In this episode, John Maher talks with Brett
Rogenski, general manager of Master Roofers, about the essential differences
between manufacturer's warranties and workmanship warranties for roofs. Brett
explains how warranties vary based on materials, contractor certifications, and
system components, and highlights the importance of choosing a certified
contractor like Master Roofers to ensure your warranty remains valid. They also
discuss what to look for in a roofing warranty, steps to file a claim, and why
investing in a comprehensive warranty is always worth it. Master Roofers, a GAF
Master Elite contractor, provides top-tier warranties backed by decades of
experience.
John Maher: Hi, I am John Maher and I'm here today with Brett
Rogenski, general manager of Master Roofers, the most trusted roofing company
in New Hampshire for over 80 years. Today we're talking about roof and shingle
warranties.
Welcome, Brett.
Brett Rogenski: Hey, thank you, John. I'm excited to be here.
What is the Difference Between a Manufacturer's Warranty and a Workmanship
Warranty?
Maher: Sure. Yeah. So Brett, what's the difference between a
manufacturer's warranty and a workmanship warranty?
Rogenski: Sure. Manufacturer's, in simplest terms, a
manufacturer's warranty warranties the product, the physical items that are
used on your roof in that roofing system. So manufacturers will back their
products when properly applied for X number of years depending on the product
that you're choosing and that sort of thing. The workmanship warranty, so for
instance, Master Roofers, we offer a 10-year workmanship warranty on everything
that we do.
The workmanship warranty is on, covers the labor of, if we
were to find that we did something improper and it was to cause a problem with
a roof, for 10 years, we're 100% going to back that. And quite frankly, we'll
do it longer than that. If we find we did something wrong, we're going to do
the right thing. So one is about the labor, about proper installation, the
other one is about the physical product itself.
What Factors Affect the
Length of a Roofing Warranty?
Maher: Okay. And then what are some of the factors that affect the
length and the terms of a roofing warranty?
Rogenski: Well, so, the biggest things that affect the length and
term of a manufacturer's warranty are the product that is used, as well as the
accessory products used with it. So for instance, when we're talking about GAF,
they have a System Plus Limited warranty, is one thing that they offer. That
requires a certain type of shingle and at least three certain types of
accessory products manufactured by GAF to be able to qualify for that system,
plus limited warranty.
Their next level is their Silver Pledge warranty, which
can go again up to 50 years, and that requires more, it actually requires four
qualifying GAF accessories be used.
And then the Golden Pledge warranty requires up to five of
these accessories. And really what they're doing there is to give you the
longest and most robust warranty, they're making sure that you have to use
their full assembly system, which they've tested and they stand behind. So
we're talking about ice and water dam, we're talking about underlayment, we're
talking about ridge vent, we're talking about the specific shingle type. We're
talking about starter strips and all these things.
So, for them, how do I want to put it? The longer they're
willing to back that and more robustly they're willing to back that warranty,
requires that you use a more full vertically integrated assembly system of
their products, because that's what they've been able to test and prove that it
will stand up the best, as opposed to using Joe Blow's underlayment and John
Smith's starter strips and then a GAF shingle. They're saying, "Hey, you
know what? Work with our product because we've been able to laboratory test
this and prove that it's going to hold up best over time."
Do Manufacturers Adjust
Warranties Based on the Contractor?
Maher: And then does GAF, for example, offer different length of warranties
based on the contractor itself and what kind of level of workmanship you
provide as a contractor?
Rogenski: Absolutely. So the System Plus, the Silver Pledge in the
Golden Pledge cannot be offered by anyone who's not a Master Elite roofing
contractor. So for instance, Master Roofers is a Master Elite roofing
contractor, that means that GAF has certified. Number one, we've been trained
by GAF. Number two, they come and inspect our jobs to ensure that we're
following their assembly system that they design. And then number three, we've
been doing this since 1942, they're making sure our other processes associated
with that are all sound and going to result in a well-done long-lasting roof.
So, we're really proud of that because less than 2% of all
roofing contractors in North America are able to achieve that Master Elite
roofing contractor status with GAF, and we've had it for a number of years. So
yeah, that puts us in that top 1 or 2% of contractors being able to do that.
And by doing that, GAF is going to back our work and say, "You know what?
Master Roofers does a great job. They follow all of our systems, all of their
systems are solid as well." We're willing to put a warranty of up to, depending
on the situation, of up to 50 years on that roof.
Does the Homeowner Have to Do
Anything to Keep the Warranty Valid?
Maher: Does a homeowner have to do anything to make sure that their
roofing warranty remains valid? Or is there anything that a homeowner could do
to void a warranty, for example?
Rogenski: Well, there's different things that could be done to
void the warranty, which would be having a non-certified contractor maybe come
back and do work on that roof and that sort of thing. But that's not typically
the case. If we give people a good experience and they later need something,
they typically call us, which is we want to be there to serve them depending on
whatever they need. So yeah, the homeowner really doesn't have to do anything,
the contractor registers the warranty.
I would tell every homeowner, number one, to get proof
from their contractor in advance that they are, let's talk about GAF Master
Elite contractor. Guess what? I can provide you a digital certificate that
shows you that we are a Master Elite contractor in good standing with GAF right
now if you were to get a roof from me today. I should be able to provide you
with that, so should any other contractor who's doing that. If they can't
provide it, that's a question mark.
