Roofing in Edmonton | Roofing Warranty Scams – Why Most Roof Warranties Fail When You Need Them
I’m Ryan with Alberta Skylights Elite Roofing, here with Trevor. Today, we just kind of wanted to talk a little bit about some roofing warranties when roofing in Edmonton.
“Absolutely—let’s talk about some roofing warranties, Ryan. So we’re going to talk specifically about GAF and how they compare with other roofing companies—sorry—shingle companies, shingle manufacturers. Let’s jump right into some questions.
Question 1: What is a roofing warranty, and why is it important for homeowners to understand it?
The roofing warranty is a document you’re going to get from your roofing contractor—if they’re any good—or otherwise you can download it from the internet. It’s going to give you an outline of what’s actually covered with your roofing shingles. So you get your roof done; they say, “Oh, you got a 50-year warranty.” That document is actually going to tell you what’s covered with that warranty. You might be surprised to see what is and what is not in that document.
All right—no spoilers! Let’s go a little further and see if we can find out.
Question 2: What’s the difference between a workmanship warranty and a manufacturer’s warranty?
The manufacturer’s warranty is going to cover you against defects that are going to happen in the roof—so your shingles start losing granules, they start delaminating and falling apart, they start curling prematurely, they fail; those are all defect-related issues. The workmanship warranty is covered by the person who actually installs that roof—typically—and that’s going to cover things where if the installer made a mistake, they didn’t nail the shingles properly, they didn’t follow the installation stagger, and it looks terrible; the flashings aren’t done correctly, and you get a leak. Those are the kinds of things that you’ll get from a workmanship warranty.
Question 3: Why do you think warranties are one of the most misunderstood aspects of the roofing industry?
Warranties are really, really misunderstood, predominantly because the roofing contractors either don’t know, or they purposely mislead people whenever they sell them. A contractor will come through and say, “Yep, this shingle has a 50-year warranty. You’re good; you sign, you get that job done.” Twelve years from now, you have a problem, and you start looking for a warranty. All of a sudden, you realize you don’t have a warranty. What happened? Either the guy who sold you that warranty didn’t know what he was selling you, or he did and he just didn’t want you to know what’s actually in there—the fine print, the proratings, all of the other ways that the manufacturers can get out of liability with those warranties. That’s what makes them really, really misunderstood: nobody takes the time to read them and explain them.
“That sounds a little shady—little ominous.”
Okay—let’s talk about GAF warranties. Who is GAF, and what makes their warranty program stand out?
GAF is a manufacturer of shingles and, among a million other things, they’re one of the oldest, largest companies around. I think GAF started in 1886—if I’m not mistaken—so 140-ish years. They actually invented the architectural shingle that most people use these days. What makes their warranty system stand out compared to everyone else is, first of all, they actually stand behind their products; they honor their warranties. They kind of help along in that regard. Further, GAF is one of very few manufacturers who will actually cover the workmanship. So you have your material defect warranty and your workmanship; they’re both covered by one person, which kind of stops the contractor from saying, “Oh, it’s the shingle problem,” and the manufacturer saying, “Oh, he didn’t install it right.” You, the homeowner, get left in the lurch. With the proper warranties from GAF, they cover it all, so there’s none of that back-and-forth, no finger-pointing. It’s “that’s their job, not my job”—kind of thing.
Question 4: What are the different levels of GAF warranties that are available to homeowners?
There’s effectively four levels of warranty that you can get from GAF. The first level of warranty would be if you yourself just bought the materials and put them on; that’s going to give you a 50-year material warranty against defects. The first 10 years are non-prorated, meaning they don’t lose value over those first 10 years. After that, they prorate down to 20 percent residual value over the next 40 years, and then they just carry that 20 percent residual value as long as you have the house—or the subsequent person who was transferred to after you. Once you start becoming a certified contractor with GAF, you’ve got a bit of background checking, and you can offer what’s called the System Plus Warranty. The System Plus Warranty covers all the same things that that first warranty did, but it extends that non-prorated period out to 50 years. So for 50 years, any manufacturing defects that pop up in that shingle are covered; you don’t have to worry about any of that. It still has that 20 percent residual value after the non-prorated period.
Once you become a Certified Plus or a Master Elite contractor—which is fairly tricky to get to—you have access to the Silver Pledge and the Golden Pledge warranties. These warranties cover everything that the System Plus Warranty does, but they also cover the tear-off and disposal. If there’s ever an issue, now your disposal is covered as well, and they also offer workmanship coverage. With those two warranties, the Silver Pledge gives you 10 years of workmanship coverage; Golden Pledge gives you 25 years—in some cases up to 30 years. Further, because you have to have the required components to get the Silver Pledge and Golden Pledge warranties, you also get unlimited wind-speed coverage—175 mph winds; you’re covered. GAF has actually taken it to the point where they think your house will collapse before those shingles will come off.
