The Importance of a Warranty for Siding Replacement Projects

A smart customer is no stranger to warranties—a good warranty provides extra security for not only your purchase, but its future.

It goes to say that the more expensive a purchase is, the more secure the warranty should be. But unfortunately, that’s not how it always goes. It’s not uncommon, especially in the home improvement industry, for sleazy contractors to fall through on their side of the warranty.

So, how do you identify what a “good warranty” is? What makes a warranty so important, especially for siding replacements? And how do you avoid a bad warranty?

Here at Pacific Exteriors LLC, we have nearly 20 years of experience installing siding for homeowners in Seattle, Portland, and Atlanta. We understand that your home is one of the most important investments you’ll ever make and want to educate homeowners on how to identify the best warranties for them.

Let’s uncover the best ways to identify what a good warranty is for your replacement project. 

Why Do I Need a Warranty on my Siding Replacement?

The answer is simple: you need a warranty to protect your siding replacement. If something crops up or you find a problem years down the line, a proper labor warranty can cover the installation. So, what will a warranty on my siding replacement cover?

A siding replacement is broken into two parts: the siding material itself and the installation. A good contractor will have warranties for both.

Manufacturer Warranty

Usually, a siding material warranty is provided through the manufacturer.

Problems with the material itself can look like a variety of things—such as an uneven color coating, the fiber cement board itself is defective, or other physical problems with the siding. In these cases, a replacement or repair would be covered by James Hardie.

For other siding materials, such as Cemplank or GAF, their warranties are through their respective manufacturers as well.

Labor Warranty

A siding installation warranty covers the actual installation and anything that crops up there.

Common installer mistakes on jobsites include:

• Nails puncturing through wall insets.
• Siding planks being nailed improperly leading to insecure pieces.

Other improper installation issues like gaps between boards, missing flashing, etc.Mistakes can happen anytime on a job site, and what’s important is knowing what the installer will do afterwards.

Generally, good contractors will fix mistakes they have made, no questions asked. Checking review sites and seeing what other previous customers have said about how they handled post-project support says a lot about this.

Red Flags to Look for in a Siding Warranty

Siding warranties vary a lot from contractor to contractor, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Here are some general rules of thumb to pay attention to before your project starts that determine a company’s warranty policy.

1. Check review sites like Google My Business to see how the company has handled mistakes after project completion. If a business goes back to remediate their mistakes after a siding installation, that’s a sign that they have a good labor warranty in place to help their customers.
2. If they don’t have a webpage on their website addressing warranties, that could indicate the lack of a framework in place for potential mistakes. Having a dedicated webpage is a good sign of company transparency; the lack of one could be a red flag.

How to Judge a Good Siding Replacement Warranty 

Understanding a good warranty will naturally come from asking your estimator and project manager a lot of questions. A reliable company will have experienced employees that are able to give you answers on the spot on what may happen in the event of damage.

However, while most companies don’t offer warranties until after the completion of a project with them, customers should always look for a dedicated webpage to warranties on the company’s website.

Even if the webpage itself doesn’t offer much information, having a page dedicated to learning more about warranties means a company has warranties available and are ready to answer questions regarding them.

For questions relating to manufacturer warranties, read this article about the differences between manufacturer warranties and labor warranties.

Pacific Exteriors LLC Labor Warranty

At Pacific Exteriors, we offer an up-to-lifetime warranty on all our siding replacement projects. If you’re having a problem with a project we installed, we’ll send a project manager out to review the work to see if it qualifies.

Qualified touch-ups include:

• Siding that is falling off your home because of an installation error.
• Incorrectly installed gutters.
• Anything that is resulting in the siding not performing correctly and being installed in the expected way.

Warranties Protect the Future of Your Siding Replacement

It is self-explanatory, but warranties do a lot to elongate the lifespan of your siding. Ensuring you have the best available options on the market is how you protect your home now and into the future.

However, warranties are only one part in determining a reliable contractor for your home improvement needs. Homeowners who want help in determining a good warranty for their siding replacement also tend to be curious about the importance of insurance for home renovation projects and how to avoid being overcharged by a contractor.

And while we are proud to offer transparent resources helping homeowners answer these questions, at the end of the day the best way to get a feel for a contractor’s work ethic and style is to book an estimate with them.

We’re happy to offer free estimates—fill out the form below to get started.