The next thing, as the homeowner, you don't have to do
anything. We then certify, once that roof is done, we certify it and we
register that warranty for it. What you should be looking for from your
contractor is once that roof is, the warranty registration is completed, you
should be looking to receive, and it's usually done electronically, the copy of
that warranty that shows that we registered it. Unfortunately, we've had the
bad experience of having to come behind some unscrupulous contractors who told someone
that they were providing a certain type of warranty and this and that, and now
they're not answering the phone, they're not there.
And we go check with GAF or whoever the manufacturer is,
but let's say GAF, and that contractor, either A, was never certified and
couldn't ever give that warranty, or B simply never registered it. Maybe they
were certified but they didn't want to spend the money or take the time to
register that warranty. And here it is 10 years later ยง we got a problem and
there is no warranty because the contractor didn't do that.
So, I would tell you, make sure that that contractor can
provide you proof that they're certified. And number two, once that work is
done within a reasonable period of time, maybe give them a week, make sure that
they provide you with a copy of that warranty that you can have, because the
warranty is from GAF to you, not from the contractor to you, so you deserve a
copy of that.
What Should a Homeowner Look
For in a Roofing Warranty?
Maher: What should homeowners look for in a roofing warranty to ensure
that they have adequate protection? The worry for a homeowner might be that,
"Yeah, I've got this 30 year warranty, but when something goes wrong with
the roof, of course that thing is not going to be covered under the
warranty." They're warranting something that's not typical. And I know,
certainly when you're buying something like a car, that's what the worry is, is
that something's going to go wrong and it's not going to be covered by the
warranty.
Rogenski: Sure.
Maher: What should they be looking for?
Rogenski: Yeah, you know what? I would tell you ask right up front
for a copy of what the warranty does cover. Most of the manufacturers today
actually have really easy, whether it be electronic or a physical sheet,
whichever you prefer, really easy sheets to compare the different warranties
and what is covered as well as what's not covered. Because they're not trying
to sell snake oil here, they want you to fully understand what is covered and
what is not covered.
So, for instance, again, the GAF one, there's multiple
categories there, and it'll explain to you, okay, against algae staining and
that sort of thing, what type of warranty covers for how long? And a lot of
that's based on the product and the shingle. How many years is this thing rated
and what up to what load on wind? Is it 130 mile an hour rating? Is it less? Is
it more?
And then some of the other things that it's going to
define in there is what is covered if, God forbid, you need to invoke that
warranty. Is a, what's called a tear off, covered? So if that roof needs
replacing, is the cost of removing the old roof covered? It depends on which
warranty you get and which product is used. Is the cost of disposal of the old
roof covered? In some cases it is, in some cases it isn't, again, depending on
the level of warranty that you got. And is workmanship covered, yes or no?
So, for instance, in a Golden Pledge warranty, there's
30-year, if you use GAF Timberline UHDZ shingles, not only is done by a Master
Elite contractor, not only are you eligible to get a 50-year warranty on that,
if you so choose, on the material, you're also getting a 30-year warranty on
the workmanship as well beyond ours. So GAF, if Master Roofers, if we packed up
and retired, which we're not going to, GAF would take care of that, they would
say, "Yep," and they would provide you with a certified contractor.
So, I would tell you, ask for that comparison sheet, it's
really probably pretty eye-opening. And what I would also tell you is I've
never had any customer be disappointed that they got the very best warranty
that they were eligible for. I've never had anyone come back and feel like, in
the grand scheme of things, the warranty is reasonably inexpensive and that
difference between having limited coverage and almost unlimited coverage is
really just a few dollars and I've never had anyone be upset that they went for
the better coverage. Usually folks are like, "Ah, at the time I did it and
maybe I wondered if there'd be value and blah, blah, blah happened and I'm so
thankful that I went for that Golden Pledge warranty."
How to File a Roofing
Warranty Claim
Maher: What steps should a homeowner take if they do need to file a
warranty claim, say their roof is damaged or something went wrong with the
system and they do need to file that claim?
Rogenski: Yeah, of course.
Maher: How do they go about that?
Rogenski: Of course. Well, first of all, they can actually file
it, so for instance, let's talk GAF again. They can file the warranty claim
directly with GAF through their website or through a toll-free number. So they
can do that. Certainly if you work with Master Roofers, again, we've been here
since 1942, we're not going anywhere. We will actually act as a concierge for
you in that process if you want. So, we will help you file that claim as well
if that's more comfortable for you.
So, let's say someone has a Golden Pledge warranty and
it's 15 years old and suddenly there is something that's a warranty claim,
maybe it's a manufacturer's defect on that product, they can come to us. We're
not going to just say, "Hey, go to the GAF site and file a claim,"
we'll work with you and help you file that claim. And assuming that you're
still happy with us and what we've done, we'll also be happy to be the people
to execute whatever that repair or replacement is once GAF has come out and
inspected and deemed that it does need to be addressed.
Maher: All right. Well, that's really great information, Brett. Thanks
again for speaking with me today.
Rogenski: My pleasure. Thanks so much, John.
About Master Roofers
Maher: Yeah. For more information, you can visit the website at
masterroofers.com, or call (603) 623-4973.