website.
JAM Roofing is your leading provider of residential and commercial roofing services. Give us a call at (541) 644-8111 or fill out our contact form. We serve customers in Medford and Grants Pass, OR, and surrounding areas in Oregon.