Homeowners are often confused by warranty terms. They assume that when a product includes, for example, a 25-year BC roofing warranty, that anything and everything to do with their roof installation will be covered for 25 years. This isn’t always the case! Most commonly, a warranty is limited to material costs only, and does not cover labor and other costs associated with the removal and replacement of defective materials.

It is important to note that there are two categories of warranties that apply to roofing: the manufacturer’s warranty on the roofing product, and the contractor’s workmanship warranty which covers installation of the product. Here are other important roof warranty terms to understand.

• Limited warranty. A warranty with certain conditions and limitations on the parts covered, type of damage covered, and/or time period for which the agreement is good.

• Prorated warranty. A prorated warranty diminishes in value over time. It does not cover the full cost of roof repair or replacement. Instead, a prorated warranty reimburses a percentage of the real replacement cost in an amount that declines over the length of the warranty.

• Non-prorated warranty. A warranty that holds its value throughout the life of the warranty term. This type of warranty is not discounted as the roof ages. Keep in mind that in the case of a non-prorated 30-year shingle warranty, this means that the shingle manufacturer warrants the shingles to be free of defects for 30 years. This does not necessarily mean that the shingles will last 30 years, or that the installation will last 30 years. It only means that they are guaranteed to be free of defects.

• Labor. In warranty terms, labor means the labor costs to remove and reinstall defective materials. This does not always include the original installation. If leaks are due to workmanship errors with the original installation, “labor” may not cover this problem.

• Workmanship. This is the most important warranty term to understand as a property owner. “Workmanship” is the original installation of the roofing materials by a contractor. With a workmanship warranty from the shingle manufacturer, any manufacturing defects on the shingles AND any installation errors will be covered for a certain length of time. This is true peace of mind.

The actual terms of a roofing warranty will differ by company and the roofing material you select. Always ask for a copy of the warranty being offered before signing a contract, and educate yourself about the exclusions and limitations in the warranty. No other BC roofing company offers you more warranty choices for your new roof than Crown Roofing LTD . For the best protection for your home, call our Vancouver roof experts at (877) 907-3066 to schedule a free, in-home consultation.

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