How Do Metal Roof Warranties Work?

Most metal roofs come with two kinds of warranty from two different companies.

• Material warranty from the manufacturer. It covers defects in the roofing material and, often separately, the performance of the paint or coating, such as chalking, fading or peeling beyond stated limits.
• Labor or workmanship warranty from the contractor. It covers installation errors, such as leaks caused by flashing or fastening mistakes.

The two do not overlap much. A material warranty usually excludes problems caused by installation, and a labor warranty does not cover a manufacturing defect. That is why you need both, and why the installer's experience with the specific system matters.

"Limited" means the warranty has conditions, exclusions or limits on what the warrantor will do. Federal warranty law, explained in the Federal Trade Commission's guide to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, requires written warranties on consumer products costing more than $10 to be titled either "full" or "limited." A warranty that does not meet all of the Act's conditions for a full warranty is a limited one.

Most roofing warranties are limited. That is not a red flag by itself; it is a signal to read the terms. Look for:

• Who is covered (original purchaser, later owners)
• What is covered (material, finish, labor) and for how long
• What the warrantor will do (repair, replace material, refund) and whether labor is included
• Whether coverage changes over time
• Exclusions and how to make a claim

The Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty from Interlock Roofing covers the material and finish of an Interlock roof for the original purchaser while they own the home. It is transferable once: the second owner is covered to 50 years from substantial completion. Workmanship is excluded from the material warranty. The Alunar® coating, a 70% PVDF finish that meets AAMA 2605, is warranted for 30 years.

Those are the headline terms. The warranty document itself sets out the conditions, exclusions and claim process, and it is what governs. Ask for a copy before you sign the contract, and read it alongside the labor warranty.

Interlock Roofing manufactures the system in Delta, British Columbia. Metal Roof NC is an authorized Interlock aluminum roofing dealer that sells and installs it in North Carolina.

A labor warranty covers the contractor's workmanship: the way the roof was installed, flashed and fastened. Terms vary widely between contractors in length, transferability and what counts as a covered defect, so get the document, not a verbal promise.

Metal Roof NC installations carry the Metal Roof NC 5-Year Labor Warranty, which covers workmanship for five years. Ask for the document with your contract.

Whatever contractor you hire, check how to report a problem and how quickly they commit to respond, whether the labor warranty depends on registering the material warranty, and what happens if the company closes. A labor warranty is only as good as the business behind it, which is one more reason to vet the roofer.

Every warranty lists its own exclusions, so read yours. Common types of exclusions in roofing warranties include:

• Installation that does not follow the manufacturer's instructions
• Damage from events beyond stated limits, such as winds above a rated speed or impact from falling trees
• Alterations by others, such as mounting equipment, satellite dishes or solar without approved methods
• Contact with incompatible materials, or debris and standing water left on the roof
• Conditions inside the house, such as poor attic ventilation
• Failure to register the warranty or follow the claim process

Interlock aluminum shingles are rated for winds up to 120 mph when installed to manufacturer specification; check how any warranty treats wind events above its rating. If you plan solar, get written approval for the mounting method first; see solar panels on a metal roof.

Follow the transfer procedure in the warranty document, usually a written notice to the manufacturer within a set time after the sale, sometimes with a fee. Not every warranty transfers, and some reduce coverage for later owners.

For an Interlock roof, the Guardian warranty transfers once, and the second owner is covered to 50 years from substantial completion. Keep the original contract, the installation date, the warranty documents and any registration confirmation where you can find them when you list the house. North Carolina's standard seller disclosure form asks when the roof covering was installed, so the date will come up. See metal roof resale value.

Put the actual documents side by side, not the brochure headlines. For each quote, note who backs the material warranty, who backs the labor warranty, the length of each, what is covered, how coverage changes over time, transfer terms and the claim process.

Be wary of warranty language that sounds absolute. Words like "lifetime" should come with the warranty's full name and its limits, and no honest warranty covers everything. A longer warranty from a company that may not be around is worth less than a shorter one from an established business.

Our metal roof warranties page and warranty page summarize what comes with an Interlock roof in North Carolina. When you are ready, request an estimate and ask for the documents with it.