Roof purchases are crucial investments for your home or business. If you invest in a roof, you’re going to want to put money into a warranty. Before making the purchase, be in the know about what types of warranties are available as well as what is covered through the warranties.
Installation Only
The installation only warranty covers roof defects. These defects have to be due to improper installation.
Labor Only
Labor only covers the labor costs. This warranty does not cover materials. It’s important that you have a clear idea of what’s covered under a labor only policy.
Materials Only
Material only warranties are a guarantee that your roof holds up to specified roofing defects. They do not protect against roof damage if there is a faulty installation or if you do not maintain your roof.
System Warranty
System warranties cover labor cost and materials. The roof manufacturers offer these warranties and they may protect you in the case of an installation failure. However, they will not cover you if your damage arises from lack of maintenance.
Manufacturer’s Warranty
Manufacturer’s warranties can cover material, labor and system warranties. These warranties last for about 10 to 30 years. These warranties will not protect your roof from all damages, but they are a safeguard against roof damages to non-manufacturer provided components of the roof. Of course, not all warranties are the same. You need to understand precisely what goes into your warranty.
Other terms
Here is a list of other terms you want to be aware of:
Maintenance: Some warranties specify that the contractor is required to come back yearly for regular maintenance while others state that it is the responsibility of the homeowner. If it is the homeowner’s responsibility, you want to make sure that you get your roof inspected yearly (or however many times a year/few years that warranty requires). Some contractors will void your warranty if it hasn’t been inspected regularly. You should also keep all your inspections reports and receipts as evidence. If maintenance is the responsibility of the contractor, you need to make sure that you book appointments for them to come back and perform the maintenance. A regularly maintained roof will last twice as longSome warranties don’t kick in until the contractor has been paid in full. Therefore if you are on a deferred payment plan and an issue occurs before you finalized your last payment, you will not be covered by the warranty.
Consequential damage: Read the fine print to see if the warranty covers consequential damage. If your roof leaks and damages your insulation or the inside of your house, some contractors may only be liable to fix the leak and not cover any of the associated damage. Make sure your warranty is clear when it comes to consequential damage. The associated damage, especially if it causes mold and mildew, is a lot more expensive than the damage to the roof.
Extreme weather: Some warranties won’t cover extreme weather such as hurricanes or intense windstorms. If you live in an area prone to extreme weather conditions you want to make sure your warranty is clear on its position regarding damaged caused by extreme weather.
Transferability: You will want to read the fine print associated with transferability of the warranty. If you sell your house, is the new homeowner covered by the warranty? Sometimes there’s a transfer fee and other times the warranty can be transferred free of charge. This is important to know and it is a selling point for a potential buyer.
When you purchase a new roof, you need to pay close attention to the warranty options that are important to you. After all, to invest in a roof is a big deal. These are expensive investments that should last you a long time. It’s crucial that you have a warranty in case anything goes wrong. Most of the time, if something does go wrong, it’s simple enough to be fixed with your warranty before the problem gets out of hand. Email us @ info@irgoroofing.com or call us now 915-777-1443
