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A new roof is a big investment that usually costs you thousands of hard-earned dollars and has a lifespan of 25, 30, 40 years or more. As with any major investment, knowing in advance what is covered by the warranty could save you thousands of dollars if problems arise with your roof.

Because of our state-of-the-art manufacturing process, the chances of having a problem with a new GAF roof are very low. On the other hand, although GAF roofing materials rarely experience serious problems, the repair can be as expensive as the original price of the roof if a problem were to occur. Therefore, even if the risk of having a problem is low, the costs of repair could be high.

GAF studies indicate that more than two-thirds of the problems associated with new roofs are attributable to the quality of the contractor’s work, not the materials used. This is an important distinction to keep in mind when choosing a warranty.

You should essentially ask your contractor about two types of coverage: material defect coverage and workmanship coverage.

To our knowledge, all manufacturers offer a warranty against material defects for their roofing products. However, coverage may vary by brand. For example, most architectural style shingles come with a lifetime limited warranty* against manufacturing defects, and most 3-tab shingles come with a 20, 25 or 30-year limited warranty against manufacturing defects. Each warranty has its own terms and conditions, so it is important to read each warranty carefully. Remember, if you are not the original owner of the shingles on your roof, you may not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty; most manufacturers, including GAF, limit coverage to the original owner and the first subsequent owner if the owner notifies the manufacturer of the change in ownership as specified in the limited warranty.

The warranty for other components of your roofing system can vary from as little as a few months to a lifetime warranty. Even if the shingle you choose comes with a 30-year or even a lifetime warranty, some (or all) of the other components of your roof may have a shorter warranty. So if a problem does occur, you may not have the protection you need. That’s why GAF offers three different warranties (see warranty comparison chart) that protect your entire GAF roofing system.

GAF’s warranties include a special provision, called the Smart Choice® Protection Period, which provides additional protection against manufacturing defects during the critical first few years of your new roof. During this period, if you discover a manufacturing defect in a covered component, GAF will reimburse you for 100% of the replacement materials and reasonable labor costs for their installation. This is important because some roofing warranties only reimburse replacement materials, not the cost of installation.

GAF’s System Plus Weather Stopper^MD limited warranty provides protection against manufacturing defects on all major GAF components of your roof (not just shingles). This gives you peace of mind knowing that if any component of your roof has a defect, it will be covered by the warranty (see the limited warranty for the extent of coverage and restrictions). The warranty is offered by GAF manufacturer-certified contractors and is an inexpensive way to get up to 50 years of non-prorated warranty (against material defects) on your new roofing system.  Given the minimal additional cost of the System Plus limited warranty, this is probably the best value you can get for your investment.

Many roofing contractors provide their own warranty against workmanship errors. This can sometimes be for ten years or more. Of course, this protection is only valid as long as the contractor is in business. Because the roofing industry is a “high turnover” industry, most roofing contractors are out of business after five years – much less than the life of your new roof – which makes their warranty worthless and leaves you without resources if a workmanship problem arises.

GAF’s Golden Pledge® Limited Warranty was the first manufacturer’s warranty to cover both manufacturing defects and the quality of the contractor’s work (see Golden Pledge® Limited Warranty for coverage details and restrictions). Whether your contractor stays in business or not, GAF will cover the quality of the work they’ve done for 25 years! The Golden Pledge® Limited Warranty is only available through GAF Master Elite? contractors who are certified by the GAF manufacturer. It’s the best warranty we offer. Your Master EliteTM contractor can provide you with a price for the warranty at the time they give you a quote for your new roof.

Before proceeding, you should, if possible, locate a copy of your GAF warranty as well as a copy of your contractor’s invoice, contract and initial estimate. You will also need to provide the date of the work, proof that you were the owner at the time of the shingle installation (or that the warranty was legally transferred to you), and the number of squares installed (1 square = 100 square feet). Then, call our Warranty Department toll-free at 1-800-458-1860 and explain the nature of your complaint.

GAF has settled various class action lawsuits that alleged premature cracking of certain Timberline shingles manufactured between 1998 and 2009. For more information about the settlement, please visit www.roofsettlement.com or call 1 866 759-6518. You may also send an email to classactionclaims@gaf.com.

The term “lifetime”means as long as the original owner of a detached home (or the second owner in some cases) owns the property on which the shingles and accessories are installed. Lifetime coverage is not applicable to owners/structures that do not meet the above criteria.