Last reviewed October 31, 2026.
A buyer walks through an open house and the sellers mention, almost in passing, that the roof is “still under warranty.” Nobody can say whose warranty, how many years are left, or whether it moves to the next owner. Those three answers decide whether that sentence is worth anything at closing.
Three warranties, three different promises
A new shingle roof can come with three kinds of coverage, and each one answers a different failure.
- Material warranty. The shingle maker promises the product is free of manufacturing defects. It says nothing about how the roof went on. Owens Corning’s standard limited warranty (August 2026) lists “improper or faulty installation” as not covered, and it leaves out flashing, fasteners, pipe boots and wood decking.
- System warranty. The maker covers its shingles plus its own underlayment, starter, ridge and vent products when enough of them are used together. Owens Corning’s Platinum Protection, for example, needs its shingles, synthetic underlayment and hip and ridge shingles, plus two of these three: its ice and water barrier, starter shingles, or VentSure ventilation.
- Workmanship warranty. This covers installation errors. It comes either from the roofer alone or, on the top tiers, from the manufacturer through a certified roofer.
Read past the word “lifetime.” Under its standard warranty, Owens Corning pays labor only during the non-prorated TRU PROtection period, which the warranty table sets at 10 years for Duration and Oakridge. After that it pays a prorated share of the product cost and no labor. It never pays to tear off or haul away the failed shingles.
Our asphalt shingle page compares the GAF, Owens Corning and CertainTeed tiers side by side.
The registration clock starts at installation
Enhanced coverage does not switch on by itself. The Platinum Preferred contractor has 60 days from installation to register Owens Corning’s Platinum Protection, and the warranty states that “improperly registered warranties are not covered.”
Ask which program the roofer will file. Get the confirmation in writing before you make the final payment.
Selling the house with the warranty attached
A warranty can follow the house, but only once. Both Owens Corning documents allow a single transfer to the next buyer, who has 60 days from the real estate transfer to contact the company with proof of purchase, the installation date and the ownership history. Platinum adds a $100 fee.
The calendar matters as much as the paperwork. On Platinum, a sale within the first 20 years after installation (for lifetime shingles) passes on the rest of the non-prorated coverage, and the workmanship coverage becomes 25 years from the original install date. A sale after that point cuts the remaining coverage to two years and ends the workmanship coverage. Platinum’s lifetime workmanship belongs to the original purchaser only.
If you are the buyer, put the roof paperwork on the closing checklist so the 60 days do not slip by.
What gets a claim denied
The exclusions are where most disappointment starts. These come straight from the two Owens Corning warranties:
- The wrong installer. Platinum excludes faulty installation by anyone other than a Platinum Preferred contractor.
- Going over the old roof. Platinum requires a clean deck “with all existing roofing material and debris removed,” including felt, ice and water membrane and old flashing, so a layover does not qualify.
- Poor ventilation. Platinum excludes damage from improper or inadequate ventilation, unvented attics and enclosed rafter assemblies. The attic ventilation guide covers how much venting the code asks for.
- Later changes. Platinum excludes damage from alterations after the job, including solar panel installation, power washing, painting and coatings.
- Weather. Hail, strong storms and gusts above the listed wind speed are excluded, which sends storm damage to your insurance claim instead.
Both warranties give you 30 days from discovering the problem to file a claim. Both also warn that repairing or replacing Owens Corning products before the company decides the claim may get it denied. Take photos and call first. Patch after.
Labor promises from Long Island roofers
Roofers’ own workmanship terms vary widely, and some sites state none.
LI Roofing Co. in North Massapequa says its own workmanship warranty is 10 years on every job, and that the GAF Golden Pledge and CertainTeed system warranties it offers transfer to the next owner. Babe Roof in Port Jefferson Station, a GAF Master Elite contractor, says the GAF Golden Pledge it offers includes a 25-year labor warranty and a 50-year material warranty.
Klaus Roofing Systems by Triple H in St. James advertises workmanship “backed by a 50 year warranty” on its home page without spelling out what that warranty covers. Tom Jannace Roofing in Stony Brook mentions a workmanship warranty but gives no length.
One line in the Owens Corning Platinum document is easy to miss: even on that manufacturer-backed tier, the contractor is responsible for the first two years of workmanship coverage. A roofer who closes shop in year one leaves that gap. Checking the Nassau license before you sign is one way to judge who will still be around.
Papers for the house file
A transfer or a claim will ask for these, so keep them in one folder:
- the signed contract naming the shingle line and every system component
- the manufacturer’s registration confirmation and warranty number
- the roofer’s written workmanship warranty, with its length and what it excludes
- the installation date and the final invoice
- photos of the attic vents and the bare deck during tear-off, if the crew will take them
