How to File a Manufacturer Claim for Defective Products

How to File a Manufacturer Claim for Defective Products

Sometimes shingles are defective products from the manufacturer and you need to file a claim. One of the most common myths that you should take into consideration is that you’ll need to have the shingle receipt. This isn’t really the case in most situations, and here’s why.

Let’s say you bought a house and you’re not sure who manufactured the roof’s shingles. Since the late 1990s, shingle manufacturers began applying their name to the back of their products. This means that you can simply remove a shingle in many cases and see the manufacturer’s name clearly printed on the back strip. Once you know the manufacturer’s name, it’s just a matter of going online and doing a Google search for their company website.

Within the company website, you should be able to find a section for filing a claim. This is a simple process involving the manufacturer asking a few relevant questions, such as the age of the house and what year the roof was installed. (You can just write N/A if you don’t know the answer). They will typically ask you to take four pictures. One picture will show the whole house, one shows the ventilation on top of the roof, and one will show the soffit vent. They will also probably want you to remove two shingles from the roof and send them in.

Most of the time the roof’s value is prorated, but this will depend on the manufacturer. The prorated amount is what you will receive in the form of a refund check. The manufacturer calculates this amount by referring to their files indicating how much the cost would have been at the time. Additionally, most shingle companies offer ten years non-prorated on their best value laminate shingles. They will cover the cost of the materials they manufactured for the first 10 years. They will also likely cover the labor and dump fees as well.

Of course, if your roof is past the time in which the company covers their product (usually 10 years), you’re not going to be able to get a full roof replacement. The only money that you may receive will cover the materials. Remember, if the roof predates the late 1990s, they probably didn’t put their names on the felt papers and other materials. Therefore, you will have to prove the source of the materials.

If your warranty claim does, in fact, fall within the 10 year non-prorated warrantee, the manufacturer will pay for the entire roof (covering all the materials that they make and were used in your home). For example, they would probably cover the shingles, edge metal, gutter apron, snow and ice barrier, felt, pipe boots, and maybe vents. They wouldn’t cover the coil nails and other materials that they do not make.

If you have any questions about filing a manufacturer claim for defective products, give Bakeris Roofing a call at (515) 967-8199.