Lindon, UT · Serving Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Summit and Wasatch counties
(385) 438-3591
Lindon, UT · Serving Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Summit and Wasatch counties
(385) 438-3591
The difference between a manufacturer warranty and a workmanship warranty is who stands behind what. The manufacturer covers the material. The roofer covers how it was installed, which is where most roofs fail. I'd want both, but a workmanship warranty is only as good as the company that gave it to you.
Get both warranties in writing, and check the company behind the workmanship warranty as hard as the shingle.
The maker pays for defective material; installation mistakes fall on the roofer, if the roofer is still in business.
Ask which manufacturer warranty the roofer can register on your roof, and how long its own workmanship warranty runs.
Ask a Utah roofer for both warranties in writing: the maker's on the shingles and theirs on the work. Then make sure the company will be around to honor it.
Mattie Tueller, Master Roofing
A manufacturer warranty covers the roofing material against defects. Under GAF's warranties, if a shingle fails from a defect during the full-coverage period, GAF pays for new material and the labor to install it. It does not pay to tear off or haul away the old shingles at the basic tiers. After the full-coverage period, it covers material only, and the amount shrinks as the roof ages.
GAF's own comparison guide shows how its tiers step up for its Timberline shingles:
| GAF warranty | Full-coverage period | Tear-off and disposal | Installation mistakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shingle and Accessory (basic) | 10 years | Not covered | Not covered |
| System Plus: shingles plus at least 3 GAF accessories, certified installer | 50 years | Covered when necessary | Not covered |
| Golden Pledge: shingles plus at least 5 GAF accessories, Master Elite installer | 50 years | Covered when necessary | 25 to 30 years at full value, by shingle |
Most shingle makers offer a similar ladder under their own names.
A workmanship warranty is the roofer's promise about the work. If they installed something wrong and it causes a problem, they come back and fix it. Most roofs fail because of how they were put on. This is the warranty you are most likely to use.
It has one weak point: it lasts only as long as the company does.
A higher-tier warranty from the maker fills that gap. Under GAF's Golden Pledge, GAF covers the installer's mistakes itself, for 25 years or more. Only an installer with the right manufacturer certifications can register one.
A maker's warranty can be voided when the roof was not put on to the maker's specs. Ventilation is the big one in Utah. Most attics here are under-ventilated, and a hot attic cooks shingles from underneath. When the maker sees that, it can deny the claim, because the way it was put on caused the failure. Whether bad ventilation is voiding your warranty has its own answer.
Work someone else does on your roof is a separate matter. A workmanship warranty covers the roofer's own work, so it will not cover holes another contractor cuts.
A homeowner with a 10-year Master Roofing workmanship warranty called about a leak. Another contractor had cut in bathroom vents and set their flashing on top of the shingles. That was not Master Roofing's work, so it was not covered by Master Roofing's warranty. The next call was to the contractor who cut the vents.
Both roof warranties matter, and the safest move is to get both. A roof is meant to last 20 to 50 years, depending on the material. You want the maker on the hook for as long as possible.
If you can check only one thing, check the company. Ask these before you sign:
Companies that charge enough to stay in business are the ones still answering the phone years later. Their warranties are part of what you are paying for when a roof costs more.
As a roofing company owner in Utah, I think of warranties as two promises from two different parties. The workmanship warranty is mine: if we did it wrong and you have problems, we come back and fix it. The maker's warranty is theirs, and it covers the material.
Most people ask only about the maker's number, and that makes sense, because it is the big number on the brochure. But roofing companies come and go, and a workmanship warranty ends when the company does. That's why Master Roofing, a Utah roofing company, can register GAF's Golden Pledge on a GAF roof, so GAF stands behind our work too.
So care about both, and check the company as hard as the shingle. A workmanship warranty is only as good as the company that gave it to you. Pick one that will still be here, and both of your warranties will mean something.
This article is general information about Utah roofs, not an assessment of yours. Every roof is different, and no article can tell you what is actually happening on your specific house. Have a licensed roofing contractor look at it in person before you act on anything here.
A manufacturer warranty covers some of the labor to replace a defective roof, depending on the tier. During the full-coverage period, GAF pays the labor to repair or re-cover defective shingles. Its basic tiers do not pay to tear off or haul away the old roof. Its System Plus and Pledge warranties add tear-off and disposal, when necessary.
You can transfer a GAF roof warranty when you sell the house, within limits. GAF's lifetime coverage carries to a second owner if it is properly transferred during the full-coverage period. Keep the registration paperwork so the buyer can claim it.
A shingle warranty is usually voided by installation that skips the maker's specs. In Utah, the most common case is poor attic ventilation. A hot attic cooks shingles from underneath, and the maker can deny the claim. It is one more reason the installer matters as much as the shingle.
If the roofer goes out of business, the workmanship warranty usually goes with it. The exception is an enhanced manufacturer warranty that covers workmanship, like GAF's Golden Pledge, where the manufacturer covers installation mistakes itself. That is why a company's track record matters as much as the length of its warranty.
We're here to see what's going on with your roof. A real assessment starts with your history and your attic, not a number from the driveway. You'll get a straight answer about what's up there, what it needs, and what it costs. Sometimes the honest answer is: your roof looks great.