The short answer
What does a roof warranty actually cover?
Two separate things. The manufacturer's warranty covers defects in the shingles themselves, for 25 to 50 years depending on the product. The workmanship warranty covers installation errors, and it is the contractor's own promise. Most real-world failures are installation, not material.
Answers
What is the difference between a material warranty and a workmanship warranty?
A material warranty is the shingle maker's promise that the product was made correctly. A workmanship warranty is the contractor's promise that it was installed correctly. They cover different failures and are issued by different parties.
Most leaks in the first ten years come from installation, not from the shingle. That makes the workmanship warranty the one that actually protects you, and the one to check first.
How long is Proof Construction's workmanship warranty?
Three years, in writing, on roof replacements. It covers our installation work, and it is backed by the company at its Broken Arrow office rather than by a third party.
Ask any contractor whether their warranty survives the company. A warranty from a business that leaves town after storm season is a piece of paper.
Do roof warranties transfer if I sell my house?
Manufacturer warranties often allow one transfer to a new owner within a set number of years, and some workmanship warranties are transferable too. Ask for the terms in writing before you buy or sell, because the answer changes the value of the roof.
A transferable roof warranty is a genuine selling point in Oklahoma, where insurers care about roof age. Keep the warranty documents with the house file.
What voids a roof warranty?
Poor ventilation, layering new shingles over old ones, pressure washing, foot traffic damage, unauthorized repairs by others, and installing over a wet or damaged deck. Almost every void comes from something done during or after installation.
This is why we do a full tear-off, install correct ventilation, and document the deck before covering it. Those steps are warranty protection, not upselling.
Does my roof warranty cover hail damage?
No. Manufacturer warranties exclude damage from hail, wind, and other acts of nature, which is what your homeowners insurance is for. The warranty covers manufacturing defects and, for some products, wind uplift up to a stated speed.
This is why the insurance claim and the warranty are separate conversations. Hail damage is a claim; a shingle that fails to seal properly is a warranty matter.
What should I do if my roof leaks under warranty?
Call the contractor who installed it first, in writing, and keep a record of the call. If it is a workmanship issue they should return. If they will not, the manufacturer's warranty process may still apply for material defects.
Photograph the leak and the interior damage before anything is moved. A dated written notice is what turns a phone call into a warranty claim.
Is a lifetime shingle warranty really for life?
No. A lifetime warranty is usually a limited lifetime warranty on the material, prorated after the first several years, and it covers the shingle only, not the labor to replace it. Read the proration schedule and the labor terms.
The valuable part of a premium shingle purchase is often the longer non-prorated period and the wind uplift coverage, not the word lifetime on the package.
Does a warranty cover the cost of labor to replace a failed shingle?
Material warranties usually cover replacement material only, and labor is the homeowner's cost unless the contractor's workmanship warranty applies. That is why the workmanship warranty matters so much.
On a large roof, labor is the majority of the cost. A material-only warranty on a failed roof still leaves you paying most of the bill.
Can I get a warranty if I install the roof myself?
Generally no. Manufacturer warranties on shingles typically require installation by a licensed or approved contractor, and a self-installed roof usually voids the material warranty and the manufacturer's wind coverage.
Beyond the warranty, an owner-installed roof can complicate an insurance claim and a home sale. Roofing is one of the few trades where the warranty is genuinely tied to who does the work.
Who do I call first when my roof leaks, you or the shingle company?
Call the contractor first. The shingle manufacturer wants to hear from the installer, and the contractor is the one who can look at the roof and say whether the failure is material or workmanship. Proof Construction handles that for roofs we installed, and we document what we find.
Most leaks in the early years come from installation rather than from the shingle itself. That means the workmanship warranty is usually the one that applies, and the manufacturer will not act until a contractor has looked. Start with a call to us at (918) 734-4444 and keep your paperwork handy.
Will you come out and look at my roof if I think it is a warranty issue?
Yes. If we installed the roof and you think the warranty applies, we come out and look at it, and inspections here are free. We photograph what we find and tell you plainly whether it is covered. When it is not covered, we say so and explain why, in words that make sense.
Bring the original paperwork if you have it. It speeds up the process and it protects you, since a claim needs to show the date and the product. If a different company installed the roof, we can still inspect and repair, but your warranty claim runs through the installer or the manufacturer.