Question 5: Why do GAF’s Silver Pledge and Golden Pledge warranties stand out?
- Both have non-prorated material defect coverage.
- Both include full tear-off, full replacement, and disposal.
- Both include coverage for accessories: underlays, starter strips, ridge caps, nails, flashings, vents, etc.
- Both cover workmanship (so no finger-pointing between contractor and manufacturer): the contractor’s installation is covered up to 10 years for Silver Pledge, 25 years (or up to 30) for Golden Pledge.
- Both include unlimited wind-speed coverage and the algae-resistance warranty on the shingles themselves.
Question 6: What does a homeowner need to do to qualify for a Silver Pledge or Golden Pledge warranty?
You have to choose a Certified Plus or Master Elite contractor. Further, that contractor has to install according to GAF’s manufacturing specifications: certain materials and methods. Then we have to register the warranty on your behalf—you can’t just register it yourself. The warranty is registered to you and your home, so if you ever have a problem, you just call them; you don’t have to worry about paperwork.
Question 7: How do these warranties compare to a basic limited warranty that comes with most shingles?
Most manufacturers have a 10-year non-prorated period. After that, they heavily prorate everything. A lot of manufacturers will find any way they can to avoid liability. For example, did you know your roof has to actually leak before most manufacturers will honor a warranty? If it’s not leaking, no warranty. Your shingles could be curled and falling apart, but if it’s not leaking, they won’t consider the claim—it’s written into their paperwork. Other ways to avoid liability: the roof must be installed perfectly; if one nail is out of place—whether it has anything to do with your problem—no warranty. If you don’t have your original paperwork, no warranty. If you sold your house, most likely no warranty. They go through any hoops to keep from paying out.
Those warranties are designed to protect them, not you. With GAF’s system plus, Silver Pledge, and Golden Pledge, they cover everything: the roof doesn’t have to leak; they don’t care how you installed it—if there’s a defect, it’s covered. They stand behind their product.
Question 8: How do GAF’s enhanced warranties compare to warranties offered by other brands like CertainTeed or Owens Corning?
A handful of manufacturers will offer to cover the contractor’s workmanship, but sometimes that’s more marketing than real teeth. For example, if you have an Owens Corning roof with a certified warranty and a GAF roof with Silver Pledge, and there’s a workmanship issue, with Owens Corning, the contractor has to fix it on his own dime. With GAF, they pay the contractor to fix it—even if the contractor did it wrong. So you’re dealing with a guy who’s paid to fix it (so he’s incentivized) versus a guy who has to pay for it himself (disincentivized). If the other manufacturer’s contractor won’t do it or is out of business, you might still get help, but it can be a fight. GAF takes care of everything the same.
Question 9: How easy is it to put in a claim with GAF?
We have an edge because of our close relationship with GAF. Most of our claims are handled by simply taking a picture, sending it to our sales rep, and they ask what needs to be done, then issue a purchase order—job done. The proper way is you call the manufacturer: “Hi, my name is so-and-so. This is my address. I’m having an issue.” They send a Master Elite contractor—if the original installer is still in business, they send him; if not, another Master Elite contractor. That contractor gets paid to inspect, find the issue, send it to the manufacturer, and they issue a purchase order—just get it fixed. It’s simple. Rarely do we have major warranty claims with GAF.
One example: we had a five- or six-year-old roof, and the owner developed a leak. We went to inspect and found a cracked vent. I took a picture, sent it to the rep: “We have an issue.” He asked, “How many vents are on the house?” I said, “Seven.” He said, “Replace them all and send me a bill.” That was it. They just wanted to make sure our customer was taken care of. They know that by taking care of us and our customers, we’ll keep dealing with them. That’s in their best interest. It’s simple to file a claim with GAF. In the rare event of an issue, GAF is extremely easy to deal with.
“That is good; you don’t really hear of that with warranty work.”
Yes. Their viewpoint is: “We’re out there promoting our product; we want to look good; they want us to look good; the homeowner is taken care of.”
Question 10: In your experience, which manufacturer stands behind their warranty the most when the customer actually needs it?
In my experience, GAF is pretty much the only one who stands behind their product when it’s needed. We had some BP shingles that were crumbling and blowing off. We had to chase BP for six months to get an answer on that warranty. In the meantime, they took all the materials we needed to fix the blow-offs and quarantined them because they knew there was an issue. After six months of hounding them, they literally said, “We know we made a bad batch and we know you have some, but we’ll wait to see what happens. It might fix itself.” That was their response.
