Warranty Coverage

What’s Covered by Your Roofing Warranty

A roof is one of the largest investments you will make on your home, and the warranty paperwork is what protects that investment when something goes wrong years later. This page walks through what actually comes with an On Tops Roofing replacement, how manufacturer and workmanship warranties really work, and what the fine print means in practice.

The Two Warranties

Every roof we install is covered two ways

One warranty covers the materials, the other covers the work. They come from different parties and protect against different problems. Every On Tops customer gets both in writing on the day the job closes out.

Workmanship

On Tops Roofing

Up to a 10-year workmanship warranty

Any installation defect on the roof we built gets corrected at no charge for up to ten years. This covers the labor side of the work: nail placement, flashing details, valley installation, vent boots, ridge cap, anything that ties back to how the roof was put on your home.

  • Covered for up to 10 years from installation date
  • Transferable once to the next homeowner
  • No deductible, no shared cost on covered work
  • Backed by an established NC company since 1991

Materials & algae

Lifetime limited material warranty

The shingle manufacturer covers the materials for the lifetime of the original homeowner. Shingles, underlayment, and accessory components are protected from defects, and qualifying shingles also include long-term algae protection.

  • Lifetime limited coverage on shingles and accessories
  • Algae protection on qualifying GAF and CertainTeed shingles
  • Coverage prorates after the first 50 years on most products
  • Manufacturer registers the warranty after installation

Manufacturer Warranties

What a manufacturer warranty actually covers

Every major asphalt shingle comes with a manufacturer warranty against material defects, usually for 20 to 50 years. The word “lifetime” gets thrown around a lot, but the real coverage lives in two parts of the document most people never read: the non-prorated period, and the list of exclusions.

“Lifetime” means original owner

Lifetime is for as long as the original owner owns the home on which the shingles were installed. It does not mean forever, and it does not automatically follow the property to the next owner. Most manufacturers allow a one-time transfer to a second owner if it is filed within a defined window after the sale.

The non-prorated period is what matters

For the first 10 to 50 years (depending on the shingle and warranty tier), if there is a valid material defect, the manufacturer typically covers the full replacement cost of the affected shingles. After that, the coverage prorates and the dollar value declines with the age of the roof.

Material is covered, not labor

A standard shingle warranty pays for the material itself. It does not pay for the labor to remove the old shingles, dispose of them, or install the replacements. System-level warranties like the GAF Golden Pledge fold labor and disposal into the coverage. This is the single biggest difference between a basic and a system warranty.

Signs of a real material defect

Manufacturer-side defects show up as excessive blistering, cracking, or spotting; pronounced curling or bald spots; granule loss far beyond normal weathering; or unexpected algae streaks on shingles sold with algae protection. Anything else is usually traced back to weather, age, or installation.

Workmanship Warranties

What a workmanship warranty actually covers

Your workmanship warranty comes from the roofing contractor, not the manufacturer. It covers the install itself: how the shingles, flashings, vents, and accessories were put together on your home. In North Carolina, most workmanship warranties run between five and fifteen years. Ours runs up to ten.

60%

of roof problems trace back to installation, not the shingles themselves

Manufacturer field data on warranty claims

Why this matters more than most homeowners realize

More than half of the issues that show up on a roof in the first decade are workmanship issues, not material defects. A loose nail in the wrong spot, a flashing detail done in a rush, a vent boot installed at the wrong angle. These are the things a workmanship warranty exists to make right, and they are the things the manufacturer will not pay for.

That is also why the written workmanship warranty is the document you should ask to read before you sign a contract. The conversation at the kitchen table is not what you can hold a contractor to. The signed warranty document is.

Optional Upgrade

The GAF Golden Pledge system warranty

A system warranty bundles the manufacturer’s material coverage with extended workmanship coverage, backed directly by the manufacturer. The GAF Golden Pledge is the strongest version available on a residential roof in the United States, and it is offered only by GAF Master Elite contractors. We are one of them.

25 yr

Workmanship coverage backed directly by GAF

50 yr

Non-prorated coverage on the full GAF system

100%

No depreciation on covered material costs

A system warranty requires the install to use a defined number of GAF components, a Master Elite contractor, and a registration fee paid by the contractor. If On Tops were ever to close, the workmanship coverage stays in place because GAF stands behind it.

