Warranty
Three papers, three companies
A metal roof can carry a paint warranty, a panel warranty and a workmanship warranty. They are written by different companies and they cover different things.
The paint warranty
Who writes it: the paint or panel maker. What it covers: usually fade and chalking beyond a set amount, and the paint peeling or cracking. What it leaves out: scratches, dents, hail and damage from a bad installation.
The panel warranty
Who writes it: the panel maker. What it covers: usually the steel rusting through. What it leaves out: cut edges that were not touched up, ponding, and often hail and cosmetic damage.
Our workmanship warranty
Who writes it: us. What it covers: leaks that come from how we installed the roof, for the term on your written estimate. Its terms, limits and exclusions are in the written warranty.
Lifetime
What "lifetime" means, and whose
The word is on a lot of metal roofing paper. It does not mean the same thing on any two of them.
Whose lifetime
Usually the original owner's. When you sell, the coverage may shrink or end, and some papers allow a single transfer.
What it covers
A named failure, not the roof. Rusting through, or paint failing past a set limit, and not hail, dents or a bad installation.
What it asks of you
Installation to the maker's instructions, and sometimes registering the roof or keeping the roof clean. Ask what the maker requires.
What it pays
Often a repair or a replacement panel, not the labor, and on a schedule that pays less each year. Ask for the schedule in writing.
Credentials
What we can show you
The registration number and the insurance certificates come with your written estimate. Class 4 is a rating on a product, not a credential for a contractor.
Registration
Construction contractor registration · MT Registration 000000 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry
Registered with the state to work as a contractor. Montana has no separate roofing license.
Insurance
General liability and workers' compensation
Certificates are sent with your written estimate.
Questions about the papers?
Ask us for a sample warranty and the maker's paper before you decide. We would rather you read them first.