We all know that the roof protects the home from the elements, pests, extreme changes in temperature and more. However, the roof is not the only protection homeowners need, they also need protection from any flaws in the roof or in its installation, and that is where a roofing warranty comes in. There are different kinds of roofing warranties that offer different kinds of protection and it is important that the homeowner know what these roofing warranties cover.
It is important that Indianapolis residents are aware of what there warranty covers in the event that they ever need a repair or replacement. You should have a detailed conversation with your Indianapolis roofing contractor about what kinds of warranties are available and what those warranties cover.
The Different Types of Roof Warranty
The two main kinds of roof warranty for both residential and commercial buildings are as follows.
Manufacturer’s Warranty
This is the warranty issued by the manufacturer of the roofing materials. The length of the warranty varies by manufacturer and product. This warranty protects the homeowner from any defects or failure of the roofing materials. A manufacturer’s warranty can be useful, but it is not comprehensive enough to provide full protection for the homeowner.
That is because problems with the roof are rarely caused by a defect, they are usually caused by poor installation, which the manufacturer’s warranty does not cover. Furthermore, this kind of warranty can be rendered void if the manufacturer determines that the homeowner has not kept up regular maintenance of their roof.
Workmanship Warranty
Also called an installation warranty, this kind of warranty covers the work of the installation work by the roofing contractor and any labor costs associated with it. Not all contractors provide workmanship warranties and the length of warranty always varies depending on the contractor, product, and type of job. For example, typically, full roof replacements come with a longer workmanship warranty than if a contractor completes a repair on a roof that was originally installed by another company.
Workmanship warranties are usually only valid as long as the original contractor is the only one who does any kind of work on the roof, hiring a different contractor to perform any post-installation work or repairs could void the warranty. Make sure to discuss the terms of the warranty with your Indianapolis roofing contractor in detail before the installation.
Warranty Provisions
In addition to the type of warranty, the other important factors are the types of provisions in those warranties, these are the provisions you should be aware of when discussing the warranty with your roofing contractor.
The Scope of Coverage
This is about the limitation of the coverage of the warranty, in other words, whether it covers material defects, installation mistakes, and so on. The broader the scope, the better off you will be if something goes wrong.
Monetary Restrictions
This is the amount of money the manufacturer or contractor is willing to spend on repairs. Commercial roofing contractors don’t usually have any monetary limits, this is called an NDL (No Dollar Limit) warranty. There are also prorated warranties, where the value of the roof decreases over time. This means that as the years go by, the warranty will cover a smaller percentage of the repair costs, for example, a prorated warranty could only cover 50% of repair costs after fifteen years. NDL warranties are preferable but they often come with various exclusions in the fine print.
Applicability
The issuer of the warrant can create provisions to determine whether the warranty can be applied. This determination is up to the manufacturer, which means that they can decide if a necessary repair is covered under the original warranty or not.
Exclusions
These are meant to protect the manufacturer from taking the blame for any problem and from having to honor the warranty. They come in two categories, legal exclusions and technical exclusions.
Legal Exclusions – These exclusions use legal tactics like breach of contract or breach of warranty to prevent the manufacturer from honoring the warranty.
Technical Exclusions – This is when the issuer of the warrant can refuse to honor the warranty because the roof damage is caused by problems not covered in the warranty, such as acts of God or improper maintenance.
Nullification
These are provisions that render the warranty null and void. These are usually laid out in the warranty contract, so special attention must be paid to them so that you know when you are covered.
Get All The Details Of Your Roof Warranty
You need to make sure that you are protected should your roof ever need to be repaired, so you should pore over your roof warranty carefully. You should also discuss the details of your warranty with your Indianapolis roofing contractor. At Jackson Contracting Inc. we will provide all the information you want, and answer all the questions you have, about your roof warranty.