The Short Answer
A roof repair warranty usually means two separate things. The contractor's craftsmanship warranty covers the repair work itself, typically leaks at the spot that was fixed, for a stated number of years. The manufacturer's warranty covers defects in the shingles or other materials, not installation mistakes, storms or the rest of your roof. A repair does not automatically void a shingle warranty, but damage caused by a bad repair is not covered.
Key Points
- Craftsmanship warranties cover the contractor's work; manufacturer warranties cover defects in the products.
- A repair warranty covers the repaired area, not the whole roof, and it excludes storms and damage caused by others.
- GAF's standard shingle warranty stays in effect after improper installation, but it does not pay for damage that the installation caused.
- Manufacturer warranties usually transfer once at most, with a deadline to notify the manufacturer in writing.
- Get every warranty in writing, with the term, the covered area and the exclusions spelled out.
Craftsmanship Warranty vs Manufacturer Warranty
The two warranties fail in different ways, so it helps to know which one you would call. If the repair leaks because a flashing was lapped wrong or a nail was placed badly, that is workmanship, and it goes back to the contractor. If a shingle cracks, blisters or loses its seal because of how it was made, that is a product defect, and it goes to the manufacturer.
A contractor that says it offers a "lifetime warranty" without saying whose it is and what it covers is blending the two. Ask for each in writing, separately. At Stellar we keep them separate on purpose: most Stellar repairs carry a 10 to 15 year craftsmanship warranty, and any manufacturer warranty is a different document from a different company. None of it is automatic.
Craftsmanship (workmanship) warranty
From the contractor
Covers errors in the contractor's work on the area they repaired. The length is whatever the contractor writes, so it is only as good as the company standing behind it.
Manufacturer limited warranty
From GAF, CertainTeed and others
Covers manufacturing defects in the products used. It does not cover installation errors, weather beyond the product's ratings, or the interior of your home.
Our warranty pageEnhanced system warranty
Usually on full roofs
Manufacturer programs that add longer non-prorated coverage or workmanship protection, offered through certified contractors on qualifying roof systems. Ask before assuming one applies to a spot repair.
What a Repair Warranty Usually Covers and Excludes
A repair warranty is narrower than a new-roof warranty because the contractor only touched part of the roof. The rest of the roof is still whatever age and condition it was before the repair, and no honest contractor will warrant shingles they did not install. Read the document for the covered area, the term and the remedy (repair, replacement, refund, and whether interior damage is included).
- Covered area: the specific repair, such as "pipe boot and surrounding shingles" or "chimney flashing," not the whole slope.
- Term: a number of years from the completion date, not a vague "lifetime."
- Remedy: whether the contractor returns to fix the work, and whether interior damage is addressed or excluded.
- Exclusions you should expect: storms, hail, falling objects, ice dams, foot traffic, and work by other trades such as satellite or solar installers.
- Conditions you should ask about: notice deadlines, whether you must call the original contractor first, and anything that ends coverage early.
- Transfer: whether the warranty follows the house if you sell.
A warranty that only covers labor on the repaired spot can still be worth a lot. One that has no written term, area or exclusions is closer to a promise than a warranty.
How a Shingle Manufacturer Warranty Actually Pays
Take GAF's standard Shingle and Accessory Limited Warranty for products installed after 1 January 2025 as a real example. Lifetime shingles carry a 10 year Smart Choice Protection Period. During that period GAF pays the reasonable labor to repair or re-cover defective GAF products and provides replacement products, but not tear-off or disposal, and not metal work or flashing.
After that period, labor is no longer covered and the remedy is reduced for the use you have had. For a Lifetime shingle on a single-family home, GAF's own example is a claim at 25 years, where its contribution is reduced by half. That is what prorated means in practice.
Two details matter for repairs. Replacement products are warranted only for the remainder of the original warranty period, so a shingle swapped in year 12 does not start a new clock. And GAF says replacement products may not match, because colors change and the roof weathers.
- Notify GAF within 30 days after you notice a problem; telling your contractor is not notice to GAF.
- If you repair or replace the products before GAF finishes evaluating a claim, the claim may be denied, so give GAF reasonable notice first.
- The warranty does not cover interior damage, including mold, or damage from hail, fire or winds above the rated speed.
Other manufacturers' terms differ. Read the warranty that was in effect when your shingles were installed, which is the version that governs a claim.
Does a Roof Repair Void My Shingle Warranty?
