Roofing Warranty Comparison

Material Warranty

The most common roof warranty is a material warranty. These types of warranties often come with long coverage periods of up to 50 years for some products. However, they are limited and often don’t cover the cost to repair even minor leaks.

So, what do they cover? Generally, these warranties ONLY cover the cost to replace the material if there happens to be a defect in the material that occurred during the manufacturing process. Although it does give some peace of mind, a material warranty only comes into effect very rarely and always has many caveats that may void it completely.

As with any warranty plan, it is important to fully understand the implications. If repairs are necessary with a materials-only warranty, the costs of labor and construction may be prohibitive.

Contractor’s Roof Warranty

A Contractor’s Warranty is provided directly by the contractor and can be customized to include anything that the contractor chooses to cover. It’s very important to thoroughly read and understand this type of warranty before the work is started and to obtain a copy in writing after the job is performed.
As a general example, a contractor’s warranty will cover the cost of labor and materials to repair a roof leak caused by defects in the original workmanship. However, these types of warranties usually do not have long periods of coverage from the installation date, with two to five years being the industry standard.

With a contractor’s warranty, there is typically no inspection by a third party to ensure that the work is performed correctly, and the customer ends up taking a lot in faith. Additionally, if a contractor goes out of business or moves out of the area, the building owner has no recourse if a roof leak occurs.

If you are interested in this type of roof warranty, make sure to do your due diligence before you place your trust in a contractor. Pay attention to how long the contractor has been in business in the area, ask for referrals, and request an inspection before committing your business.

Manufacturer’s NDL Warranty

Finally, a Manufacturer’s NDL Warranty, or “no dollar limit” warranty, is the strongest roof warranty in the industry. In order to offer an NDL warranty, a contractor must be licensed or certified by that manufacturer and maintain an excellent standing in terms of quality and craftsmanship. Some manufacturers require verifiable excellence in the industry (typically over decades) before they will allow a contractor to become certified.

When beginning a new roofing system with an NDL warranty, the roofing manufacturer’s warranty division will require pre-approval of the commercial roofing system being installed before work begins and ensures that the roof can be installed to the specifications that were submitted. When the roofing project is complete, the roofing manufacturer sends its inspector out to certify that the roof was installed properly and according to their rigid specifications.
If everything passes inspection, the manufacturer will take liability for the roof warranty and pay the cost of labor and materials to repair covered leaks if they occur. These warranties can be between 5-25 years, with 20-years being the standard.

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