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What Happens After the Last Tile Is Set: Our Post-Install Inspection and Warranty Process

West Roofing2 min read
What Happens After the Last Tile Is Set: Our Post-Install Inspection and Warranty Process

The handover photo is not the end of the project. A premium roof installation has a follow-up sequence designed to catch the small issues that emerge in the first year and to establish the inspection cadence for the long term.

Inspection one: 30 days after completion

A full property walk. From the ground, with binoculars and a drone pass. We are looking for:

  • Any tile or panel that has shifted (rare but checked)
  • Any flashing that has settled differently than expected
  • Drainage performance after the first significant rain
  • Any work the install crew missed in punch-list

This visit is included in the project price.

Inspection two: 6 months after completion

A second ground-and-drone walk. By this point, the roof has been through several weather cycles, and the underlayment has fully equilibrated. We are looking for the same items as the 30-day visit plus:

  • Any underlayment expansion or contraction artifacts
  • Sealant performance at flashings
  • Any vegetation accumulation in valleys or gutters

Also included in the project price.

Inspection three: 12 months after completion

This is the annual inspection that will continue for the life of the warranty. The first one is the baseline. We document conditions photographically and provide a written summary.

Included in the project price for year one; thereafter, on the maintenance schedule the owner chooses.

The warranty

Our workmanship warranty runs 10 years from the date of substantial completion. The manufacturer warranties on the field materials run longer — 50 years for most premium tile and metal, 75 years for slate.

The workmanship warranty covers:

  • Leak through any installation we performed
  • Movement or failure of any flashing we installed
  • Premature wear on any component due to installation error
  • Free service calls for warranty-covered conditions

The warranty does not cover:

  • Damage from named storms (separate insurance question)
  • Damage from owner-installed equipment after our work
  • Modifications by other contractors (subsequent satellite dish, vent, or solar installations)
  • Acts of vandalism or impact

How to use the warranty

If you suspect a warranty-covered issue, call us. The conversation is the same regardless of whether the issue ultimately is or is not covered. We do not bill for the diagnostic visit. If the issue is warranty-covered, we repair at no cost. If it is not, we provide a written estimate before any work proceeds.

We have honored every legitimate warranty call we have received. The contractors who do not honor their warranties are also the ones who refuse to come back; we have built around the opposite practice.

What we ask of the homeowner

  • Schedule an annual inspection (with us or with a third party — both are fine).
  • Notify us within reasonable time of any visible damage or suspected issue.
  • Do not allow other contractors to modify our work without informing us first.
  • Keep the closeout package accessible.

The relationship is long. Most of our clients are not in a hurry. The work, done correctly, does not require many post-install conversations. But the conversation is there if needed, for the life of the roof.

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