Over the last 20 years, shingle manufacturers have come under scrutiny because warranties for common roofing materials have gotten longer. Yet groups like the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety argue the material’s actual lifespan hasn’t increased, creating unrealistic expectations for end users that are often directed at the contractor who recommended and installed the products.

Understanding the true coverage and value of different warranties can be difficult because they are written in legal language and include terms that are either not commonly used or have specific meanings in that specific warranty document.

Below is a simple decoding of the general warranty terms and considerations of the two most popular residential roofing products in the country – asphalt shingles and painted metal panels – to help contractors make the best choice for their businesses and their customers.

Depending on the paint system used, paint warranties for metal can be as long as the metal panel or structure's lifetime, exceeding 40 or 50 years.

What’s Covered (and NOT covered)?

At their foundation, manufacturer product warranties exist to protect a buyer’s investment in a situation where the roofing material fails due to a manufacturing defect – that’s it. This is an important distinction because manufacturer warranties typically don’t apply to roof damage covered by property insurance, including hail damage or high winds resulting from a named storm.

Additionally, there are situations where a manufacturer's warranty may not cover roof materials. Discounted “seconds” shingles may not have manufacturer warranty coverage in effect. These materials are sometimes marked with a notch to differentiate them from first-quality material. For metal roofing, major metal manufacturers offer material warranties to consumers, but small regional rollformers may not offer comprehensive material warranties.

• "Acts of God" – Nearly all roofing material warranties include “Acts of God” exclusion language that specifies damage occurring from hurricanes, tornadoes, named storms, earthquakes, or other “Acts of God” is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. This exclusion has come under scrutiny in recent years as manufacturers tout higher wind ratings and pump out new lines of impact-resistant shingles.
• Aesthetic and Color Issues – Aesthetic issues like hail impact indents that don’t perforate the roofing or directly expose asphalt to sunlight, color fading, or color inconsistency that does not affect the performance of the roof are typically not covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Some asphalt manufacturers specify that they are not required to cover color variation (although they still do at times). One notable exception is the paint warranty from metal roofing manufacturers that specifically defines how many years the paint is guaranteed not to peel, crack, fade or chalk. Depending on the type of paint system used, this paint warranty can be as long as the lifetime of the metal panel or the structure, exceeding 40 or 50 years.
• Workmanship – Standard warranties typically don’t cover “workmanship,” also known as roof failures that result from installation errors. Some manufacturers have optional warranties that contractors can access by completing certification steps and paying a fee that includes workmanship if specific installation requirements are met. Contractors should carefully read workmanship warranties, as many require the contractor to guarantee their work for at least two years.
• Types of Warranties Included – When examining the roof material warranty, different types of “defects” are included in the warranty coverage, and they vary widely based on the roofing material chosen. Asphalt shingle warranties typically include: a warranty on the overall life/performance of the product; an algae warranty; and a high wind warranty. Metal panel warranties typically include a substrate warranty that covers the steel or aluminum base and a paint warranty that covers the durability and color fastness of the coating. Additionally, metal roofing manufacturers may include additional manufacturer coverage of the full panel beyond the substrate and paint warranties.

What’s the Term?

Before “lifetime” warranties became the standard for asphalt shingles in the 2010s, the majority of standard fiberglass shingles came with 25- to 30-year warranty terms, and some premium or designer asphalt shingles extended that to 50 years.

• Lifetime Warranties – The most common term or length of a roofing warranty is “lifetime,” but this doesn’t mean a property owner can get a free new roof from the manufacturer after 40 years. Nearly all asphalt shingle warranties include a period immediately after installation where approved warranty claims include either all needed replacement shingles from the same manufacturer or the equivalent cost to replace the shingles provided to the end user. That initial full replacement value period varies widely from five years to 50 years, depending on shingle brand, specific shingle, and whether it’s a standard warranty that comes with the product or an extended warranty – typically installed by a certified contractor at an additional cost to the contractor. A notable exception specific to metal is that some manufacturers use “lifetime” to mean the lifetime of the paint system, and agree to either refinish or replace defective panels or refund the purchase price for that full lifetime.
• Proration – After this initial full replacement period, how much replacement material or how much of the replacement material value is provided to the property owner is based on proration charts. Proration is a critical concept for contractors to understand and means that the amount end users can expect to receive from an approved warranty claim decreases by a certain percent each year after the initial full replacement period until it reaches a minimum level (20% of the value in some cases), which holds for the lifetime the holder of the warranty owns the home.
• Sub-Warranty Coverage Terms – The specific length of coverage varies widely by “defect” type. Algae coverage could only be five to 10 years after installation or lifetime if the shingle includes special algae-resistant technology. High wind coverage also varies, but is typically five to 20 years after installation.

