Flat Roof Warranties

Extensive Warranties On All Our Work.
Top Quality Materials Only the Best for Our Customers.
We Do Not Cut Corners The Integrity of our Work is Paramount.
Offering Flat Roof Services In Albany, Troy, Clifton Park and across the Capital Region.

Extend the life of your roof at a fraction of the cost of a full flat roof replacement.

Roof Coatings

Learn all you need to know when it comes to EPDM roofing systems.

EPDM Roofing

Learn all you need to know when it comes to the TPO roofing systems.

TPO Roofing

Modified Bitumen is the classic standard in flat roofing, but has recently fallen in popularity.

Modified Bitumen

For a commercial building owner having a new flat roof installed, the warranty often plays an important role in evaluating the bids. Whether it is an EPDM roof, modified bitumen, TPO roof, or a PVC roof all warranties share the same basic terms. Owners should be aware of what they are getting.

Material Only Warranties

If there is any manufacturing defect, this warranty will cover the cost of the defective items. These warranties are often pro-rated, meaning the value decreases every year. The manufacturer will cover the cost of, or a portion of the cost, of replacement materials, typically with credit at a roofing supply house. The older the flat roof gets, the less you get and the cost of the labor to install the new materials is not covered. Very often the commercial roofing contractor does not even need to be an “approved installer” certified by the manufacturer to install their commercial roofing system. They only need to show proof of purchase for the materials. If a commercial roofing contractor is not an “approved installer” you should consider this a red flag!

Labor and Material Warranties

These get more complicated and require a little more due diligence on the part of the commercial building owner. Some of the basics that an owner should be aware of are;

The commercial roofing contractor must be approved by the flat roof system manufacturer.
There are several different lengths of warranties, ranging from 10 to 30 years.
The manufacturers charge for these warranties and the contractor builds the cost of the warranty into the bid.
The longer the warranty the higher the charge! Not just the charge for the warranty but for the system itself as the manufacturer will require additional work on the system to qualify for the longer warranty. This can include stronger or duplicitous flashings, additional plies of the membrane, greater minimal insulation requirements, better and/or wider seam technology, and heavier roof membranes.
Some of these longer warranties are what is known as a “Total System Warranty”, these require that all of the materials for the flat roof system be from the manufacturer. This will include the insulation, insulation fasteners, and even the roof edgings such as copings, edge metal, or gravel stops

This type of warranty involves a contractual agreement between the commercial roofing contractor and the manufacturer. The contractor must have specialized training from the manufacturer and the agreement stipulates that the contractor is fully responsible for any leaks or failures during the first two years of the warranty period. The reason for this is that if there any problems due to workmanship (poor installation not related to material quality) they will most likely show during this period.

After the initial two years, the manufacturer becomes financially responsible for any failures. This means that if there is a problem, the manufacturer will actually pay the commercial roofing contractor to fix it. Even if the original contractor is no longer around, they will hire another contractor to take care of your problem.

Commercial Roofing Company Warranties

A commercial roofing company warranty is quite simply a promise from the contractor that they will fix a problem should one occur. The length, type of coverage, and amount of coverage will vary from one commercial roofing company to another depending on what they are comfortable with. Unless you are very familiar with the contractor or have known them for a long time this is at best risky. Some roofing contractors will come back once or twice if there is a problem and then simply stop taking your calls. Other roofing contractors have been known for low-balling the cost of the contract to get the job, performing shoddy or sub-par work and then just disappearing only to start up again using a different name.

In the end it is up to the building owner to perform their due diligence when getting a new flat roof system be that an EPDM roof, a TPO roof, or even a modified bitumen roof system. Always request a sample of the actual warranty and read it thoroughly.

Warranties are an offer of trust between manufacturers and consumers. Consequently, the owner of the roof is held up to a standard, in the event of damage covered by warranty. These responsibilities include:

Proper maintenance of the roofing system
A professional inspection of the roofing system
Debris is cleared from rooftop and nearby areas
Drains are kept clean and in working order

What Roof Warranty Options are Available?

At Infinite Roofing, a standard commercial roofing warranty doesn't cost anything. It is provided free of charge and fully covers your roof for 10 years. This coverage includes labor and materials.

15 year warranties will cost an extra amount per sq ft and can be achieved using standard materials.

20-30 yr warranties must use upgraded materials such as seam tape, flashing tape. They usually use a bigger size, 6 inch compared to 3 inch.

To receive the manufacturer's warranty, must ensure all decking and substrates are in good condition. Also, coverboards must be used.

20-30 yr warranties often require additional vapor barriers to be installed.

What's NOT included in a standard Roof Warranty

There is a common misconception by roofing consumers that long-term warranties are all-inclusive insurance policies designed to cover virtually any roofing problem, regardless of the cause or circumstances. Roofing warranties typically do not guarantee that the roofing system will not leak at all. Even the most comprehensive manufacturer warranty will only cover repairing leaks that result from specific causes specified in the warranty, or they may exclude certain circumstances and items from a warranty.

Below are some examples of items typically excluded from a standard roof warranty:

Skylights
Unauthorized Roof Penetrations
Rain Gutters and Downspouts
Sheet Metal joints on A.C. Units
Oil and Grease Spills
Missing Vent Caps
Damaged Caused by Others
Storm Damage
Plugged Roof Drains
Damaged Roof Hatches
Any Other Items Not Installed by the Roofer

Warranties often contain restrictive provisions that significantly limit the warrantor’s liability and consumer’s options in the event that problems do develop. The warranty document may also contain other restrictions and limitations, such as a prohibition against the assignment or transfer of the warranty and monetary limitations. At Infinite Roofing, we are very happy to answer any questions you may have about your roofing warranty, so please feel free to get in touch.

Manufacturer Inspections

A manufacturer's representative will come to inspect the roof. They will do a thorough inspection, checking to make sure everything is installed to the manufacturer's specifications. They will perform tests on all the seams and penetrations. Only after the roof has passed the inspection test will the roof be warrantied. Often if installed by inexperienced companies, they will have to go back and make alterations to the installation to meet the strict warranty requirements.