One of the weakest parts of our industry is durability, consistency, faithfulness, the longevity—building that relationship and maintaining it. Not just every year, but twice a year: every spring, every fall, showing up, documenting progress, making sure we don't get behind on every seam, every joist, every corner, every scupper.

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People don't do that. People do what people do, which is install and walk away. Even the companies who are under maintenance contracts—they call them maintenance contracts—it's a once-a-year show-up, and it's very rare that they do any touch-up. And they don't know where the pictures go. They don't really have a shared folder for it. They don't have proper documentation.

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Anyway, a lot of folks think that their warranty is valid. I think it's a great place to start the conversation: "How's your warranty treating you?"

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Understanding the Three Layers and Five Parties of True Protection

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A warranty is not simple. A warranty must be read. A warranty must be comprehended, and a warranty must be very clear.

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When it comes to comprehensive property protection, we have:

• Three levels (or layers) of protection.
• Five parties (or entities) involved.
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The average person often shrinks a large property protection plan down into less than one sentence, like, "20-year warranty". This leaves a huge blank—people have no idea what's covered, who's responsible, or what will happen.

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1. The Material/Factory Warranty

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This is the lowest-risk level. The material is warrantied by the maker. The manufacturer is only exposed to product defects. If a problem can be traced back to an improper chemical composition at the factory, that's when this warranty kicks in. It's very low risk for the manufacturer, as a mistake is unlikely.

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2. The Maintenance Protection Plan

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Maintenance is necessary, like washing your dishes or car. Proper maintenance is not just washing, though cleaning the roof is a no-brainer. Companies that let dirt, leaves, and acid rain accumulate are headed toward catastrophe.

Maintenance protection means what we plan to maintain lasts longer; you can get significant life extension out of anything properly maintained.

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Our plan includes more than inspection:

• Time-Lapse Documentation: We do a time-lapse photography capture every six months—springtime and fall time. We capture 50 to 100 pictures and/or videos of the entire state of the roof's health.
• Moisture Testing: We test the insulation for moisture traps to prevent major medical issues before they turn into mildew.
• Insurance Advantage: This documentation makes the banker and the insurance man happy. When hail comes, you have a documented track record of your roof's current condition. Very few people document this, so they can't force the insurance to bring it back to original pristine quality. If your roof is well-maintained and documented, they must restore you to that condition (how it looked within the last six months).
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This service is often around 18 cents per square foot. This gets you two inspections, cleaning as needed, and full scope inspection uploaded to the cloud, allowing you to posture yourself for the maximum insurance payout.

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3. The Manpower/Craftsmanship Warranty

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The typical industry average is a sad "taillight warranty" (satisfaction at the point of service). Some offer a standard 12-month or two-year labor warranty.

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What sets a superior plan apart is the Nationwide Network:

• Network Access: A network of 400 highly-performing contractors across the nation are privileged to jump on a job that is fully funded and protected by the company pool.
• Long-Term Coverage: For 20 years, you have an out-of-town or in-town crew that will fix whatever manpower or installer errors occurred.
• The new blue membrane offers a 25-year full manpower coverage.
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The three 'M's are: Material, Maintenance, and Manpower.

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The Five Parties at the Table

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There are five key parties to a truly protected property:

1. The Building Owner: The owner has responsibilities, as there are warranty-voiding activities.
2. The Factory: They are responsible for material failures under specific conditions.
3. The Local Contractor: They are responsible for labor-related issues and have a patch budget for touch-ups.
4. Third-Party Tradesmen: HVAC, plumbers, electricians, etc. Anybody that gets on that roof has to sign something that makes them responsible if they gouge or puncture the roof.
5. The Nationwide Network: This provides total peace of mind by allowing you to tap into a team of 400+ highly funded, eager professionals.
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A sixth consideration is Insurance. There must be a clear delineation between insurance coverage (like an Act of God) and warranty coverage. If all this is not spelled out, you don't have a warranty—you have a chaotic future.

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Most alternative warranties require the burden of proof to be on you to demonstrate that their materials failed. Good luck doing that.

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