When it comes to roofing watertightness warranties, some believe they’re not worth the paper they’re printed on. Truth is, they’re true value is determined by the quality of the installation.

If a roof leaks, someone has not done his job. A weathertightness warranty should be viewed as an insurance policy, not as a remedy for poor work. Remedies for poor work end up being more expensive than anyone can afford.

Weathertightness warranties were developed in the early 1970s to compete with the built-up roofing industry. For standard weathertightness warranties, the flashing details are covered by the warranty only if the details are standard published details or those approved by the manufacturer upon review of the drawings. Ultimately, certain details will be excluded from the warranty. This is why it’s important to work closely with the manufacturer — it’s easy to void a manufacturer’s weathertightness warranty. That leaves only the installer responsible.

Again, with some warranties, once the roof is installed the roofing contractor is responsible for 24 consecutive months of leak-free service for the areas covered by the warranty, before the manufacturer has any obligation to repair a leak. If the roof leaks after the 24 consecutive month period and upon investigation by the manufacturer it is determined the installation was not proper, the manufacturer still has no obligation to repair the leak.

Again, it’s easy to void a manufacturer’s warranty — most installers do it without even trying. It only takes one little shortcut. It’s important for roofing contractors to be on the same page as the manufacturer when it comes to the installation, including the work surrounding all details.

The weathertightness warranty requires a submission and approval of the shop drawings prior to the ordering of material. There will be no inspections of the roof as the installation of the roof is the sole responsibility of the roofing contractor.

It’s important to understand what the warranty covers. Most warranties include trim. Most warranties exclude curb and pipe penetrations — which may be assembled with parts not from the manufacturer, so that makes sense. (Like the manufacturer, you should only warranty what you can control.)

Some manufacturers offer a variety of warranties, with the cost calculated by the length of the warranty and the size of the roof: The longer the warranty and the bigger the roof, the costlier the warranty.

Warranty Q&A
Q. What happens if the roofing contractor goes out of business before the 24-month service period has expired?
A. Usually a lot of finger pointing targeting the design professional, the owner as well as the contractor. The parties then look to the manufacturer for relief. The manufacturer has no legal obligation to repair the roof until the 24 consecutive months of leak-free service have expired. At this point litigation becomes a possibility.

Q. What happens if the roof system leaks during the term of the warranty, but after it has performed 24 consecutive months without leaks?
A. If after an inspection by the manufacturer it is determined the roof was properly installed then the manufacturer is responsible to repair the roof. If the inspection determines improper installation the manufacturer has no obligation to the building owner.

Q. What happens if repairs over the warranty period exceed the amount of the manufacturer’s liability?
A. First of all, the charges accrued by the manufacturer during the leak investigation will be deducted from the liability amount. Should the repairs exceed the liability amount the owner will be responsible for the overage and if there is any term left to the warranty there will be no further obligation on the manufacturer.

Q. Why specify a Standard Weathertightness Warranty?
A. When the roof geometry is not complicated and the design professional and owner are familiar with the good work of the roofing contractor then the low investment for long-term coverage is a benefit to the owner.

Making it all work
The keys to a successful roof installation are good roof details and good roof geometry. This puts the responsibility on the installer.

— The responsibility of the designer is to specify a proper roof system for the roof geometry; avoid designs that prevent proper drainage; and work with the roofing manufacturer to obtain the best possible design.

— The responsibility of the roofing manufacturer is to provide quality products that have been fully tested; work with the designer to ensure his/her objectives are met; suggest solutions where problems are anticipated; and provide proper training of the roofing contractor in the installation of the roof system. Your manufacturer likely has invested thousands of dollars in testing the roofing system and establishing a training program. Ask about them.

— The responsibility of the roofing contractor is to install the roofing system as shown on approved shop drawings; fully comply with project specifications; and immediately bring discrepancies to architect’s and manufacturer’s attention. Every roof is different and everyone has a hand in the success of the project — communication is important throughout the process.

Single source warranty
The best solution is to provide the building owner with a single source warranty. With a single source warranty, the manufacturer reviews the geometry of the roof, approves the geometry prior to a bid without exclusions or suggests alternative ideas to troublesome areas. The manufacturer also ensures shop drawings are compatible with roof geometry, so the manufacturer will produce shop drawings of review and approve customer shop drawings.

The manufacturer will inspect the roof a minimum of three times — at start-up, at midpoint and upon completion. The inspection report is filed with the architect and roofing contractor. The roofing contractor must have an employee complete the manufacturer’s certified installer course and that employee must be on the jobsite during all roof installation.

The single source warranty means the manufacturer is responsible for leaks from the date of substantial completion for leaks. There is no two-year clause in the warranty and all approved roof penetrations are covered. The manufacturer will notify the architect of any deviations from the approved shop drawings.

Be careful to not void the warranty after the installation is complete. The roof system may not be modified after installation without the approval of the manufacturer. The manufacturer may require annual inspections.

Also, roof maintenance is the responsibility of the building owner, it’s not covered under a warranty.

To make a single source warranty work, the manufacturer uses a teamwork approach, working closely with both the designer and the roofing contractor by providing technical support and product knowledge, accumulated through years of testing, research and development as well as roofing application.

Knowing and understanding your warranty is as important as knowing and understanding how to install the roofing system. It’s the best way to be successful.