Recently a listener called our radio program to complain that the warranty on his roof was not being honored by the manufacturer.
The caller said that the damaged area covered his entire roof, about 2,700 square feet. The composition roof shingles were cracking horizontally and vertically. He said that the roof covering manufacturer had first offered him $500 to repair his roof. The caller was angry because he was told that the whole roof would have to be replaced at a cost of more than $4,000.
He told us that he complained to the roofing manufacturer who eventually agreed to provide the roofing material to replace the roof, and $1,400 in cash to cover some of the installation costs.
“I think they are crooks,” he said. “First, they wanted to give me $500 for a roof that will cost $4,000 to replace. Now they want to give me more, but it isn’t enough to do the replacement.”
We asked the caller to send copies of his correspondence with the roofing company, photos of the damage and a copy of the original warranty.
What we discovered was a surprise. When the roofing company offered $500, they were doing so in strict accordance with their written warranty. And legally, the company was not obligated to do any more than that.
The caller thought he was buying a roof covering with a 20-year warranty. What he didn’t realize was that it was a prorated warranty and that full replacement was good only during the first year. After that, the manufacturer’s prorated warranty covered material replacement only, with no removal of the bad material and no labor for the installation of the new.
Based on this, we started checking and made a stunning discovery: Manufacturer’s warranties for composition roof covering material are somewhat useless after one year regardless of whether they claim 20-, 30-, 40- or even 50-year coverage.
California has a “hidden defect” law that could be used to get satisfaction from a manufacturer who sells a faulty product, no matter what the warranty states. If you’re having a warranty problem, check to see if your state has legislated an act for your protection against “junk bond”-type warranties.
California consumers can check with the Contractor’s State License Board. States that don’t have contractor’s license agencies often manage these laws through their department of industrial relations.
In any case, it might be wise to also demand removal and replacement labor for at least five years from the contractor. Get this in writing before you sign on the dotted line. More often than not, the contractor does not want to be a part of any such guarantee. They love handing you the manufacturer’s warranty and no other. Be sure to differentiate between the product warranty and the installer’s warranty. They are completely different.
If a warranty is an important part of your consideration of the purchase of a product, read it thoroughly before you sign. As our caller discovered, a 20-year warranty on a $4,000 roof could be as small as $500 by the fifth year.
The Carey Brothers of Pittsburg are nationally recognized experts on home building and renovation. For more of their home improvement tips and information, go to www.onthehouse.com.
