When you get a brand new roof, you may assume that the warranty covers everything that could happen during your roof’s lifespan. However, materials and workmanship are often covered separately and for different amounts of time.
In addition, it is very rare for home or commercial roofing contractors to offer workmanship coverage that stretches up to 40 years. Understanding what your warranty actually covers, and why this 40-year warranty is so rare, can help you make an educated decision when choosing who to trust to install your roof.
Material Coverage vs Workmanship Coverage
Most asphalt shingles come with a manufacturer’s material warranty that covers defects in the shingle itself. This means that if there is premature cracking or granule loss caused by a manufacturing flaw, the shingle is covered, no matter who installs the roof.
Workmanship coverage protects you against problems caused by installation errors, such as flashing that wasn’t sealed properly or ventilation that wasn’t installed to code. These issues have nothing to do with the shingles or other materials, and everything to do with the crew that put them on your roof.
Most standard roofing warranties offer only a few years of workmanship coverage, often two to five. After that window closes, an installation error that causes a leak usually becomes your responsibility to fix, even if the shingles are performing exactly as they should.
For example, if a roof with a small flashing gap around the chimney starts to leak six years after installation and the workmanship warranty was only valid for two years, the repair bill lands entirely on the homeowner. The shingles themselves might carry a 30-year material warranty, but the issue was with the installation, and not the materials.
Why 40-Year Workmanship Coverage Is So Rare
While a manufacturer can guarantee that its shingles will perform as designed, it can’t make that same guarantee about an installation crew. When a manufacturer extends the workmanship coverage to 40 years, it means the manufacturer is confident in the skills and quality behind a specific contractor’s work. Some of GAF’s longest workmanship warranty options are available only through qualifying Master Elite® contractors that meet additional program requirements, including certain President’s Club contractors.
Furthermore, contractors have to attend ongoing training, pass regular inspections, and maintain customer satisfaction. If a contractor doesn’t meet these criteria, they can lose their status with the manufacturer and access to extended warranties. That ongoing accountability is part of why GAF is willing to back these contractors’ work for decades instead of a handful of years.
In these cases, the length of your workmanship warranty says as much about your contractor’s track record as it does about the materials that they used.
How Utah Weather Reveals Installation Problems
Salt Lake City’s extreme weather conditions place even more stress on flashing and ventilation systems throughout the year. While a poorly sealed flashing joint might hold up through a dry summer, a harsh snowstorm could cause problems. By the time the leak appears, your roof could already be outside a standard two- to five-year workmanship window, leaving you to pay for a roof repair that never should have been your responsibility in the first place.
In addition, a roof with properly installed ice-and-water shield underlayment can withstand Utah’s repeated freeze-thaw cycles without trapping moisture beneath the shingles. But if a roof’s underlayment was installed incorrectly, or skipped in areas where it matters most, a roof is far more likely to develop hidden leaks that don’t show up until a major snow load event.
Extended workmanship coverage gives you a longer window to catch and fix that kind of problem at the manufacturer’s expense rather than your own.
What Happens When Workmanship Isn’t Covered
Picture a roof that starts leaking at year eight due to a ventilation error during installation. If the original contractor only offered a 5-year workmanship warranty, that roof repair falls entirely on the homeowner, even though the shingles themselves are still well within their expected lifespan.
That kind of repair can cost thousands of dollars, but extended workmanship warranties cover you during this exact type of scenario. It shifts the financial risk of an installation error back to the contractor and their team.
Before you hire a contractor to work on your roof, ask them directly how many years of workmanship coverage comes with your project. And be sure to get their answer in writing.
How to Confirm Your Warranty Before You Sign
A few simple checks can confirm whether the coverage your contractor is offering is real:
- Ask for the certification name and level in writing, such as GAF Master Elite® or President’s Club, rather than a general claim of being “certified.”
- Check the manufacturer’s contractor locator, which lists certified installers and their current standing.
- Request the specific warranty document, not just a verbal summary, so you can see the workmanship coverage period in writing.
- Confirm the warranty is backed by the manufacturer, not only the contractor, since manufacturer-backed coverage typically holds up even if the contractor’s company later closes or changes ownership.
Choosing a Contractor Backed by a Workmanship Warranty
Very few companies offer 40-year workmanship warranties. When you find one that does, it means that a national manufacturer is willing to put its own name behind that contractor’s installation quality, not just the shingles it sold them.
BigHorn Roofing holds GAF Master Elite® status and is currently the only roofing contractor in Utah with GAF 3-Star President’s Club status, a distinction that gives homeowners access to extended workmanship coverage most contractors in the state cannot offer at all.
Before you choose a roofer for your next project, ask what warranty their certification actually provides. The answer will tell you how much protection you’re really getting, and how much risk stays on your shoulders if something goes wrong.