5 Roofing FAQs Every Homeowner Should Know About Roofing Warranties and Roofer Liability Insurance & Permits
When you’re getting a new roof, you can never ask too many roofing questions. The quality and thoroughness of the roofer’s answers cannot only help you understand the roofing process. It also gives you a sense of the roofer’s quality and level of customer service.
Sure San Mateo and Santa Clara County roofing companies field roofing FAQs day in and day out. But when you’re choosing your roofing company, you want to work with a roofer who is patient, understands that roofing isn’t something you do every day and answers your questions until you’re completely satisfied.
Most homeowners’ roofing questions center around the roofing process, roofing materials, colors and pricing. Those are important for the short term. However, there are roofing questions you should ask about warranties, liability insurance and permits to protect your finances and investment long after your roof is finished.
- What types of warranties cover my new roof? Reroofing your home usually involves two types of warranties. The roofing shingle manufacturer’s warranty covers material defects and the roofing company issues a workmanship warranty. Signature Roofing, Inc.’s 10-year workmanship warranty is on the back of the roofing agreement and has almost no legal speak – just a couple of short paragraphs in plain English. Basically, we’ll fix any leak and pay for any sheetrock, insulation, and paint repair up to $5,000.
- What does it mean when a warranty is a lifetime warranty? This is a common roofing question. A lifetime warranty means that the warranty is in effect for as long as you live in your home. The National Roofing Contractors Association has issued a Consumer Advisory Bulletin that states, “There is a common misconception by roofing consumers that long-term warranties are all-inclusive insurance policies designed to cover virtually any roofing problem, regardless of the cause or circumstance.” All warranties have exclusions and will not necessarily pay for all costs involved.
- What about the roofing warranties you quote? GAF and Certainteed shingles come with lifetime warranties and are among the best in the industry. They cover not only material cost but also labor cost, and in most cases roof removal cost. The manufacturers know that most claims arise in the early years, so both of these companies have a non-prorated period of ten years. The warranties are transferable one time only to a new owner for free, which is a good selling point.
- Why is commercial general liability insurance important? This is roofing FAQ basics. Homeowners are strongly urged to evaluate the risk to their family and property if they hire a contractor who is not insured or who is self-insured. The law requires that all contractors providing you with a reroof estimate must also provide written notification of insurance coverage and disclose the risk of contracting without liability insurance.
- Why are roofing permits important? Installing a new roof without a permit is a building code violation, and it’s likely that any warranty would be void and non-transferable to a new buyer of your home. Make sure that the roofing contractor pulls the permit – not you. Before paying the roofing contractor’s final bill, call the city and make sure your permit was actually “finaled” and that there are no outstanding building code issues.