Understanding Your Roof's Warranty

A lot of roofing materials manufacturers are going to prorated lifetime warranties for their materials. This sounds great, doesn't it? If your roof needs new shingles at any time during your life, you figure, you'll just get your new shingles! They're under warranty!

Truth is, it doesn't work that way.

Let's say that your new roof costs $11,000. Say that $6,000 of that is the cost of the shingles. Your roof is great, and it does a good job of protecting you from the elements, makes your home look good, and generally does everything a roof is supposed to do.

After twelve years, your roof is damaged by some extreme weather.

Since it's been more than 5 years, the manufacturers of the shingles put the value of those shingles at $2,000. They're allowed to cap the value after 5 years in the fine print of most warranty agreements. They can also decide the amount of depreciation and pro rate, often after 11 years. A typical adjustment would be 20%, leaving you with $1600 toward the cost of a new roof.

And that's after just 12 years. With a lifetime, pro-rated warranty, the reduction in benefits continues every year. 

Adjusted for inflation and increasing labor costs, the price of a new roof in 50 years might be $49,886. The prorated warranty would pay less than $2,000 for the shingles. Where will you come up with additional funds?

You're better off with a regular 50 year warranty, not prorated. Your warranty should cover the costs not just of the shingles, but also of the work required to build a roof from those shingles. At Bill West Roofing, we offer a non-prorated 50 year warranty and a 25 year warranty on workmanship, as well as our 5 year guarantee against leaks.

There is a price for this. When we build your roof, this additional protection costs you less than $200. If you're in the Kansas City area, contact us at (816)229-5215. If you're not in and around KC, ask your own local roofing company if they can offer you something better than the prorated warranty.