We had another batch of BP shingles a few years later, where the shingles would rip three shingles deep just by taking them out of the bundle. I called BP before installing on someone’s new home, asking if we should fix them. Their response: “In our experience, contractors who know how to handle the materials don’t have those problems.” That is how those warranty claims went. With GAF, it’s so simple: you take a picture, send it to the manufacturer, and say, “We have an issue.” They’ll fix it. Day and night, GAF is the easiest to deal with.
“That is insane—that is some crazy stuff.”
True stories. You’d think we’re making it up. That’s the state of the industry. Buyer beware!
Question 11: What exactly does a Silver Pledge warranty cover?
The Silver Pledge warranty requires the components for unlimited wind-speed coverage. You get algae resistance, which covers algae staining. It covers any material defects up to 50 years. It covers full tear-off, full replacement, and disposal—anything that goes wrong. It also covers accessories: underlays, starter strips, ridge caps, nails, flashings, vents—everything. And, most importantly, it covers workmanship for 10 years. You’re not left in a back-and-forth battle between contractor and manufacturer; it’s all consolidated under one comprehensive warranty backed by GAF. If the contractor isn’t in business, you’re still covered, because GAF pays someone to fix it.
Question 12: Does the Silver Pledge warranty cover ventilation and flashing?
Yes. If you have a problem with your flashings, it’s likely a workmanship issue, and Silver Pledge covers that for 10 years. GAF manufactures all the vents we use; those are covered as well. It’s a complete system covered by the Silver Pledge warranty.
Question 13: What are the inspection requirements for the Silver Pledge and Golden Pledge warranties?
GAF reserves the right to inspect roofs at any time. We never know which ones, or when they’re coming. We’re held liable to those inspection reports, so we have to register the warranty so they know where these houses are. They call the homeowner: “You’ve been selected for a warranty inspection.” They show up, they fill out a punch-list form, they send a copy to the homeowner and a copy to us. We are required to go fix whatever they report in order to honor the warranty. It used to be that every Golden Pledge warranty had a mandatory inspection; now it’s just spot checks. We never know when or where they’re coming, so we have to keep our quality up at all times. Any time “Mr. Inspector” comes to town, they inspect a whole lot of roofs, so we stay on our game.
Question 14: When it comes to warranty claims, who handles them under the Silver Pledge warranty—GAF or the installer?
The best way to go about it is to contact the contractor who installed the roof. You’re always welcome to reach out to GAF, but GAF is just going to send the installer back to check it out anyway. So first call your roofing contractor. If we get there and see it was something we did wrong, we can fix it and invoice GAF. If you’re not happy with our result, you can call GAF, and they’ll send another Master Elite contractor—if the original installer is out of business—to take a look. Either way, you’re covered.
Question 15: How does the Golden Pledge warranty differ from Silver Pledge?
Golden Pledge offers everything Silver Pledge does: 50 years non-prorated material coverage, unlimited wind speed, algae resistance, full tear-off, full replacement, disposal, accessory coverage (underlays, ridge caps, nails, flashings, vents), and workmanship coverage. The difference is the length of workmanship coverage: Silver Pledge is 10 years; Golden Pledge is 25 years, in some cases up to 30 years, depending on the shingle. So you get much longer workmanship protection—long-term coverage against pretty much everything.
Question 16: In the roofing industry overall, how long do roofing companies typically stay in business, and what does it take to become a GAF Certified Master Elite contractor?
According to U.S. Small Business Administration statistics, 96 percent of roofing contractors are out of business within their first five years. A lot of people come around offering a lifetime workmanship warranty or 15, 20-year workmanship warranty, but it’s only as good as the contractor. If he’s not in business, where’s that warranty? We often see six-year-old roofs failing where the company is no longer in business—no warranty for the homeowner.
GAF doesn’t allow just anybody to become a Master Elite. It’s a fairly rigorous process. First, you become a Certified contractor, which gives you access to the System Plus warranty. GAF looks to see if you’re taking their training courses, if you’re properly vetted, if you’re paying your bills, if your insurances are up to date, if your business licensing is in order. You have to meet certain training requirements and obtain a certain number of training credits every year. It’s a process; only about 2 percent of contractors ever become Master Elite. They check distributors, they check your work, they spot-check. They want to make sure you’re installing properly; otherwise, they won’t offer you Silver Pledge or Golden Pledge warranties.
Question 17: Why can only Master Elite contractors offer the Golden Pledge warranty?
Roofing is a transient industry; there are a lot of questionable people in it. Everyone claims to be the best, so GAF doesn’t want to put their financial liability behind just anybody. When GAF says it will cover Alberta Skylights Elite Roofing’s workmanship, they’re taking a financial risk: if we install the roof wrong, GAF has to pay for it. They want to be sure we’re vetted and trained. That’s why not just anyone can offer that warranty.
Question 18: What must a contractor do to maintain Master Elite status?