What’s the Remedy?

While warranty coverage and length typically get more attention, a less discussed element that is equally as important is what the manufacturer defines as the expected remedy, or how they will “make it right” in an approved warranty claim.

• Cash vs. Material – Some manufacturers say they will provide cash for the end user to purchase whatever replacement material they choose, while others say end users will receive a material certificate for that manufacturer’s material. The amount end users can expect to receive is highly dependent on the elements defined in the previous section, specific to terms and proration.
• Labor, Tear-Off and Disposal – During the initial period immediately following installation, many manufacturers include the cost of labor to install the new roof material. After the initial period expires and proration begins, the majority of manufacturers no longer cover labor costs. Additionally, some manufacturers cover the tear-off and disposal costs of the “defective” material, while others do not, unless the contractor or end user has an extended warranty with the manufacturer. Some metal manufacturers also include additional coverage, agreeing to pay for labor and materials to repaint, repair, or replace if the paint fails.
• Cleaning vs. Replacement vs. Repair – Specifically for asphalt shingle algae warranties, contractors should read the terms and see if manufacturers agree to reimburse all or a portion of the costs to clean the roof or if they agree to repair or replace algae-stained roofs. For high wind warranties, some manufacturers define that they will only repair blow-offs, while others define that the manufacturer can decide whether to repair or replace.

Who Holds the Warranty Coverage?

One of the most important things for contractors to know about the roof warranty process is that many manufacturers look at the warranty document as an agreement between them and the property owner, and may require property owners to be the point of contact for all warranty claim communications. In recent years, some manufacturers have relaxed this and either unofficially work with contractors to resolve warranty claims or allow certain contractor groups, like manufacturer-certified, to submit warranty claims on behalf of property owners.

• Property Owner Transfers – Many warranties only cover the original purchaser of the product, unless the warranty is formally transferred to the new owner within a certain period. That formal process varies widely based on material and manufacturer, and can be as simple as emailing a letter to the manufacturer within a year after the purchase of the home, to a formal transfer process with a form to be completed and submitted within 30 days of the purchase. Manufacturers also typically limit the number of years after initial installation that the warranty can be transferred to a new owner, and some warranties limit the number of times a warranty can be transferred. In some cases, unless the warranty is adequately transferred, the new owner does not have a viable warranty claim even if the product fails due to a manufacturing defect.

Many manufacturers look at a warranty document as an agreement between them and the property owner, and may require property owners to be the point of contact.

What’s the Process?

The process of submitting a potential warranty claim varies widely depending on the manufacturer, from a simple email or call to a fully automated digital warranty portal, but all major manufacturers of both asphalt and metal roofing will include information on their websites about their specific process for contractors and property owners to reference. Some manufacturers also include this information on their material packaging.

• Time Limits – Most roofing manufacturers include time requirements for how long a homeowner has to notify them of a potential defect. In many cases, that period is as short as 30 days.
• Resolution Timing – Most manufacturers don’t promise how quickly they will resolve a warranty claim since it varies depending on claim volume and a claim's complexity, and can vary from a few days to months to resolve. If the claim is connected to an imminent home sale, property owners should make that clear to the manufacturer, as some companies will expedite the resolution of those claims.
• Samples, Photos, and Inspections – For some manufacturers, photos of the roof materials in question are enough to make the claim determination. For others, property owners must remove and submit actual material from the roof. For complex or particularly costly claims, some manufacturers require an inspection from either a third-party expert or a manufacturer staff member before deciding.

There are generalizations that contractors can expect in different roof material warranties. Shingle warranties will include lifespan, wind, and algae warranties, while metal panels will have substrate and paint warranties. Shingle warranties will be subject to proration, while metal warranties may not. "Lifetime" doesn’t mean lifetime for shingle warranties; it may for metal warranties. Color issues may not be covered in a shingle warranty, but are likely included in a metal paint warranty. Workmanship is typically not included in standard warranties for either material type, but may be available as an add-on. “Acts of God” exclusions exist in warranties for nearly all roof materials.

While all manufacturers offering material warranties will have a warranty process, those processes, requirements, and timelines vary widely. The warranty terms for specific years, days, items covered, and remedies also vary widely, not only between materials but also by manufacturers.

Rather than be overwhelmed by these variations, contractors should make sure they read the warranty coverage of the materials and brands they are considering and reach out to their manufacturer rep with questions to select the materials best suited for their projects.