Reroofing your house is an undertaking that homeowners take on out of necessity. Let’s be honest…very
few of us place the roof at the top of the “Remodel List” when it comes to enhancing your home. The
bathrooms, the kitchen, even new appliances or furniture, those are the purchases/investments in
which people connect emotionally. They are things you can enjoy on a daily basis, and could very well
increase the value or future selling appeal. Most homeowners don’t feel that way about a new roof.

In California, most reroof projects happen for one of three reasons.

1. Your roof has reached the end of its service life or is actively failing
2. A storm has damaged your existing roof resulting in the need for replacement
3. Your insurance provider is requiring roof replacement in order to maintain coverage

Whichever situation you find yourself in, you have accepted the inevitable and know that its time for
your roof to be replaced. As you begin to collect bids and proposals from contractors, you are presented
with a ton of information! You’re learning all about shingle manufacturers, roofing accessory items like
underlayment and ice & water barrier, chimney flashings, gutter guards, etc.…the list goes on and on.
But one of the most important considerations of who to hire for your project and what material to
utilize should be the warranty.

Reroof warranties have a number of factors to consider. That said, there are two aspects that are the
most important and relevant to protect your investment and peace of mind for many years to come!
Understanding what’s covered and what isn’t is key to ensuring you are “getting what you paid for” on
your new roof. If done correctly, this could be the last roof your home needs in your lifetime!

Let’s dive in! The two factors to consider when selecting which warranty best meets your needs are:
Material Coverage and Workmanship Coverage.

In part one of our two-part blog series about roofing warranties, we’ll discuss a manufacturer’s Standard
Product Roofing Warranty. This primarily deals with Material Coverage.

Material Coverage, simply put, is the warranty given by the manufacturer for the roofing materials
being installed. A couple decades ago, manufacturers of shingles and roofing accessories organized their
warranties by the weight of the shingle and the number of layers of laminate formed during the
manufacturing process. They categorized this warranty by the number of years the roof should last: 30-
year, 40-year, and 50-year. Obviously, the longer the warranty coverage, the more premium the
material. 30-year warranties belonged to your standard laminated architectural shingle. 40-year and 50-
year warranties were heavier shingles and tri-laminates. There were more layers of granules/filler
installed and the weight was heavier by the square. **For our novice roofing readers, a square is the
unit of measurement used by the industry to outline roofing coverage of 100 sq ft. In this type of
warranty, as the roof approached the end of its service life, the warranty would prorate similar to that of
a tire warranty. In this instance, if your roof failed in year 25, and you had a 30-year rated shingle, the
manufacturer would prorate the remaining amount of roof life left in the warranty and issue a material
voucher redeemable at any authorized retailer for the prorated amount of remaining value. For the
example above, if your roof lasted 25 of the 30 years, there would be very little value remaining in the
final prorated 5 years of service life and the manufacturer would only issue a very small credit towards
the purchase of your new roof. Even though I’ve been in the roofing business for over a decade, it still
amazes me when I consult with homeowners who believe they are entitled to a new roof under
warranty if their 30-year rated shingle fails in year 28. That’s not how warranties work, and it never has
been!

Warranty nomenclature changed in the early 2000s. Manufacturers now label all of their shingles as
“Limited Lifetime” shingles regardless of weight, thickness or number of laminates. Personally, I’m a fan
of this change, because all major roofing manufacturers are essentially offering the same thing. It also
makes it very easy for you, the consumer, to understand a standard product warranty being offered by
the shingle manufacturer that your contractor recommends. This warranty covers the shingle and all
additional accessories (made by the same manufacturer as the shingle) for a non-prorated period of 10-
years, and then a prorated rate for the remaining amount of time you own your home. If there is a
major material defect that leads to roof failure in the first 10-years, the manufacturer not only covers
the cost of the replacement material, but they also cover the cost of the labor associated with the
necessary replacements. After year 10, the prorated portion of the warranty only covers material (no
labor); and the rate of proration varies by manufacturer (80% beginning in year 11 then decreasing
roughly 2%-3% per year thereafter). Keep in mind, these warranties do not carry a cash value. If the
product fails, whether its before the non-prorated period ends or after, manufacturers resolve these
claims with vouchers that can be used to purchase new material at any authorized dealer. You will also
be asked to sign a resolution agreement freeing the manufacturer from any additional liability or future
claims.

Standard Product Roofing Warranties can be registered either by the contractor completing the
installation, or the homeowner. If you’re a DIYer, you still qualify for the manufacturers standard
warranty. Registering the warranty is simple. It can either be done online, or by calling the 1-800
number listed on the packaging of the roofing products being installed.

For more information on standard product warranties, you can visit these website resources:

– https://www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/warranty
– https://www.gaf.com/en-us/resources/warranties

Or call Sierra Hills Roofing at 916-975-5095. Thank you for reading part one of this two-part blog about
roofing warranties. Make sure to visit our website at: www.sierrahillsroofing.com to view Part 2.