Why warranties matter
A roofing warranty is the contractor's commitment that the work they did will hold up — and the manufacturer's commitment that the materials they made won't fail prematurely. It's not just paperwork. On a 50-year roofing system, the warranty is what defends you against premature failures that aren't your fault.
The trouble is, roofing warranties vary enormously between contractors and material categories. A "lifetime warranty" from one company may cover dramatically less than a "25-year warranty" from another. Below is exactly what Collins covers, on which products, and for how long — without industry jargon.
Standing seam metal roofs
Material warranty: 40 years (limited).
Our 24-gauge standing seam panels are warrantied by the steel coil manufacturer for 40 years against defects in the material — including premature finish failure (chalking, fading, peeling) and structural defects. The warranty is transferable to subsequent property owners.
Labor warranty: 20 years.
Collins backs our installation work with a 20-year labor warranty. If a panel comes loose, a flashing fails, or any installation-related issue arises within 20 years of installation, Collins fixes it. No charge.
What this looks like in practice
Most Collins standing seam roofs perform well past their warranty periods. We've installed standing seam roofs since 2015 — none have required warranty work yet. The most common warranty conversation we have is when a homeowner sells their property and asks how to transfer the warranty to the new owners (you just call us — we update our records).
Asphalt shingle roofs
Material warranty: 25 years (limited) on GAF Timberline HDZ.
GAF Timberline HDZ shingles carry a 25-year limited material warranty. Premium GAF systems (Timberline AS II with Class 4 impact rating, etc.) carry longer warranties. The warranty covers manufacturing defects and premature shingle failure under normal use conditions.
Labor warranty: 10 years.
Collins backs asphalt installations with a 10-year labor warranty. Shorter than standing seam because asphalt as a material has a shorter service life — but during that 10 years, our work is fully covered.
If you want longer coverage, GAF System Plus and similar enhanced warranty packages are available for an upcharge during installation. We'll quote both options on any asphalt project.
Metal shingle (EDCO Arrowline)
EDCO Arrowline metal shingles carry a manufacturer warranty up to 50 years for material defects, with Collins providing a 15-year labor warranty. EDCO is one of the strongest manufacturer warranties in the metal shingle category, and the product is made in Hopkins, Minnesota — local manufacturing means local warranty support.
Ice dam prevention systems
Vented built-up deck systems built by Collins are warrantied as a system: the ice dam prevention performance is covered, not just the materials. If a properly installed Collins ice dam prevention system experiences an ice dam in normal Northern Minnesota winter conditions, we investigate and resolve. This is unique to Collins — most contractors don't offer system-level warranty coverage on ice dam work.
What warranties don't cover
Like all warranties, ours have exclusions. The standard exclusions across all roofing warranties include:
- · Damage from extreme weather events outside design parameters (e.g., F4 tornado, baseball-sized hail)
- · Damage caused by other contractors working on your roof or attic
- · Cosmetic issues like color variation across panels or shingle bundles
- · Settlement, shifting, or structural movement of the building
- · Damage from neglect — e.g., debris allowed to accumulate, gutters not maintained
These exclusions are standard across the industry. We don't hide them in fine print.
How to make a warranty claim
Call our office or send a message through our contact page. Tell us what's going on. We'll come out and assess. If it's warranty work, we fix it on our schedule at no charge to you. If it's outside warranty (storm damage you should claim through insurance, e.g.), we tell you that honestly and help you figure out next steps.
We don't use warranty claims as upsell opportunities. If we did the work and it's under warranty, we fix it.
Insurance vs. warranty
A warranty covers manufacturing and installation defects. Your homeowner's insurance covers storm damage, fire, falling trees, and other "sudden and accidental" damage. Both apply to your roof, and they're different coverage.
The Class 4 impact rating on Collins standing seam panels typically gets homeowners a 10-25% discount on their homeowner's insurance — the rating tells the insurer your roof is built to withstand hail.
