Did you know that how your roofer installs your shingles may affect their warranty?

This is the first article in a two-part series on helping you protect the manufacturer’s warranty on your shingles. We don’t want you to get stuck paying for repairs out of your own pocket. We’ll talk about shingles, the warranties that cover them, and how those warranties can be voided by the way your roofer installs the shingles.

But before we jump into that, it will be helpful to briefly discuss the difference between two methods that insurance companies use to calculate your loss: actual cash value versus replacement cost. It’s a comparison that sheds some light on shingle warranties and how they work.

Actual cash value versus replacement cost

Actual cash value is better for insurance companies and worse for you. It’s calculated by taking the replacement cost and subtracting the depreciation, which means you spend more out-of-pocket money to replace the item. Replacement cost, on the other hand, pays for what it costs to replace the item without figuring depreciation into the equation.

Shingle warranties

So, back to shingle warranties and how they relate to actual cash value and replacement cost. If the roofer installs your shingles properly, it’s like having replacement cost coverage on the shingles. In other words, if there’s a manufacturer’s defect in the shingle that leads to damage, you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket to repair and replace. That’s all on the manufacturer. You’re covered.

However, many roofers do not install shingles according to manufacturer specifications. The number of nails per shingle, the placement of each nail on the shingle, and ventilation all matter. If your roofer fails to follow these specs, it voids your warranty, which can leave you responsible for the cost to repair or replace.

In part two of this series, we’ll look at some questions you should be asking your roofer before you sign any contracts.