Warranty guide for owners and GCs
A commercial standing seam re-roof usually carries three separate warranties from three different issuers: the installer, the party that stands behind the weather-tightness of the system, and the coil coater that warrants the finish. This guide explains what each one covers, what a re-roof changes, and what to check before you sign.
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What Warranties Come With a Commercial Standing Seam Re-Roof?
Three layers from three issuers, and a bid is only complete when it names all of them. A bid that says “20-year warranty” without saying who issues it and what it covers has told you very little.
| Warranty | Issued by | What it covers | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installer or system warranty | The roofing contractor | Material and labor on the roof system installed, under written terms | PMRS standing seam roofs: Lifetime Non-Prorated Limited Warranty on material and labor, transferable one time; acts of God excluded |
| Weather-tightness warranty | A third-party warranty company | Keeping water out of the roof system, not just freedom from defects | Optional purchase for mechanically seamed systems seamed to the specification |
| Finish warranty | The coil coater | Chalking, fading and film integrity within set limits | 40 years on our standard PVDF colors |
The PMRS warranties page explains each layer in plain English, including the finish terms by product. On a re-roof, the second layer, weather-tightness, is the one most owners are really buying, so it gets the most attention below.
What Does a Re-Roof Change About the Warranty?
Everything under the new panels is an existing condition, and warranties are written around conditions the issuer can verify. On a new building the deck, framing and details are all on the drawings. On a re-roof they have to be inspected, documented and resolved before fabrication.
- Substrate. An old metal roof may stay in place with new sub-framing, or come off to expose the deck or purlins. Either way the attachment of the new clips has to be engineered for what is actually there.
- Slope and drainage. Low slopes call for mechanically seamed panels. Our mechanical lock systems are rated down to 1/2:12 once seamed, and their spec sheets call for high-temperature underlayment at 3/12 and below.
- Penetrations. Rooftop units, pipes, vents and supports from the old roof are either re-flashed to an approved detail or removed. Anything left to the trades later is where leaks and warranty disputes start.
- Edges and transitions. Parapets, coping, gravel stop and wall transitions carry most of the wind load. They are re-detailed and bent to the new profile, not reused.
- Movement. A 100-foot steel panel changes length by roughly three-quarters of an inch over a 100-degree swing. Floating clips and expansion details let it move without tearing the system apart.
For a pre-engineered metal building, the 2-inch mechanical lock panel is the structural option designed to span purlins, and site-specific engineering is available on request so clip spacing can be checked against the framing already in place. See commercial metal roofing for the panel table.
What Has to Be True for a Weather-Tightness Warranty?
A weather-tightness warranty promises that the roof system keeps water out, which is a bigger promise than freedom from defects. Issuers attach conditions to it, and every one of them is decided before and during installation rather than after.
- Seam type. On PMRS systems it is available for the 1-inch, 1.5-inch and 2-inch mechanical lock panels, closed to 90 or 180 degrees as specified. Snap lock panels are not mechanically seamed. Seam sealant. Where air and water testing is specified, the 2-inch panel also needs seam sealant. Underlayment. High-temperature underlayment at 3/12 and under, per the mechanical lock spec sheets. Approved details. Shop drawings and submittals reviewed by the architect or engineer before fabrication, so every flashing condition is resolved on paper first. Attachment. Clip type and spacing per the engineering for the building, with heavier spacing at edges and corners. Installation to spec. Crews install to the approved set and the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the closeout package records what was built.
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PMRS offers the weather-tightness warranty as an optional third-party warranty you can purchase. The issuer sets the term and conditions, and across the industry these warranties commonly run 10 to 20 years, which is why the written terms should travel with every bid you compare. One past PMRS home used double-locked 1.5-inch mechanical lock panels on low-slope roofs with high uplift demands, and that roof carried a weather-tightness warranty.
How Do Finish Warranties Work on a Commercial Roof?
The coil coater, not the installer, warrants the paint or film. These warranties cover chalking, fading and film integrity within limits written into the document, measured against standards the coater names. They do not cover dents, scratches from other trades or damage from chemicals the finish was never rated for.
On our standard PVDF colors, the Kynar 500 type most commercial roofs use, the coil coater’s finish warranty runs 40 years. Other finishes carry the terms their coater publishes, and we put those terms in writing with your proposal.
PVDF is the standard for most commercial roofs. Tedlar PVF film is laminated rather than sprayed and resists chemicals, stains and graffiti, which is why schools, hospitals and high-traffic buildings specify it. Compare finishes on our colors and finishes page. Many finish warranties also ask that areas the rain never reaches, such as under eaves and canopies, be rinsed periodically; put that in the maintenance plan.
What Voids a Commercial Metal Roof Warranty?