Not by itself. GAF's standard warranty says plainly that it remains in effect even if the products were not installed according to GAF's instructions or good roofing practice. What it will not pay for is damage caused by improper fastening or installation that departs from GAF's printed instructions, where that installation caused the damage. The same logic applies to a repair: a careful repair does not cost you the warranty, and a sloppy one leaves you without coverage for whatever it breaks.
Federal warranty law points the same way. The FTC's guidance says a manufacturer generally cannot require you to use its own brand of parts or service to keep a warranty in force, though it may refuse to cover damage caused by parts or service it did not provide.
Enhanced system warranties, the ones a certified contractor registers on a full roof, can carry their own conditions about who may work on the roof and how. If you have one, read it or call the contractor who registered it before someone else opens up the roof.
- Step 1
Suspect a Product Defect?
Call the manufacturer within its notice window before anything is repaired, and photograph the problem.
- Step 2
Have an Enhanced Warranty?
Check its conditions, and ask whether the registering contractor must do or approve the repair.
- Step 3
Hiring a Different Roofer?
Ask them to repair with compatible products installed to the manufacturer's instructions, and to document it with photos.
- Step 4
Keep the Paper
Store the invoice, photos and both warranties together. You will need proof of install date and ownership for any claim.
Transferring a Roof Warranty
Manufacturer warranties are usually written for the owner, not the house. Under GAF's standard shingle warranty, coverage can transfer only once, and the second owner must notify GAF in writing within one year after the property changes hands. If the transfer happens during the Smart Choice Protection Period, the new owner gets the same coverage. If it happens later, the warranty drops to two years from the sale and covers only the cost of replacement shingles, reduced for use.
Craftsmanship warranties vary entirely by contractor. Some transfer automatically, some require a request, and some end at sale. If you might sell within the term, ask before the work starts and get the answer in writing.
Why a Workmanship Warranty Is a Different Kind of Promise
The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act covers written warranties on consumer products. FTC rules say roofing materials a homeowner buys for a repair of their home count as consumer products, but a warranty that covers only a repairer's workmanship is a warranty on a service, which the Act does not cover. If one written warranty covers both the parts and the workmanship of a repair, the Act does apply.
In practice, that means the strength of a craftsmanship warranty comes from the written document and the company behind it. A contractor that has been around for years and puts the area, term and exclusions on paper is giving you something you can use. Questions about your legal rights under a specific warranty belong with an attorney.
Michigan Deadlines That Outlast or Undercut a Repair Warranty
A written warranty is not the only clock that runs on a roof repair. Michigan law sets its own time limits for bringing a claim, and they do not always line up with the number of years printed on the warranty.
For a breach of contract, MCL 600.5807(9) sets a general limitation period of 6 years. A separate statute, MCL 600.5839, limits suits against a contractor for injury to property arising out of the defective or unsafe condition of an improvement to real property. Under it, an action generally has to be brought within 6 years after occupancy, use or acceptance of the completed improvement. If the defect resulted from the contractor's gross negligence, the claim must be brought within 1 year after the defect was or should have been discovered, and never more than 10 years after completion.
What that means in practice: a 10 to 15 year craftsmanship warranty is a promise the contractor makes on top of those statutes, and its value over the long run depends on the company honoring it. Which deadline applies to a given dispute, and whether a small repair counts as an improvement to real property, are questions courts decide case by case. Do not sit on a problem you think the warranty covers. Report it in writing as soon as you notice it and keep a copy.
Michigan's Consumer Protection Act also bears on how warranties are sold. Among the practices MCL 445.903 lists as unlawful are causing a probability of confusion or misunderstanding as to the legal rights, obligations or remedies of a party to a transaction, representing that a repair is needed when it is not, and gross discrepancies between what a seller says out loud and the written agreement. A verbal "lifetime" promise that the paperwork does not back up is exactly the kind of gap to get resolved in writing before you sign. Complaints about a contractor's practices go to the Michigan Attorney General's consumer protection team.
This is a summary of the statutes, not legal advice; confirm how they apply to your situation with an attorney.
Time limits for roof workmanship claims
A closer look at Michigan's contract limitation period and the statute of repose for improvements to real property.
Read about claim time limitsQuestions to Ask About Any Repair Warranty
- Is the craftsmanship warranty written into the contract or invoice, with a term in years and the area it covers?
- Which products are you using, and which manufacturer warranty applies to them? Who registers it, if registration is needed?
- Will this repair affect my existing shingle warranty or an enhanced system warranty?