Maintaining it is another challenge. Every year, we must submit our insurance documents, take ongoing training, and stay up to date with GAF’s requirements. If you’re not following the program, they’ll kick you out quickly. If you have too many callbacks or if your work fails spot checks, you won’t stay in the program. You’re very incentivized to do the job right.
Question 19: Can you walk us through an example where a homeowner benefited from their GAF warranty?
Sure. One experience was with a condo board not far from my house. We installed a Timberline roof on a four-story building with very steep sections you can’t walk. I was in the neighborhood and noticed some ridge capping had blown off. They had a Golden Pledge warranty, so I took a picture and sent it to GAF. They asked what it would take to fix it. We needed a manlift and a day of labor to fix all the ridge caps. Four hours later, GAF approved it and told us to replace all of them while we were there so they wouldn’t have to deal with it again. That’s one example.
Another example: a Master Elite contractor in Edmonton went out of business but had sold many Silver Pledge and Golden Pledge warranties. A few years later, those roofs had problems, and the homeowners called GAF. GAF paid us to inspect those roofs, find the problem, and fix it. The homeowner was still taken care of. With other manufacturers, they’d be out of luck.
Question 20: What are some ways a GAF warranty can be voided?
Voiding isn’t exactly a thing, but there are exclusions—everything has exclusions. For example, if you go up there with an ice scraper and damage the shingles, that’s not covered. If a tree grows beside your house and branches rub and knock shingles off, that’s not covered. Heavy hail—hitting the shingles and damaging them—is not covered; that’s an insurance claim. Anything you did to your own roof isn’t covered. But anything that’s a defect in the materials or workmanship is covered.
Question 21: How do GAF warranties stack up against other manufacturers’ warranties?
GAF warranties are in a league of their own. Most manufacturers try to escape liability: they require the roof to leak before they’ll honor the warranty, they impose impossible installation specs—like nails must be within one-quarter inch of a certain spot—then void the warranty if you don’t meet that. They make it ridiculous. GAF’s Silver Pledge, Golden Pledge, and System Plus warranties don’t care if the shingle was installed correctly or incorrectly: if there’s a defect, it’s covered. That is the biggest difference.
Question 22: How do you walk a customer through choosing the warranty that’s right for them?
It comes down to your house, your budget, and your goals. We’ll assess your roof and fix any known issues—ventilation, rotted wood, anything. We include that in our proposal. Then you choose the warranty: System Plus, Silver Pledge, or Golden Pledge. We outline the differences in what has to be installed to meet each standard. Do you need a breathable underlay? A solar prep package? Whatever fits your needs—and often the cost difference isn’t significant.
Question 23: What would you say to someone who sees premium warranties as just an upsell?
The contractor who can’t offer the extended warranty might say, “Oh, those warranties are a scam.” They can’t offer it, so they tear it down. They know those warranties are junk, but when they’re trying to get a sale, they say, “Oh yeah, this is a great warranty— you’re covered!” until you leave the door. With their own warranty, you’re covered until you’re not—unless the roof leaks, you have no warranty. They void it with any excuse. GAF’s warranties are different: if you have a 25-year defect in the shingle, they’ll cover it, regardless of installation. That’s the key.
Question 24: What are the costs associated with registering these warranties?
There is a small cost to have these warranties, but that cost is already built into the roof proposal. When we give you a proposal, you’ll have three options—System Plus, Silver Pledge, or Golden Pledge. The proposal outlines the differences in the required installation for each. Then you choose the one that fits your needs.
Question 25: How do these warranties help homeowners when they’re planning to sell their home?
Imagine you need a new roof but you’re selling the house. A buyer might discount $20,000 because the roof needs replacing. With our program, we’ll assess your roof and give you a price to replace it, but we won’t install it until you’ve sold your home. That way, you can list the house as if it has a new roof, but the buyer gets to choose the shingle color. We only install it between the time you leave and the buyer takes possession, so there’s minimal impact, and we register the warranty to the new homeowner. That warranty is transferable for up to 20 years by a simple phone call. Whatever you do, if you need a roof, you’re paying for it—might as well give the buyer confidence.
Question 26: Why is having a warranty backed by the manufacturer such a big deal?
A roof is a major investment. If they won’t stand behind their product or give you poor coverage, you’re on the hook for everything. Wouldn’t you want to know you’re covered? Secondly, having the manufacturer cover workmanship is huge: no more contractor saying “it’s a shingle problem,” and manufacturer saying “they didn’t install it correctly.” You, the homeowner, get left in the middle. With GAF, it’s handled by one party: simpler, everyone’s life is easier, and the homeowner is truly protected.
If someone wants to get in touch and get their roof replaced, how do they do that? The easiest way to get in touch is go to our website at albertaskylights.com for roofing in Edmonton. We have a chat feature, text messaging, email, and a web form—whatever works best, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.