Are Upgraded Roof Warranties Worth the Money?

Most consumer advocates will adamantly insist that any “extended warranties” are a rip-off,

and in most cases, I would agree. The one exception to the rule is when you are investing in a new roof, then YES!

STANDARD ROOF SHINGLE WARRANTIES

LENGTH

Even the big, well thought-of companies are misleading and, to be candid, terrible. They try and make it seem like a good deal by putting a big number on it (25 year, 40 year, Lifetime!). You’re led to believe that if you have any kind of problem during that period, you’re covered. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Most all standard shingle warranties have proration. Generally, there will be a

five year non-prorated period at the beginning, then the coverage (expressed as a

percentage of the value of the shingles) goes down a little each year. By the end of the

warranty, the manufacturer’s obligation is almost nothing.

LABOR

With a standard warranty, installation labor is generally only covered during that five year, non-prorated period. After that, while they may pay for a percentage of the new

shingles, you are on your own to pay someone to install them.

COVERAGE

Standard warranties include tear-off costs, debris disposal costs and the costs of all the other components that are necessary to install the roof. These include, but are not limited to underlayments, vents, valleys, flashings, edging metals & nails.

If your new roof starts to fail in its sixth year due to some inherent flaw in the

manufacture of the shingle, according to the terms of the standard warranty you would

only be entitled to a percentage of the value of the shingles. On an average roofing job

the costs of the shingles may only be 20-30% of the cost of the job.

Roof Warranty Options

UPGRADED ROOF SHINGLE WARRANTY

Most manufacturers offer an upgraded warranty that fills in these significant gaps and gets the coverage back up to the level where most consumers would have expected it to be in the first place.

GAF and Owens Corning allow a limited number of contractors to offer their upgraded roof warranties. Contractors must be licensed, insured, pass quality inspections and participate in ongoing training. Currently, only 2% of the contractors nationwide have this privilege.

The upgraded warranties include workmanship and materials for a longer period of time AND regardless if your contractor is still in business they will still cover your roof. Check out the difference in the links below.

Owens Corning Platinum Protection Warranty

GAF Gold Pledge Warranty

If you are in the market for a new roof for one of your home, make sure your

contractor is talking to you about the upgraded warranties available to you for the roofing

system you have selected. Generally, they are relatively inexpensive. The added

protection they give will provide added piece of mind.