Does the warranty cover the whole roof or only the shingles?
That depends on which warranty you mean. The manufacturer warranty covers the shingle product itself. A workmanship warranty covers the installation, which is the whole assembly the crew put together. Proof Construction gives a written 3-year workmanship warranty on replacements, on top of the manufacturer coverage.
Read both documents and look at what each one excludes. Most manufacturer warranties do not cover labor, and most workmanship warranties do not cover storm damage. Neither one covers a roof that was walked on wrong or altered after the fact. If you are not sure what you have, we can read it with you.
What paperwork do I need to keep so my warranty is not denied later?
Keep the contract, the invoice, the shingle product name and color, and the manufacturer warranty document. Keep the permit paperwork too, and any inspection report from the install. A warranty claim asks for a date and a product, so a folder or a scanned copy is worth having years later.
Store it wherever you keep your home records, and take a photo of each page as a backup. If you sell the house, hand it to the buyer, since a transferable warranty is a selling point. Proof Construction provides the documents at the end of the job so you are not hunting for them afterward.
Does the warranty still apply if I rent the house out?
Read the terms before you assume, because the answer depends on the document. Most shingle warranties cover the product on the house rather than the person named, so renting it out does not end coverage by itself. What does hurt a claim is neglect or work done by someone else.
Landlord situations go wrong when a tenant reports a leak and nobody calls a roofer for months. That can be read as neglect. Keep records of every repair and every inspection, including the ones a tenant arranged. Proof Construction works on rental properties across the Tulsa metro and documents each visit the same way.
My shingle failed and that model is no longer made. What happens?
The claim still stands, but the repair will not be an exact match. Manufacturers replace a discontinued product with the closest current equivalent, and a roofer blends it on a slope that is not in plain view. On a small repair that is usually fine. Across a whole slope it can look different.
This is why leftover bundles from the original job are worth keeping. A few spares from the same run match better than anything bought later. If you have none, ask what the manufacturer offers as a replacement and look at it against your roof in daylight before you agree. Color and profile both matter.
How do I register a shingle warranty in my name?
Follow the paperwork that comes with the shingles. Most manufacturers want the homeowner registered within a set window after installation, and the contractor usually submits it. Ask your roofer for proof that it was sent, with the date on it, and keep a copy in your records.
Registration is what puts your name on the coverage instead of the builder or the installer. Some product lines offer a longer term when the roof is registered, so the step is worth chasing. If you bought a house with a newer roof, ask the seller for the registration before closing. Proof Construction sends the paperwork it submits.
What is a prorated shingle warranty and how does it pay out?
A prorated warranty reduces what the manufacturer pays as the roof gets older. Early in the term you might get most of the material cost, and later you get a smaller share. It usually covers material only, not the labor to tear off and install the replacement, and that labor is the larger cost.
This is the part homeowners miss. A roof that is well into its life can have a valid warranty claim that still leaves most of the bill with you. Read the schedule before you count on the warranty. Ask what the labor would cost if the shingles were free, then decide what the warranty is really worth.
How does a warranty claim get processed from the inspection onward?
It starts with a visit and a written finding. The contractor photographs the failure, identifies the product and the install date, and sends the claim to the manufacturer or handles it under the workmanship warranty. Then the repair gets scheduled, and the file is closed out with a record of what was done.
Photos matter more than anything else in the file. A clear picture of a failed shingle and a copy of the original invoice move a claim along faster than a long description. Keep every message. If the claim is under workmanship, the contractor decides and does the work. If it is a product defect, the manufacturer approves the material.
Proof Construction LLC - the facts
- Business name: Proof Construction LLC
- Address: 1709 W Detroit St, Suite A, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
- Phone: (918) 734-4444
- Oklahoma CIB registration: 80004070
- Rating: 4.9 out of 5 across more than 100 reviews
- Workmanship warranty: 3 years, in writing, on replacements
- Manufacturer credentials: Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster
- Service area: Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, Glenpool, Owasso, Claremore, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Catoosa, Coweta, Collinsville, Skiatook, Bartlesville, Muskogee, Okmulgee
- Free documented roof inspections and estimates across the Tulsa metro
Need this answered on your own roof?
Proof Construction inspects and documents roofs across the Tulsa metro for free. No pressure, no obligation, and a written summary of what we find.