Warranties
A new roof is a major investment. That’s why a strong warranty matters so much for protecting it over time. As a GAF Certified contractor, Brazen Roofing offers access to enhanced roof warranty options that go beyond standard manufacturer coverage, giving homeowners extra peace of mind long after installation day.
What’s Covered Under Each Warranty
We offer a range of warranty coverage depending on your project, and every homeowner gets clear roof warranty options explained upfront. For example, that includes manufacturer warranties on materials and workmanship warranties on our installation. Because our factory-trained, GAF Certified crews handle every installation, we can offer extended coverage that most contractors simply can’t provide.
Why GAF Certification Matters
In fact, GAF Certified contractors go through additional training and meet standards that many roofing companies never pursue. Because of that certification, we’re able to offer enhanced coverage that goes beyond what a standard installer can provide. As a result, it’s one more layer of protection for your investment.
Long-Term Value for Your Home
In addition, a roof with strong warranty coverage tends to hold more value over time, and it gives future buyers extra confidence if you ever sell your home. Many of our warranty options are transferable, so that protection doesn’t just disappear when the property changes hands. We also keep records of every installation, which makes filing a warranty claim down the road much simpler. In turn, that kind of documentation gives you one less thing to worry about years from now.
Getting Your Questions Answered
We explain every warranty clearly, before you sign anything. Specifically, we’ll walk you through exactly what the warranty covers, for how long, and what it means for your home. If you have more questions, our Roofing FAQs page covers the most common ones.
- Access to enhanced GAF warranty options
- Workmanship warranties on all installations
- Clear, upfront explanation of coverage terms
- Factory-trained, GAF Certified installation crews
Want to know what warranty coverage is right for your roof? Contact Brazen Roofing today. These enhanced options are available because Brazen Roofing is a GAF Certified contractor. See our Residential Roofing and Commercial Roofing services to see what each one covers.
The Two Warranties, and Which One You Will Actually Use
Every roof comes with two, and homeowners routinely assume the first covers everything.
- The manufacturer warranty covers the product: a defect in the shingle or the system components. It is usually long, usually prorated after an initial period, and conditional on correct installation.
- The workmanship warranty covers the installation, and it comes from the contractor rather than the manufacturer.
Here is the part worth knowing: in the first decade it is almost always the workmanship half that gets used. Early roof failures are installation problems, not manufacturing defects. So when you compare quotes, ask how long the workmanship coverage runs. A one-year workmanship warranty on a thirty-year roof tells you something about how confident the contractor is.
What Voids Manufacturer Coverage
Almost all of it is installation, which is the argument for caring who does the work rather than only what goes on the roof.
- Incorrect nail placement. Nails driven above the shingle’s nailing zone hold it by the tab only. The most common defect in the industry.
- Inadequate attic ventilation. Exhaust without matching soffit intake. Most manufacturers make adequate ventilation a condition of coverage, and it is the one homeowners are least likely to know about.
- Mismatched or missing accessories: starter strip and ridge cap that are not the manufacturer’s, or three-tab shingles cut up and used as starter.
- Installing over a deteriorated deck.
- Later work by another trade: solar mounts, satellite dishes and HVAC penetrations added by someone else.
- Failing to register the coverage. See below.
An Unregistered Warranty Is Not a Warranty
This is the most common avoidable loss in residential roofing, and it is entirely preventable. Manufacturer coverage generally has to be registered after installation, and homeowners typically discover it was never filed years later, during a leak, when it matters.
We register it and hand over the documentation at completion. Keep it with your contract, invoice and the photo record of the job. That file is worth real money at resale and it is the first thing an insurer asks for after a storm.
Commercial Warranties Work Differently
If you own a commercial building, one distinction matters more than the term length, and it is rarely explained.
- Material-only. The manufacturer replaces defective material. You pay the labor to remove the old and install the new: and on a large roof, labor is most of the cost.
- NDL, No Dollar Limit. The manufacturer covers material and the labor to make the roof watertight, with no cap tied to the original contract value.
A fifteen-year NDL warranty is stronger coverage than a twenty-year material-only warranty. Compare the type before you compare the years. Most commercial warranties also carry a maintenance condition, documented periodic inspection, and skipping it can void coverage exactly when you need it. See the GAF Commercial System and our preventative maintenance program.
Questions to Ask Any Roofer
- What is the manufacturer warranty, what tier, and is it prorated?
- How long is your workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
- Who registers the manufacturer coverage, and when will I have the confirmation?
- Are you installing the manufacturer’s full system, or mixed components?
- Will you check attic intake ventilation against the exhaust, and correct it if it is short?
- For commercial: is this material-only or NDL, and what maintenance does the coverage require?
Read our overview of GAF roofing warranties for how the residential tiers differ, the GAF Roofing System for what a complete assembly includes, and the TimberSteel guarantee if you are considering metal. More about our GAF certification.
Our roof maintenance program keeps the maintenance conditions satisfied and produces the dated photo record that supports both warranty and insurance claims. Start with a free roof inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
The manufacturer covers the product; the contractor covers the installation. In the first decade it is almost always the workmanship half that gets used, because early roof failures are installation problems rather than manufacturing defects. Ask for both in writing.
Most often incorrect nail placement: nails driven above the shingle’s nailing zone. Inadequate attic ventilation, mismatched or missing starter strip and ridge cap, installing over a deteriorated deck, later work by another trade, and failing to register the coverage will all do it too.
Yes, and it is the most commonly missed step in residential roofing. An unregistered warranty is effectively no warranty, and homeowners usually find out years later during a leak. We file the registration and hand you the documentation at completion.
No: on commercial roofs particularly, the type matters more than the term. A fifteen-year NDL warranty, which covers material and the labor to make the roof watertight, is stronger than a twenty-year material-only warranty that leaves you paying the labor.
Yes, and it catches people out. Most manufacturers make adequate ventilation a condition of coverage. Exhaust without matching soffit intake does not move air, the shingles cook from underneath, and a claim can be denied on that basis alone.
Transfer terms are set by the manufacturer and vary by coverage tier, so ask before you list. Keeping the contract, invoice, registration confirmation and installation photo record together makes any transfer or claim substantially easier.