Most voided warranties trace back to something done to the roof after the roofer left. These exclusions appear in installer, weather-tightness and finish warranties alike.
- Holes cut through panels for HVAC curbs, conduit, satellite dishes or solar mounts without the roofer’s written approval and an approved flashing detail
- Pipe supports, walkway pads or equipment set directly on panels and seams
- Foot traffic from other trades that dents, creases or walks down the seams
- Contact with dissimilar metals, copper runoff, treated lumber or chemical exhaust the finish was not rated for
- Leaves, debris or standing water left in valleys, scuppers, drains and behind curbs
- Repairs, coatings or sealants applied by someone else
- Storm damage such as hail dents or wind-blown debris, and other acts of God, which are insurance matters
Planning solar? Standing seam takes clamp-on racking that grips the seams without piercing the panel. Route the solar installer through the roofer before the first clamp goes on. The same goes for every new rooftop unit for the life of the roof.
Warranty or Insurance: Which One Pays After a Hailstorm?
Insurance. A warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship; insurance covers sudden damage such as hail, wind and falling debris. No state has logged more major hail events than Texas for eleven years running, so this distinction matters more here than almost anywhere.
Read the policy for a cosmetic damage exclusion, which some Texas carriers apply to metal roofs. A dented panel that still sheds water may not be a covered loss. Heavier gauges and low-gloss or textured finishes show fewer marks, and some panel assemblies carry UL 2218 impact ratings; our Class 4 metal roofing guide explains how carriers treat them. After any storm, photograph the roof from the ground and keep the installation records with the claim file. Our hail damage and insurance claims page walks through a claim step by step.
Checklist: Eight Things to Confirm Before You Sign a Re-Roof Contract
- The panel profile, seam type, gauge, metal and finish are named in the proposal, not described as “standing seam”.
- Each warranty is listed with its issuer, term and a copy of the actual terms, not a summary.
- The weather-tightness warranty conditions are met by the scope: seam closure, sealant where testing is specified, underlayment, approved details.
- Shop drawings and submittals are included and will be approved before fabrication starts.
- Existing conditions are documented: substrate, drainage, penetrations and edge metal, with photos.
- Engineering is included for attachment to the existing framing or deck, especially over purlins.
- The closeout package is defined: warranty certificates, finish records, maintenance requirements and transfer rules.
- Every future rooftop trade will be routed through the roofer, in writing, so the warranty stays whole.
The roof sequence from tear-off to final inspection is on our installation process page.
How Does PMRS Handle Warranty Paperwork on a Re-Roof?
Because PMRS forms the panels, bends the trim and installs the roof, the warranty conversation happens with one company. Our proposal names the panel, gauge, finish, seam type and the warranties that apply. Submittals and shop drawings go to your reviewer before fabrication, and the closeout package puts warranty documents and finish records in the owner’s file.
Owners comparing bids can see every roof system we install on the commercial metal roofing page, and the warranties page sets out PMRS’s own coverage in plain English.
Commercial Re-Roof Warranty Questions
How long is a weather-tightness warranty on a commercial standing seam roof?
PMRS offers it as an optional third-party warranty you can purchase for mechanically seamed systems seamed to specification. The third-party issuer sets the term and the conditions; across the industry these warranties commonly run 10 to 20 years, so read the issuer’s written terms before you buy it.
Does a re-roof over an existing metal roof still qualify for a warranty?
It can, when the attachment is engineered and the details are approved before fabrication. PMRS offers site-specific engineering on request so clip spacing can be checked against the purlins already in place. The warranty issuer decides based on the approved drawings.
Does a finish warranty cover hail dents?
No. Finish warranties cover chalking, fading and film integrity within written limits. Hail is normally an insurance matter, and some Texas insurers leave out dents that only change how a metal roof looks, so read the policy as carefully as the warranty.
Who is responsible if the roof leaks at a rooftop unit another trade installed?
Usually the trade that cut the hole, which is why warranties exclude penetrations made without the roofer’s approval. Route every new curb, pipe or support through the roofing contractor so the flashing matches the approved detail and the warranty stays whole.
Can the warranty transfer if the building is sold?
The PMRS Lifetime Non-Prorated Limited Warranty transfers one time when the building sells. A third-party weather-tightness warranty and the coil coater’s finish warranty follow their issuers’ rules, so ask before the building is listed. Call (469) 466-2421 and we will tell you what each issuer requires.
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Have a Re-Roof Out to Bid?
Send the drawings, the spec section and the bid date. We measure or work from your plans, and the proposal names every warranty that applies.
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Talk to the People Who Form the Panels
Call (469) 466-2421 to walk through the warranty layers on your building before you compare bids.