Honest take: a system warranty is a real upgrade in coverage if you plan to stay in your home long-term. It is not always the right call for every homeowner. We will walk through whether it makes sense for your situation at the estimate.

GAF Golden Pledge Warranty badge

What’s Not Covered

What roofing warranties do not cover

Knowing the exclusions matters as much as knowing the coverage. The list below shows where the warranty stops and where insurance, maintenance, or a separate repair takes over.

  • Storm damage

    Hail, falling trees, and wind events above the shingle’s rated wind speed are insurance claims. The manufacturer and the contractor will both point you at your homeowner’s policy.

  • Inadequate attic ventilation

    Most manufacturer warranties require a specified ratio of intake to exhaust ventilation. A roof that bakes itself from below voids the material warranty. We size ventilation correctly on every install.

  • Modifications by other trades

    A solar installer, satellite tech, or HVAC contractor walking on your roof and cutting into it can void coverage if their work damages the system. Call us before you let another trade up there.

  • Pressure washing

    Pressure washing strips granules from asphalt shingles and is one of the fastest ways to void a manufacturer warranty. Soft-wash methods exist for moss and algae if a clean is genuinely needed.

  • Mixing system components

    A GAF or CertainTeed system warranty requires their components throughout. Pairing in off-brand underlayment, ridge cap, or starter strip can drop the coverage tier.

  • Normal cosmetic wear

    Color fading, minor curling at the shingle edges in extreme heat, and superficial weathering are normal aging, not warranty events.

Filing a Claim

How to file a warranty claim

If something on your roof needs attention, the process is the same whether it is a workmanship issue or a manufacturer defect. Start with us.

  1. 1

    Call On Tops first

    Call (919) 639-4981 or email the office. We will pull your job file, including the install date, materials used, and warranty registration.

  2. 2

    We inspect and document

    A project manager comes out, walks the roof, and takes photos. If the issue is workmanship, we schedule the fix. If it is a manufacturer defect, we package the documentation for you.

  3. 3

    We file with the manufacturer

    For valid material claims, we submit to GAF or CertainTeed on your behalf. Most homeowners never need to contact the manufacturer directly. We handle the paperwork.

  4. 4

    For storm damage, call your insurer first

    Storms are not warranty claims. File with your homeowner’s insurance, then call us to handle the inspection and repair scope alongside your adjuster.

Request a Copy

Need a copy of your warranty paperwork

If you are an existing customer and your records have moved or been lost, send us your install address and we will pull your warranty documents from our files and email them back to you.

Warranty paperwork request

Drop your details and we will get back to you within one business day.

Form coming soon

No spam. We only use your info to look up your file.

Warranty questions we hear every week

Storm damage is a homeowner's insurance claim, not a warranty claim. Hail, falling trees, and wind events above the shingle's rated wind speed all fall under insurance. We can still inspect the damage, document it for your adjuster, and handle the repair scope, but the warranty itself does not pay for storm damage.

"Lifetime" refers to the warranty coverage period for the original homeowner of a single-family home. Coverage is full for the first decades and prorates after that. The lifetime designation is also a quality cue, since lifetime-rated shingles are heavier and have stronger granule adhesion than older 25-year shingles.

Yes. The On Tops workmanship warranty is transferable one time to the next owner. Manufacturer warranties from GAF and CertainTeed are also transferable, with specific rules per program. The Golden Pledge requires a transfer form filed within 60 days of the sale to keep the full coverage in place.

The most common warranty voiders are inadequate attic ventilation, modifications by other trades after install (solar, HVAC, satellite mounts done poorly), pressure washing, and pairing non-system components with a manufacturer system warranty. We size attic ventilation correctly on every install, and we strongly recommend calling us before letting any other trade walk on your roof.

No. We register the manufacturer warranty for you in the days after install. You receive the warranty certificate by mail and email from the manufacturer directly, and we keep a copy on file at our office in case yours ever gets lost. You do not need to do anything to activate coverage.

The Golden Pledge cost depends on the size of the roof and the GAF system you select, since it requires a full GAF system install (shingles, underlayment, ridge cap, starter, attic ventilation). Most homeowners add it for a few hundred dollars on a typical replacement. Ask about Golden Pledge eligibility when you schedule your estimate.

Want a Quote with the Warranty Options Spelled Out

Free estimate. No obligation. Warranty tier and Golden Pledge eligibility confirmed in writing before you sign.

Get a Free Estimate Call (919) 639-4981