The typical manufacturer warranty covers any defects in their products. These normally come in two flavors – the standard and extended warranties.

Standard or “wrapper” warranty: This is whatever is printed on the side of the shipping wrapper around the product. These days this is normally listed as a “limited lifetime warranty” which has become the industry standard. If you look at the fine print for these standard warranties, the manufacturer covers the cost of materials for any defective product but they do not cover the cost to tear it off and reinstall it (labor) or any other incidentals like all the supporting products necessary for your roof. Standard warranties tend to be prorated a lot with a significant drop off in the value of what they cover.

This is your installer’s or roofing contractor’s warranty. This warranty covers any issues related to the installation quality (or lack thereof) on your new roof. It does not cover any defects in the quality of the materials themselves. Special note – never hire a roofing contractor that isn’t willing to stand behind their work.

If you pick the wrong roofing contractor you may end up with a “tail-light warranty.” That means their workmanship warranty is good for only as long as you can see the tail lights of their truck. It is a warning to be wary of “Chuck in a truck” who claims he can do your roof cheaper! If you look around you may see workmanship warranties listed for 2 years, 5, 7, 10 years, or even longer (check out the Golden Pledge below).

Workmanship warranties normally do not cover new storm damage (wind & hail), water damage due to ice dams, damage caused by foot traffic or man-made damage, or leaks from falling debris (tree limbs).