New Roof Warranty question / Roofer vanished

Thundyrkatz

Hello everyone, I need some advice from some of you more experienced people!

I live in Southern NH and recently had a new roof put on my house. It was GAF Lifetime Timberline HD Architectural Shingles. The workmanship seems fine and the roof has no issues at the moment. The roofer said he would fill out the warranty information and send it in and i would receive a packet in the mail in a few weeks from GAF. So a few weeks goes by and nothing, I contact the guy and he apologizes for the delay and says he will send it in right away and I should get the packet in a few weeks. So a few more weeks goes by and this guy goes radio silent.

I contacted GAF and they said the roof has a limited warranty automatically, unless I got a "System Plus" or "Golden Pledge" which is not stated anywhere on my paperwork. So I suspect we have the limited warranty and this guy just blew me off and no package was ever coming. But I have never had a roof installed before, is it normal to have the roofer fill out paperwork and send it into the company and the homeowner gets a package in the mail later?

Also, if I need to invoke the warranty GAF stated I will need to know the quantity installed, which is not on my invoice.

So what can I do here, this guy is not responding to me, but i'm pretty sure he is still around. Should I send him a certified letter to his business address (which I believe is his house)? He can just ignore that too. Would it be worth while to have my lawyer draft a letter to him? Can I sue him in small claims court? I'm not sure what damages I have incurred that I could claim. Am I just going to have to suck it up?

I appreciate any advice or experience any of you have had. Thanks!

zepherin

Rule 1 of construction work. If they have been paid in full it’s almost impossible to get paperwork. Hold 5% at the end of the job until you have all paperwork and manuals.

That being said try to get something in writing from the manufacturer. Be a pest about it. They’ll send you something. That’s usually what I have to do on my jobs to get warranty info and o&ms. After that I hold payment till they give it to me, but calling them like a psychotic ex is number 1 most effective way to get warranty info.

Mugsley

In the short term, you can get a rough idea of quantity of shingles installed by calculating the surface area of the roof. If you have relatively few protrusions (vents, fans, etc.) and no skylights, it should be easy.

Thundyrkatz

Good lesson Zeph! I heard back from GAF and there is a limited warranty that they pointed me to that is likely what I have. Covers manufacturer defects. It is in effect now. Not worth much really, it only covers if the shingles are defective which is unlikely, but I have the documents for that at least. Its frustrating that that entire industry seems to be like that. I guess money is my only leverage for future work. I suspect that there was never going to be anything coming in the mail and this guy just got tired of stringing me along.

Good point Mugsley, there are almost no protrusions, so calculating the square footage should be easy enough if I need to invoke the warranty at a later date.

I want to put some negative reviews out there to prevent others from going through this. Do you guys think its worth my time, or is that a waste of time too? These guys can just close up shop and reopen under a different name a week later. I am just so frustrated!

zepherin

Thundyrkatz wrote: »

Good lesson Zeph! I heard back from GAF and there is a limited warranty that they pointed me to that is likely what I have. Covers manufacturer defects. It is in effect now. Not worth much really, it only covers if the shingles are defective which is unlikely, but I have the documents for that at least. Its frustrating that that entire industry seems to be like that. I guess money is my only leverage for future work. I suspect that there was never going to be anything coming in the mail and this guy just got tired of stringing me along.

Good point Mugsley, there are almost no protrusions, so calculating the square footage should be easy enough if I need to invoke the warranty at a later date.

I want to put some negative reviews out there to prevent others from going through this. Do you guys think its worth my time, or is that a waste of time too? These guys can just close up shop and reopen under a different name a week later. I am just so frustrated!

They can change names, but it's a pain in the ass to get license and bonding. I would give a middle rating. Name them say they did a good enough job but they didn't give me promised paperwork.

A 3 star yelp rating can be more damaging than a 1 star yelp rating, because people read the middle reviews.

Thundyrkatz

Thanks again Zeph! a tough pill to swallow, but a good lesson learned I think! I have to get the house painted next year and I will be a little smarter about the payments.

zepherin

Sorry thundy, I’ve been beating up contractors and subcontractors for the last 10 years so some of the things I’be had to deal with have become old hat.

For paint, go to sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore and pick the brand you want, I don’t like the Home Depot’s house brand. Skimcoat prime paint. Maybe spend the 20 bones on a wheel that way you are able to give them exactly what you want.

Thundyrkatz

Its too bad you can't help people for a living Zeph. Like an agent. I could hire you, with all your experience to navigate the swamp of contractors and you would advocate for me. A super contractor!

Caedwyr

That's actually the General Contractor role. If you are doing serious house-wide renovations or building your own house it is frequently recommended to hire a GC to make sure everything keeps on happening and standards are met by all the various subcontractors.

zepherin

Yes that is the job of a GC, and unlike me they have licenses, bonding and insurance as well as employees.