Have you ever looked at a siding contractor’s warranty before? They usually sound pretty good, lasting for 5 years, 10 years, 25 years, or even for a lifetime. But what’s really going to be covered?
Here’s the catch: almost all siding companies offer flimsy “workmanship” warranties, which cover installation but don’t cover anything for the performance of the siding itself. Workmanship warranties give contractors a massive loophole to get out of any warranty claim. All they have to do is blame the siding manufacturer for the problem, and they can wash their hands of the situation.
Here’s what that looks like:
· A homeowner hires a contractor to install new siding on her home. The work looks good, and the client is happy.
· A couple of years later, the client notices that the siding is fading badly in some areas. She asks the contractor to fix it, but they blame the factory paint and tell her to file a claim with the manufacturer.
· The manufacturer’s warranty department looks at the fading and blames the contractor for bad paint touch ups.
· Nobody steps up, and the homeowner is forced to pay out of pocket for additional work.
The end result is that the client has two warranties, but no coverage: both sides can easily dodge any responsibility by blaming the other side. (This isn’t a hypothetical example by the way, this is a real situation from when we worked as product reps for a major siding manufacturer.)
Why is the industry standard warranty such a bad deal for homeowners? Because it wasn’t designed for them in the first place.
Since most siding contractors get the vast majority of their work from professional builders, the materials on their projects are usually chosen before the contractor ever gets involved. It doesn’t make any sense for a siding contractor to warranty the performance of products that they were forced to use, so in these cases a workmanship warranty is the right approach.
But when a homeowner hires a siding contractor directly, they’re counting on the company’s expertise to help them choose the right siding product for the job. That’s why we believe that a siding contractor’s warranty for homeowners should cover both sides: quality of the workmanship AND performance of the material. After all, if a siding contractor can’t stand behind their products, should they really be selling them to clients in the first place? We don’t think so.
Before you hire any contractor, make sure to take a close look at their written warranty. If you’d like to take a look at ours, fill out the form below to set an appointment for a free consultation.