Hard hat and construction equipment How important is the warranty on your roof? I recently purchased new tires for one of our trucks, and one of the factors I considered was the warranty included with their purchase. Do I pay a few bucks more for the 100,000 mile warranty, or just stick with the 25,000 mile warranty? We like to feel safe when we make a big purchase, which is why warranties are so appealing to us. That’s also why many companies prey on customers who are willing to pay extra for a bit of reassurance. Whichever warranty I went with, I was likely to face quite a few obstacles if I ever actually needed to use that warranty. Usually they ask for an original receipt, an odometer reading, and records proving you kept up with regular maintenance as instructed - all of which is covered in a few pages of fine print. If you missed a tire rotation when it was due, you are out of luck and the warranty may be void. What I’ve learned is that what matters most is who I buy the tires from and who I have work on my vehicles. If I work with a reliable dealer that I can trust, I know they are going to do their best to take care of me regardless of what tire I went with, because they value keeping me as a long-term customer more than the cost of replacing a tire or selling unnecessary add-ons. But we’re here to talk about roofing, not tires.

What’s Behind Your San Francisco Roofing Warranty?

Roofer repairing roof work Warranties can cover several different things. There are warranties that cover the physical materials (via the manufacturer) and materials that cover the work itself (via the installer). A manufacturer’s warranty triggers when there is a defect in the actual product. When your roofer uses trustworthy suppliers, as we do, this is something that is rarely seen. When it does happen, the defective product is usually found before we install it on your roof. That means that we’ll take care of it; you won’t have to worry about a thing. Many warranties will claim to protect you for 20 years or more. Just as with tires or vehicles, you might have to jump through several hoops in order to get a manufacturer to take care of you should your tiles or other material fail during their years of coverage. Additionally, many of those warranties are prorated, meaning their value goes down over time. Manufacturer’s warranties cover defects that result from a manufacturing mistake, and generally nothing else. That is pretty rare, and why they make you jump through hoops should you feel inclined to use your warranty. You also need to read the language and fine print carefully. Many “Lifetime” warranties are offered by third-party vendors that don’t take effect until the manufacturer’s warranty is up, and certain conditions will void your warranty (like improperly installing a satellite dish). It might be lifetime warranties, no-maintenance guarantees, or magical nanotechnology that makes your shingles 100% waterproof, but there are a lot marketing tactics used in the industry to attract buyers (as with any other industry). Customers want to believe things, even if they might be too good to be true. When something goes wrong with your roof, you don’t want surprises. When something goes wrong with your roof installation, it’s nearly always because of a roofer making a mistake. Many fly-by-night roofers lure customers in with low pricing. They are able to offer such low prices by using inferior products and inferior roofers to install them. That leaves the customer far more likely to have a problem with their roof, and very few opportunities to get their money back. While manufacturing warranties on your shingles and tiles shouldn’t be ignored, they shouldn’t be the sole deciding factor when deciding which products and which company you use for your roof.

Choose a Quality San Francisco Roofer

Fortunately, you can have your cake and eat it, too! The best warranties are usually provided by the best roofers, as only contractors with a great track record can offer them. As a GAF Master Elite contractor, Mr. Roofing offers a Golden Pledge Warranty that covers materials and labor. We can provide this to homeowners because GAF only allows the nations best roofers (top 3%) to participate in this program...and we’re in the top 3%! We also work with Owens Corning Roofing to provide warranties to protect your home for decades. You can elect to cover labor costs and extend your coverage for up to 50 years! Even if you plan on selling your home in the future, you are taken care of. Owens Corning roofing warranties can be transferred to a new owner because they stand by their work no matter who is living under their roof. Whether it’s repairs or a completely new roof, who you do business with is the most important decision you will make for your home. Finding a quality roofing company is arguably more important than what type of roof you decide upon, what warranties are included with the roof, and even the pricing. Your roof is an investment, and backing the wrong horse at the beginning means that you could lose big down the road. Mr. Roofing has consistently been shown to be one of the best roofers in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. Whether it’s Expertise.com, the GAF, Houzz, or Angie’s List, we’ve built a reputation being professional and reliable. The next time you have to choose a roofing contractor in South San Francisco, we hope you’ll think of us. And if you have any questions about roofing we can help with, give us a call! We’re always happy to help out where we can. %Mr. Roofing San Francisco’s residential & commercial roofing experts