Manufacturer no-dollar-limit warranties cover material and labor for leaks for 20 or 30 years. Owners are surprised when a claim is denied. Here is why it happens.
1. No maintenance records
Most NDL warranties require periodic inspection and maintenance, documented. No records, no claim. This is the most common denial and the easiest to prevent: a maintenance program with written reports.
2. Unauthorized work on the roof
An HVAC contractor cut a hole for a new unit and sealed it with whatever was on the truck. The leak is there. The warranty does not cover it. Any penetration should be flashed by a certified roofer and reported to the manufacturer.
3. Ponding water
Many warranties exclude leaks in areas of standing water. Drainage problems should be fixed at install with tapered insulation, which is why we design it in.
4. The installer was not certified
An NDL warranty requires a certified installer and a manufacturer inspection at completion. A contractor who is not certified cannot get you the warranty, whatever the proposal says. Ask for the certification number.
Three of the four are the owner's to control. A maintenance program handles the first and catches the second and third early.
Tear off or recover: how to decide on a commercial roof
A recover costs a third less than a tear-off. Sometimes it is the right call and sometimes it is a mistake that fails in five years. Here is how we decide.
TPO vs. PVC in Arizona: which single-ply roof your building needs
The two most common commercial roofs, what each is good at, and the three building types where PVC earns its higher price.
What an infrared moisture scan finds that a roof walk does not
Wet insulation does not show from the top. A two-hour scan at night shows exactly where it is and how much, before anyone signs a contract.
Tell us about the roof. We will walk it, scan it and send a scope with photos.
A Ridgeline estimator replies the same business day. Program clients reach a foreman on the 24-hour line, any time.