The most important document associated with your asphalt shingle or metal roof is your warranty. Sadly, many homeowners never read or review the warranty once they move into a home or complete a roofing replacement project. Furthermore, they are unsure of what the warranty covers.
Warranties guarantee both the quality of materials and the craftsmanship of the installation. They ensure that your roof is built to meet or exceed industry standards, building codes, and specifications. Without a warranty, you may not be able to hold either the manufacturer or the roofing contractor accountable if anything goes wrong.
But what happens when you need to get a new roof on your home? Does a home warranty cover a roof replacement? Let’s take a closer look.
What Does a Home Warranty Typically Cover?
In case you do not know what, a home warranty covers, here is a brief overview.
- Home systems: plumbing, cooling, heating, electrical
- Appliances: Dishwasher, garage door opener, oven, water heaters, etc.
- Swimming pool
- Septic tank and system
- Grinder pumps
- Roof leak repairs
Generally speaking, warranties do not cover items that have been neglected or did not receive routine maintenance according to manufacturer or installer specifications. In addition, a warranty may not cover DIY jobs or repair jobs performed by non-certified contractors.
What About a Roof Replacement?
Most home warranty plans do not cover a full roof replacement unless otherwise outlined in the warranty. However, we need to clarify what we mean by warranty.
There are two types of warranties:
- Manufacturer Warranty
A manufacturer warranty is a document that you receive when you buy the home. It covers any defects in materials or components within the home that came with the home when you bought it. Keep in mind that the warranty is separate and apart from your homeowner’s insurance. They are not the same document.The manufacturer warranty is a warranty that comes directly from the manufacturer of the parts or materials that go into your home. Each manufacturer offers different home warranty coverage depending on their products.
- Contractor Warranty
The contractor warranty is submitted by the general contractor that built your home. The warranty guarantees that work performed met or exceeds industry standards and delivers a high level of craftsmanship. The warranty also guarantees that the work was performed according to the contract specifications.Contractors may offer warranties that cover both the work and the materials in one document. A contractor that is certified to use a specific manufacturer product may be able to offer a warranty on behalf of the manufacturer. General contractors and roofing contractors often provide this type of warranty.
Now that you have a better understanding of the two types of warranties, you can see why most home warranties do not cover roof replacements. They either cover part replacements or repairs, but not entire roofing systems.
Your Roof Will Outlast Your Warranty
There is another reason why a home warranty does not cover a roof replacement. It is simply because your roof is likely to outlast your home warranty. Home warranties merely cover roof leaks until they expire. When do they expire? Most roof warranties last one year with an option to renew the warranty annually. If you do not renew the original warranty, you may find another warranty company that has a better offer than the original.
Regardless of what type of roof you purchase, it is likely going to last a minimum of 20 years. Some roofing materials last over 50 years. For this reason, a warranty will not cover a roof replacement. In addition, if you do not renew the warranty, it does not matter if you repair or replace the roof. An expired warranty will not cover the roof.
Does Homeowners Insurance Provide Roof Coverage?
If your warranty does not cover your roof replacement, your homeowner’s insurance may pick up part or all of the bill. Whether your insurer will pay for a roof replacement depends on several factors such as the nature of the damage and whether it could have been prevented.
For example, your policy may cover storm damage, vandalism, or fire. However, it will probably not cover a replacement if you have neglected your roof for several years and now need a new roofing system. What this means is that you will need to demonstrate that the disaster is what caused damage to your roof.
Getting a Roof Inspection
If you ever have a dispute over what is covered in your service contract and feel like the cost of repairing your roof should fall on the manufacturer or contractor, then you may want to get a roof inspection to verify your claim.
A roofing contractor can perform a roof inspection to determine what happened and if the roof damage falls within the conditions of the warranty. An experienced roofing contractor can identify problems with defective products or improper installation.
Are There Warranties for Roofing Replacements?
Fortunately, if you need a roof replacement, you get a warranty on a new roof. The same type of warranty applies to a roof replacement as a new roof. A manufacturer warranty will cover the products/materials that went into the roof replacement. Likewise, a contractor warranty will cover the workmanship that went into building the roof.
Once you get your roof replaced, there are several things you can do to protect your warranty. First, schedule routine maintenance on your roof. Make sure the maintenance follows either the manufacturer or contractor specifications.
Second, use the same contractor for maintenance and repairs that you use for the roof replacement. This will save you the hassle of working with multiple companies. Last, make sure you register all warranties with all manufacturers.
Get a Free Roof Estimate from Quality Roofing
Quality Roofing offers premier roofing services for homeowners in Florida. To find out more about our roofing replacement solutions, call (850) 753-0041 or fill out the quick form on our contact page.
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