Guess that warranty!

It has a lifetime warranty! We offer a 25 year warranty! A 5 year warranty is plenty! What does all of this mean? What is a warranty? Why is it important? How long is a good one? Do I even need a warranty?

In our market today, it seems as if everyone has a warranty with what they are selling or a service they are providing. Some are great. Some are just ploy to get you to buy. Some are mandated by law. While others aren’t worth the paper they are printed on. But needless to say, when it comes to your home and the projects you do in the home, it’s good to know what's what as much as possible. So in this article we break-down a bit on what warranties are, why they are important, their requirements, and what to look for. Let’s dig in.

WHAT IS A WARRANTY

Warranties by definition according to Webster are usually written guarantees of the integrity of a product and of the maker's responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts. It is a covenant between the purchaser and seller/installer that the specific item or service will be of good condition or value for a specific period of time. A specific roofing manufacturer has a limited warranty on their shingles. They will only cover defects and performance failure up to a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 25 years if you don’t purchase the extended warranty. A certain vehicle manufacturer has a 3 year warranty on their new vehicles but will only honor that warranty from defects if the work is done at an authorized dealer. 

READ THE FINE PRINT

It seems like with every warranty there is fine print. Check the fine print! What do you have to do for the warranty to be honored? Is there a catch in the details? Does maintenance play into the warranty? With new home building and remodeling, there are state statutes that mandate warranties. Check your local state for specifics. But here in our home state of Minnesota we have 4 different warranties. 

1. For one year the home shall be free from defects caused by faulty workmanship and defective materials due to noncompliance with building standards.

2. For two years the home shall be free from defects caused by faulty installation of plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling systems due to noncompliance with building standards.

3. For ten years the home shall be free from major construction defects due to noncompliance with building standards.

4. For remodeling projects, work not specifically covered above is covered for a one-year period. During this period the contractor warrants that the home shall be free from defects caused by faulty workmanship or defective materials due to noncompliance with building standards.

BE INFORMED

What does all of this mean for you as a homeowner? Well the state is trying to help protect you the homeowner from the shady contractors out there who like to cut corners to save a buck or two. It also gives the contractors some accountability if they want to continue to keep doing work as a contractor and get paid for it.

A word of advice here. You should never have to pay for any additional labor warranties by a contractor. It is their duty to provide these with their projects. It should not cost you anymore to have any of these 4 warranties. Have a good talk with your contractor about what they offer for their labor warranties. If they have anything less than a year, watch out. Again, the local state statutes are in place for your protection. Going above the minimum with warranties is a sign of a great contractor.

PRODUCT WARRANTIES

The products that contractors install have their own warranties and you should definitely have a discussion with your contractor prior to the project to determine what those warranties are and how you are covered. Be sure to get your products registered. More often than not, contractors don’t communicate with their clients that they need to register their product. Manufacturers don’t push it either simply because if they don’t push it and it doesn’t get registered, they are off the hook. Anything from flooring, to windows, to siding, to roofing. All of these products have a lifespan due to the outside elements and use. So pay careful attention to how the warranties are worded and what they mean.

Warranties are in place to help give you the consumer peace of mind in doing a project or purchasing a product. But be careful that you are not being duped by some smooth talker into doing a project or buying a product on the basis of a warranty alone. And the last thing we will leave you with is do what you can to get it in writing. If it’s not in writing, it’s your word against theirs. Educate yourself. Call your local building official or department of labor to find out the requirements. If you are spending a large amount of money, be sure you do your homework first.