Commercial Roof Warranty

Everything You Need to Know About A Commercial Roof Warranty

Most commercial roofing systems are protected by a warranty provided by the roofing manufacturer and contractor, a standard approach that gives assurance that your roof will perform as expected. However, these warranties are not all-encompassing insurance policies and are not easily tailored or customized, due to the vast variety and complexity of building types and designs. Not all warranties are the same, so it is important to pay attention to the fine print.

Some roofing companies, like Advanced Roofing, Inc. (ARI), provide an extensive roofing contractor warranty to cover future damage to the roof should an issue result. As we are a partner with every top-tier roofing materials manufacturer, Advanced Roofing can offer additional coverage that extends the manufacturer warranty by utilizing routine preventive maintenance, repairs, and documentation. This ensures the manufacturer’s warranty maintenance requirements are met, guaranteeing coverage when and if needed. ARI also offers secondary coverages that go beyond the limits of the manufacturer’s warranty, like extending warranty coverage to components not provided by the roof manufacturer, along with mechanical weather shielding, limited waterproofing of intersecting walls, and more.

What’s Covered Under a Roofing Manufacturers & Materials Warranty?

Manufacturer warranties vary, with some covering only materials while others cover the entire roofing system. Most require the contractor to perform warranted repairs for the first few years after the install. Material warranties cover manufacturing defects or premature deterioration of the materials but do not include issues caused by labor. These warranties can range anywhere from 10 to 30 years but are limited in coverage as they only cover the roof membrane and not accessories like flashings (where leaks usually occur), adhesives, metal edge, and more. Material warranties also do not provide coverage for leak repair costs. So if a material defect has been determined, a material warranty would only cover the cost of materials for a repair and not the cost of labor or coverage for installation errors.

Add-on manufacturing products like liquid applied flashings and SBC, and accessory lines such as retro drains, are great investments because they are included in the coverage terms of most warranties. These products can seem costly up front but provide a long-term return on investment through lower maintenance costs during the life of the roof. Typical manufacturer warranties can also be enhanced with extended warranty options (they vary from product type as well as the manufacturer).

• Explain how the manufacturer’s warranty is impacted in the event of a hurricane (storm) damage
• What maintenance needs will be required during the life cycle of the roof
• Wind speed and uplift – Engineering of what is proposed, verbiage and limitations

What is Covered Under a Roofing Contractor Workmanship Warranty?

Contractor roof warranties typically cover workmanship and not materials. This short-term warranty is your coverage against installation errors. Although they only span one to five years in length, workmanship warranties are valuable because they cover defective workmanship and defective materials. Be sure to review this agreement for inclusions and exclusions, and look over the general liability insurance coverage. A certificate of additional insured should be required and a clause for “completed operations” needs to be included to guarantee protection for the building owner.

What Can Void a Roof Warranty?

Most commercial roof warranties require the owner to do annual documented inspections and repairs. Maintenance is often required throughout the lifecycle of the roof (even warranted items can require maintenance) and if not provided will negatively impact the performance of the roof system. ARI offers warranty options to improve the standard warranty offerings, which can be done prior to installation or offered as service and maintenance on installed systems with active warranties.

Because of their limitations, it is important to know what a roof warranty will cover before purchasing a new roofing system. Experienced roofing contractors can help you to determine what is covered under your roofing warranty, and how best to keep the warranty effective through regular maintenance. Regular roof inspections are recommended (and sometimes required) for most warranties to prevent issues that aren’t covered under a manufacturer or workmanship warranty. ARI’s Preventive Roof Maintenance Program is designed to remove the stress from your hands by performing regular inspections to catch leaks or other problems before they can damage your business.

What is Not Covered by a Commercial Roofing Warranty?

Often people think a commercial roof warranty will cover anything that goes wrong with the roof, which is not accurate. You will also need to have an insurance policy that includes damage to the roof. If a bolt of lightning strikes your roof, no warranty will cover the costs to fix it. Property insurance covers accidental damage to your building due to hurricanes, fires, tree damage, natural disasters,  or acts of God, and unexpected problems.

Listen to our podcast on understanding roof warranties.

For more information about roof warranties and to get your free quote call (800) 638-6869 or click here.

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