- What is excluded, and what would end the warranty early?
- If the repair is a quick fix on a worn area, what does the warranty realistically promise? Is there a root-cause option with stronger coverage?
- Does the warranty transfer if I sell the house?
Two honest answers
Some problems can be fixed small, with realistic expectations, or fixed at the root with a stronger warranty. We lay out both so you can choose.
Roof repair servicesReading the estimate
How to compare scopes, materials and warranty terms line by line.
How to read an estimateCraftsmanship vs Manufacturer Warranty at a Glance
| Craftsmanship warranty | Manufacturer standard warranty | |
|---|---|---|
| Who stands behind it | The contractor who did the work | The product maker |
| What it covers | Errors in the work on the repaired area | Manufacturing defects in the products |
| Typical exclusions | Storms, impact, other trades, rest of roof | Installation errors, storms over rated wind, ice damming, interior damage |
| Labor | Usually included for covered work | Only during the non-prorated period, if at all |
| Transfer | Set by the contractor | GAF standard: once, written notice within one year |
| Where to claim | Call the contractor | Notify the manufacturer directly |
Manufacturer column reflects GAF's Shingle and Accessory Limited Warranty for products installed after 1 January 2025. Other manufacturers and enhanced warranties differ.
Want the Warranty Spelled Out Before the Work Starts?
We put the repair, the products and the craftsmanship warranty in writing, and we'll tell you how the repair affects any manufacturer coverage you already have.
Related Guides
Our Warranty Coverage
The manufacturer programs we register and how our craftsmanship warranty works.
Learn MoreHow Long Does a Roof Repair Last?
Why some repairs last decades and others a season, and what a warranty signals.
Learn MoreRepairing Three-Tab Shingle Roofs
Matching discontinued shingles and what has changed in manufacturer coverage.
Learn MoreChecking a Finished Roof Repair
What to look for after the crew leaves, including the paperwork and registration.
Learn MoreQuestions We Hear
How long should a roof repair warranty be?
There is no legal minimum; it is whatever the contractor writes. What matters is that the term is stated in years, tied to a defined area, and backed by a company likely to be around to honor it. A long warranty on a patch over a badly worn area may not mean much. Most Stellar repairs carry a 10 to 15 year craftsmanship warranty.
Does a roof warranty cover leaks?
It depends which warranty and why it leaks. A craftsmanship warranty covers leaks caused by errors in the contractor's work on the area they repaired. A manufacturer warranty covers leaks caused by a defect in the product. Neither covers leaks from storm damage, ice dams or worn parts of the roof the repair did not touch; storm damage is a homeowners insurance question.
Do I have to register a manufacturer warranty after a repair?
GAF's standard shingle warranty has no registration step, but a claim requires proof of the install date and that you owned the home then, so keep the invoice. Enhanced manufacturer warranties are registered by a certified contractor on qualifying roof systems. Ask your contractor which applies to the products used on your repair.
Will a manufacturer pay for water damage inside my house?
Generally no. GAF's standard shingle warranty expressly excludes damage to the interior or exterior of the building, including mold growth, and limits its remedy to the defective products and, early on, the labor to repair them. Interior water damage is usually a homeowners insurance question, and even there it depends on what caused the leak.
Can a roofer warranty a repair on an old roof?
Yes, but the warranty only covers the repaired area, and the roof around it keeps aging. An honest contractor will tell you if the surrounding shingles are likely to fail before the warranty runs out. When a roof is inside roughly its last five years, it can be worth comparing the repair to the cost of replacement before you spend.
What This Page Cites
- GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty, RESWT160L-1224, for products installed after 1 January 2025, GAF (copy at https://assets.roofle.com/gaf/s/gaf-warranty-brochure.pdf), accessed October 2026
- 16 CFR 700.1, Products covered (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act interpretations), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-G/part-700/section-700.1), accessed October 2026
- Businessperson's Guide to Federal Warranty Law, Federal Trade Commission (https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/businesspersons-guide-federal-warranty-law), accessed October 2026
- MCL 600.5807, Breach of contract limitation periods, Michigan Legislature (https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5807), accessed October 2026
- MCL 600.5839, Actions against contractors for improvements to real property, Michigan Legislature (https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-5839), accessed October 2026
- MCL 445.903, Michigan Consumer Protection Act, unfair trade practices, Michigan Legislature (https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-445-903), accessed October 2026
- Consumer Protection, Michigan Department of Attorney General (https://www.michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection), accessed October 2026