By John Otocka, President of Better View Windows and More
Warranties are a very widely misunderstood thing when it comes to home improvements. Not just with windows or roofing, but also with flooring, hot water heaters and much more. Making sure you understand the warranties you are receiving from a home improvement contractor is critical before investing thousands of dollars in your home. Unfortunately, many companies do not make it a priority to educate you on these warranties as much as they try to sell you.
Two Warranties: Manufacturer and Contractor
The first thing to understand is that you are most likely to receive two warranties with any home improvement. You get a warranty from the manufacturer, which covers the product from manufacturer defects. You get a warranty from the contractor, which covers defects in their workmanship, often for a rather short period of time.
Most home improvement companies only want to “sell” you on the manufacturer’s warranty, often omitting important details about the contractor’s warranty until after the work has been bought and paid for. So having the contractor’s workmanship warranty in writing, and understanding it, is very important to do before signing a contract.
How Common Are Product Defects?
Most product defects are extremely rare, and if you do find or experience a product failure, it is normally discovered at the time of installation or shortly after. Windows are a great example. Window manufacturer defects are rare. If a window is not operating correctly, odds are it was not installed correctly. I have seen a mistake in a balance in a window before, so it is not unheard of, but it is still not common by any means. If a factory worker did leave a thumb print or mark in between the two panes of glass by mistake, it is typically noticed on the day of install or very shortly after and can often be easily fixed.
The Workmanship Warranty Is the Greatest Area of Concern
The workmanship warranty from the contractor is the greatest area of concern, especially understanding that if the work is not done in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines, the manufacturer’s warranty will be voided automatically. So, your workmanship warranty should clearly state that all products will be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and/or guidelines.
Siding and Roofing: Just Like Building a Lego Set
Siding and roofing are the most misunderstood warranties in the industry. Siding and roofing are like building a complex Lego set. Ever had the chance to build one of those 3,000-piece Lego sets? I’ve done many of them with my son. I enjoy it so much I still build them even after my son moved out. He builds them too, and we share our experiences about each of them.
Installing roofing and siding is just like building a Lego set in the sense that it is extremely rare there is anything wrong with the pieces that come in the box. Every time I’ve hit a roadblock on a Lego set, I’ve retraced my steps to find what “I” did wrong. Siding and roofing are the same.
Now, siding and roofing are much easier to avoid making mistakes on, in my opinion. Put up a piece of siding, hammer some nails correctly, put up another piece of siding, and hammer some more nails. Simple, if you are paying attention to a few minor details. It’s just putting the nails where the studs are located and not driving them too hard. Unfortunately, I still find some companies just get anyone to put up siding and don’t take the time to make sure all their teams are doing it correctly. So, if you drive by a house where the siding has blown off or the wall is extremely wavy, you can chalk that up to the installation not being correct.
Roofing is pretty much the same as siding. Just putting all the pieces together. Manufacturer defects are still very rare, but I have seen a few of those in my lifetime, and even saw one this past year. With roofing, though, I’ve seen that sometimes the shingle issue is not the fault of the manufacturer but the way the shingles are stored and kept at the local supply company before they are delivered to the client’s house for the contractor. If any product (windows, siding, or roofing) is not stored correctly, that can quickly result in product issues. A great question for customers to ask is how the products get from the manufacturer to their house.
Not sure what your current quote’s warranties really cover? We’ll walk you through the manufacturer and workmanship warranties line by line, with no pressure. Request your free online quote
Most Problems Come Down to Installation
When going out to visit a potential customer in the hopes of selling a new roof or windows, I have often found the reason a future customer needs a replacement product is not the fault of their existing product but the way in which it was installed. Doors not shimmed correctly, siding not hung right, roofing nailed with the pressure on the nail guns set way too high. All these issues would have been easily avoided by a professional company.
Most of these issues are often found with cheaper fly-by-night companies or handymen that are jacks of all trades, but masters of none. Visiting a contractor’s place of business, looking for proper licensing, and most importantly looking for certifications and asking to see and speak to references is a quick way to get an honest gut feeling about whether you’re getting quotes from the right company or not. (For more on that, see how to avoid hiring a bad window and door contractor.)
What Should Your Warranties Say?
For most manufacturers it is simple. The product will be free from defects, what constitutes a defect, and how the defect will be remedied by the manufacturer. For the contractor, it should say the product will be installed in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
The time piece is critical. Most companies’ labor warranties should be at least 5 years, and I think those are still pretty weak. A 1-year warranty is only for Band-Aid repairs: services that are understood to be only temporary or not expected to last more than 3 years at best. Most good companies will give you a lifetime labor warranty on roofing, siding, windows, and more. Just make sure the warranty is from the contractor.
Many contractors are using extended manufacturer warranties that appear to cover installation issues. Many of these are easily dodged by the manufacturers, and if the contractor only has a 1- or 5-year warranty, you often find out after the warranty is no longer of value. There is a reason 9 out of 10 roofing companies never last more than 5 years.
So, What Questions Should You Ask About Warranties?
- Get a written copy of the manufacturer’s warranty and the contractor’s installation warranty before signing a contract, and especially before paying a deposit.
- How long is the manufacturer (product) warranty?
- Is any part of any warranty prorated? This often means after a period of time the warranty value goes down and you share some of the costs.
- How long is the contractor’s warranty? What does that cover?
- Is either the manufacturer’s or the contractor’s warranty transferable?
- What needs to happen to transfer a warranty, and are there any fees?
- What is not included in the warranties?
- What constitutes acts of God?
These are things you should know about your purchase before signing the contract. You should find doing this beforehand will save you a lot of trouble. The same goes for the estimate itself: here’s what your roofing estimate should say.
Charity of the Month: Why the Salvation Army?
This month we want to recognize the Salvation Army. Better View is proud to be a sponsor of their October golf charity event.
If you would like to help, you can donate here.
Ready to Talk Warranties Before You Sign?
If you’re planning a windows, siding, doors or roofing project, we’ll put both warranties in writing and explain exactly what’s covered before you commit to anything. Request your free online quote and we’ll be glad to help.