Are you feeling overwhelmed and confused while trying to figure out your different warranty options? With so much information to sift through, it can be difficult to determine where you should start or what elements you should look for to best protect your Seattle home
Or maybe you feel wary about the value of warranties after hearing from friends or family who thought an expensive roof repair was covered, only to be told that they needed to pay out-of-pocket. Even worse, maybe you’re the one who went through this.
Either way, confusing warranties are an industry-wide problem. They often leave their most important target audience (you, the customer!) in the dark.
We at RoofSmart understand that this is a major issue, so we want to help you avoid it. We’ve helped hundreds of Seattle homeowners avoid surprise repair bills by understanding what’s actually covered—and what’s not—by each GAF warranty.
We believe everyone deserves access to this information, so we’re sharing multiple articles that go over the warranties from the different asphalt shingle manufacturers we work with (Owens Corning, GAF, and CertainTeed).
Please keep in mind that these articles are not meant to pressure you into purchasing a warranty or choosing a certain manufacturer or product. Our purpose is to provide an honest and easily understandable warranty comparison for each manufacturer.
In this article, you’ll learn about what each one of GAF’s warranty options offers and how they compare to each other.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the five tiers of GAF warranties, what they include, what voids them, and how to choose the one that best fits your needs and Seattle’s rainy climate.
What are the different types of warranties a manufacturer might offer?
- Manufacturer’s warranty: These warranties offer coverage for replacing defective materials purchased from that manufacturer. Basic coverage typically only covers shingles, but some higher-level warranties cover other materials made by the manufacturer, such as ventilation pieces or ridge caps.
- Workmanship warranty: This type of warranty is more commonly offered by roofing contractors. It provides coverage for mistakes made during installation, which is a much more common issue than having defective materials. Only the highest levels of manufacturer’s warranties offer coverage for workmanship issues.
Note: Normal wear and tear is NOT covered in any warranty.
What are the different GAF warranty options?
GAF offers a total of five different warranty options for their roofing materials ranging from minimal to maximum coverage.
- GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty
- GAF Roofing System Limited Warranty
- System Plus Limited Warranty
- Silver Pledge Limited Warranty
- Golden Pledge Limited Warranty
This article will focus specifically on these warranties, which are specifically for the Timberline shingles. All other shingles fall under different categories.
What are the eligibility requirements for each GAF warranty?
Moving to a higher level of coverage means more eligibility requirements. This includes using a GAF-certified contractor and using additional GAF products on your roof.
Here is an overview of the eligibility requirements for each warranty:
How much does it cost to get each GAF warranty?
GAF does not directly mention the cost for each warranty. But keep in mind that the eligibility requirements that ask you to use a certain amount of additional GAF products can cost extra.
Depending on the coverage plan you choose, getting the extra GAF products can cost around $1,000. While it is true that you will want some of these products anyway to make sure that your roof is built properly, you do not have the option of switching them out for cheaper alternatives. Doing that would void your warranty.
What do GAF’s Shingle and Roofing System Limited Warranties actually cover?
- Advantages and features: In the case that there is a manufacturer defect on the shingles, these lifetime warranties provide you with replacement shingles and the full cost of labor for 10 years. This non-prorated period is called the “Smart Choice Protection Period”. After 10 years, labor will no longer be covered and the amount that GAF contributes towards the cost of new shingles will be calculated based on the amount of time you’ve had your shingles.
See the full explanation of price calculation here:
Found in the FAQ portion of GAF’s warranty explanation page:
This information on prorated periods is the same for all other warranties, but for higher levels of coverage, it starts after 50 years rather than 10.
- Disadvantages: These warranties do not cover the cost of tearing off or disposing of the defective shingles. They do not cover the cost of fixing workmanship issues. And, products not made by GAF are not covered under these warranties. So, if you experience problems with your roof due to a manufacturing defect, you will still have to pay for part of the repair. And after 10 years it would cost you even more money. With a workmanship error (which is far more likely to happen than a manufacturing defect) you will not get any coverage from GAF to help with the cost of repairing or replacing the roof.
Basic warranty coverage is a good option if you’re not too worried about issues with your shingles or if you have a strong workmanship warranty through your roofing contractor.
However, it’s rare that you’ll need coverage in the first 10 years (though it certainly can happen!). Typically, Seattle area homeowners should be worried about leaks, which can hide in your roof for quite some time. You might not notice until after year 10.
It’s far more likely that your roof will leak due to an installation error than a manufacturing defect. And if that happens, you’re on your own for coverage with this warranty.
What does the GAF System Plus Limited Warranty include?
- Advantages: Again, materials and labor are covered for a non-prorated period. However, with this warranty, you get 50 years of full coverage rather than just 10. Tear-off of the old shingles while fixing a manufacturing defect is covered when GAF deems it necessary.
