Did you just get a new roof, or are you about to? Are you wondering what protections come with your roof in the form of warranties?
This is understandable, especially since warranties are a huge consideration when homeowners make roofing decisions. While a workmanship warranty is what most people care about, material warranties are just as important.
What does a roofing material warranty cover? And how long do they last?
For over 30 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners understand the different warranties and protections that come with a new roof. That’s why I’ll break down what you need to know about roofing material warranties.
This article answers the following questions:
- What does a roofing material warranty cover?
- How long does a roofing material warranty last?
- How do you get an enhanced roofing material warranty for asphalt shingles?
- What voids a roofing material warranty?
- Do roofing materials come with any other warranties?
What does a roofing material warranty cover?
A roofing material warranty is provided by a manufacturer in the event of defective materials and components. However, what’s covered and if it’s covered at all depends on the type of roofing material.
For asphalt roofing, each type of asphalt shingle comes with an individual standard material warranty. However, architectural and luxury shingles come with the opportunity to get an enhanced or extended warranty (more on this in a minute).
Metal roofing's material warranty depends on the metal roof system and the type of metal used. For example, a prefinished steel standing seam metal roof (the most common) comes with a paint warranty to protect the panels from the elements and prevent the color from fading instead of a warranty on the metal itself.
Synthetic shingles come with a material warranty, but the length really depends on the manufacturer. Unfortunately, natural materials, such as cedar shake and slate, don’t usually come with a normal material warranty.
How long does a roofing material warranty last?
Just like what it covers, how long a roofing material warranty lasts depends on the material. All asphalt shingles come out of the package with a standard warranty.
3-tab asphalt shingles come with a 25-year limited warranty from most manufacturers, while both architectural and luxury asphalt shingles have a 30-year prorated warranty. But remember, they can qualify for a non-prorated enhanced warranty on the entire roof system if the conditions are met.
While it varies by metal type, a prefinished steel standing seam metal roof comes with a 30-year warranty on the Kynar 500 painted finish. As I said, the length of material warranties on synthetic shingles varies by manufacturer.
Our preferred synthetic brand, DaVinci, provides a limited lifetime warranty that’s non-prorated for the first 10 years.
How do you get an enhanced roofing material warranty for asphalt shingles?
To qualify for an enhanced shingle warranty, the shingles and other roofing components must be from a single manufacturer and be installed by a certified roofer. After installation, you’ll register the roof with the manufacturer to get a 50-year non-prorated warranty.
The enhanced warranty covers everything, which means they’ll replace your roof if one of the manufacturer’s components fails. If you hire a roofer with the highest certifications, the manufacturer will even offer a workmanship warranty against installation errors.
Another great thing is that it can be transferred to a new homeowner once, which is a selling point when putting your home on the market.
What voids a roofing material warranty?
If your roof was improperly installed and you have inadequate attic ventilation, the manufacturer will void your roofing material warranty. They simply won’t stand behind their products if they aren’t installed correctly.
If this happens, you’ll fall back on your workmanship warranty provided by the roofing company. While mistakes happen, there’s a good chance they won’t stand behind their work if they didn’t install your roof right the first time.
That’s why hiring a roofing company with a strong installation history is crucial. The best place to start is by looking at roofers with manufacturer certifications.
After all, a manufacturer won’t certify a company if they don’t trust them to install the products correctly and per the installation instructions.
Do roofing materials come with any other warranties?
Standard material warranties only cover defective materials, unless you get the enhanced warranty. However, shingles come with other warranties that cover functionality issues.
Asphalt shingles also come with wind and algae warranties, but the length depends on the shingle type and manufacturer. For example, both CertainTeed’s Landmark shingles and GAF’s Timberline HDZ shingles offer a 15-year wind resistance warranty and a 25-year algae resistance warranty.
Tamko’s Titan XT shingles also offer a 15-year wind resistance warranty, but only offer a 10-year algae resistance warranty. This can vary across the board for shingle manufacturers, so talk to your roofer about all the perks and warranties that come with their preferred shingle brand.
What do you need to look for when hiring a roofing company?
Now you know what a roofing material warranty covers, how long it lasts, and much more. At the end of the day, material warranties protect you and your investment from defective products.
Unfortunately, something as simple as improper installation voids any warranty on a material or component. This is the last thing you want, trust me.
That’s why it’s crucial to hire a roofer you can trust to do things the right way. But how do you do this? What are the signs of a great roofing company?
Check out 9 Tips for Hiring a Great Roofing Contractor to learn what you need to be looking for when hiring a roofer in your area.
