Your roof carries **two separate warranties covering completely different failures**, and most homeowners assume one covers everything.
**Manufacturer warranty — covers the materials.** If the shingles themselves are defective, the manufacturer covers them. What it usually doesn’t cover: labor to remove and reinstall, damage from improper installation, or anything caused by inadequate ventilation. Many are also prorated, meaning coverage declines each year.
**Workmanship warranty — covers the installation.** This is the contractor’s own promise. If flashing was installed wrong, nails were placed incorrectly, or a valley leaks because of how it was built, this is what covers it.
Why the workmanship warranty usually matters more:
– **Most roof failures are installation failures,** not material defects.
– **It’s the one that includes labor,** which is the larger share of any repair cost.
– **It’s only as good as the company behind it.** A 25-year workmanship warranty from a contractor who won’t exist in three years is worth nothing.
Our workmanship warranty runs 5 years standard, and up to 10 on our top GAF system. Ask any contractor how long they’ve operated in Houston before weighing the number of years they’re promising.