Workmanship vs Manufacturer Roof Warranties

When a homeowner tells us their roof has a "lifetime warranty," the first question is: from whom? The shingle maker promises its product won't fail because of a manufacturing defect. Your roofer promises the installation was done right. Those are separate promises from separate companies, and they don't overlap much.

It matters because the two kinds of failure look the same from the ground. A stain on the ceiling doesn't tell you whether a shingle was defective or a nail was driven crooked. Whoever investigates has to figure out which warranty applies, and if the answer is "installation," the manufacturer is out of the picture.

A standard manufacturer's warranty covers defects in the material: shingles that crack, blister or lose granules early because of how they were made. Most of them are full coverage for an initial period and prorated after that, which means the payout shrinks as the roof ages. Read where that cutoff falls. It's often much shorter than the headline number.

Wind coverage usually depends on installation details. Many shingle lines only carry their higher wind rating when they go on with a specific nailing pattern and the manufacturer's starter strip at the eaves and rakes. Algae resistance, if the product has it, tends to be a separate and shorter term.

Manufacturers also write in conditions. Poor attic ventilation is a common reason for a denied claim, because heat and moisture building up under the deck shorten shingle life from below. That's one reason we correct ventilation on a replacement. Our roof ventilation page explains the intake and exhaust balance.

The extended warranties manufacturers advertise usually come with strings. The roof has to be built with that manufacturer's matching components, meaning the underlayment, starter, hip and ridge caps and sometimes the ventilation. The installer has to hold the right certification level, and the warranty has to be registered, often within a set window after the job is finished.

John Beal Roofing is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, which lets us register Owens Corning's enhanced system warranties on qualifying installs. Whatever company you hire, ask which warranty your roof will be registered under, and ask for the confirmation once it's filed. If nobody registers it, you have the basic material warranty and nothing more.

This one covers labor. If water gets in because step flashing was set wrong at a sidewall, or the shingles were nailed high and blew off in a modest wind, that's on the installer. Terms vary a lot from company to company, so get it in writing, with the length, what it covers, and whether it transfers to a buyer if you sell.

A long workmanship warranty from a company that won't exist in a few years is worth nothing. That's not a reason to distrust every new company. It is a reason to weigh how long a contractor has been around next to the number of years printed on its paper. We've been roofing in the Midwest since 1947, and our workmanship terms are written into every contract.

Hail, a wind storm stronger than the rated speed, a limb coming down on the roof: none of that is a warranty issue. Storm damage is a homeowner's insurance claim. If you're dealing with one, our pages on storm damage repair and ACV versus RCV coverage explain how that side works. Impact-resistant shingles can lower the odds of hail damage, but they don't turn a storm into a warranty claim.

Normal aging isn't covered either. A roof that's worn out at 18 years in Kansas City sun and freeze-thaw cycles has done what roofs do.

• Letting a satellite or solar installer lag-bolt through the shingles without proper flashing.
• Having a different company patch the roof, which can end the original installer's workmanship coverage on that area.
• Pressure washing the shingles, which strips granules.
• Never getting the extended warranty registered.
• Closing off soffit vents during a remodel or an insulation job.

Many shingle warranties allow a transfer to the next owner, sometimes only once and sometimes only if the manufacturer is notified within a set time after closing. Workmanship warranties vary by contractor. If you're planning to sell in the next few years, ask both questions before the roof goes on, and keep the registration paperwork with the house records.