- Disadvantages: This warranty is more exclusive than the previous ones because you can only access it by using a roofing contractor certified by GAF. Also, disposal of damaged shingles isn’t covered. This warranty does not cover workmanship issues.
- When is the System Plus Limited Warranty the best fit for me?: This warranty is a good fit for you if you are looking for more than just 10 years of full coverage in case any shingles on your roof have a manufacturing defect.
How does the System Plus Limited Warranty compare to the Shingle & Accessory and Roofing System Limited Warranties?
The System Plus Limited Warranty offers a big jump in the amount of time you get full coverage, moving from 10 years to 50. It also offers coverage for tear-off whereas the other two warranties do not include that.
Is the GAF Silver Pledge Warranty worth it for me?
- Advantages: In the event that any of the shingles have a manufacturer’s defect, then this warranty covers the cost of new materials, the labor to replace the defective shingles, tear-off of the defective shingles, and disposal of the defective shingles. It also includes 10 years of coverage for workmanship issues.
- Disadvantages: At this level of coverage, the requirements for eligibility are more particular. You must be willing to purchase 4 different GAF accessories to include on your roof. These accessories are mostly things that you should include anyway, but this means that you can’t switch them out for other brands because that will void the warranty.
- When is this warranty the right fit for me?: If you are looking for a warranty that offers you some coverage for workmanship issues (on top of great coverage for manufacturing defects), then this warranty is a good option for you.
How does the GAF Silver Pledge Limited Warranty compare to the System Plus Limited Warranty?
The major benefit of this warranty is that it offers coverage for issues caused by workmanship for 10 years. This applies to any GAF shingles and flashing (in certain areas) that were installed improperly. None of the previous warranties offer this type of coverage.
Having workmanship coverage can be a game changer for Seattle homeowners facing the possibility of leaks in a rainy climate like Seattle. Leaks are common on Seattle area roofs and can quickly get out of hand. It’s ideal to have added protection to help you cover costly repairs from leak damage.
What’s included in GAF’s Golden Pledge Warranty—and is it the best choice?
- Advantages: For 50 years, you’ll get full coverage for the cost of new materials and labor to replace any shingles with manufacturing defects. You’ll also receive coverage for the cost of tearing off and disposing of the defective shingles as GAF feels it is necessary. This warranty kicks things up a notch from the Silver Pledge by offering coverage for issues caused by workmanship for 25 years. This applies to any GAF shingles and flashing (in certain areas) that were installed improperly.
- Disadvantages: Again, this level of coverage requires stricter eligibility requirements. However, unless you do not want GAF accessories, this warranty doesn’t really have disadvantages. It is the highest level of coverage available.
- When is this warranty the right fit for me?: If you want a great quality roof installed by a highly qualified roofer and the best level of coverage possible, then this warranty is a great fit for you. This level of coverage for GAF products can’t be beaten.
How does the Golden Pledge Limited Warranty compare to the Silver Pledge Limited Warranty?
These two warranties are pretty much the same. The only difference is that the Golden Pledge Limited Warranty provides an extra 15 years of coverage for workmanship issues (25 years in total vs the 10 years offered in the Silver Pledge warranty). Even though this is the only difference, it is still a big deal because workmanship issues are more likely to happen than manufacturing defects.
Having 25 years of workmanship warranty coverage is a big deal for Seattle homeowners because leaks can happen at any time, and they can even stay hidden for a while. This warranty is a great option because if a workmanship error causes a leak, you’ll have coverage for most (or all) of your roof’s life.
How do the GAF warranties compare?
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the coverage offered by each GAF warranty tier to help make the decision process easier for you.
What voids the GAF warranties?
The GAF warranties are all voided by similar things. There is some variation in what is covered based on the level of coverage you choose. For example, higher-level warranties cover labor costs to replace defective shingles, but the lower ones don’t.
These warranties are voided in all of the standard situations you’d find in any other warranty. Damage caused by natural disasters, poor ventilation, or improper installation (when workmanship is excluded) is not covered in the warranty. Products not made by GAF are not included in the warranty.
The exclusions are laid out a bit differently in each warranty, but they all cover the same big-picture items. Here’s an example from the GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty:
How do you choose the right GAF warranty for your roof?
At the end of the day, choosing the wrong warranty can cost you thousands—and often does, especially in rainy climates like Seattle. You came here confused by GAF’s many options. Now you know how each warranty stacks up, what’s covered, and what’s not.
Each warranty is designed to offer different levels of coverage ranging from highest to lowest. The higher you go, the more coverage you’ll get. But you’ll also have to adhere to stricter eligibility requirements. That’s why it’s important to research warranties and choose the one you want BEFORE any work begins on your roof.
Your next step? Read our articles on the CertainTeed and Owens Corning warranties to compare them to GAF and make the most informed, confident decision for your home.
At RoofSmart, we’re here to guide you—because every smart roof starts with a smart plan. Fill out our contact for to ask questions about your roof or schedule an inspection with one of our roofing specialists.
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