# Warranty--How long?



## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

How long does your company warranty labor for?

If you get a call in 5 years saying "my door/window/deck/toilet does not work anymore", do you go out for free and take a look or do you tell them that it is not covered and a trip charge will be $__.


----------



## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

Implied warranty for labor is 1 year. Manufactures' warrenty is their own.


----------



## marc (Mar 18, 2005)

dougchips said:


> How long does your company warranty labor for?
> 
> If you get a call in 5 years saying "my door/window/deck/toilet does not work anymore", do you go out for free and take a look or do you tell them that it is not covered and a trip charge will be $__.




We have what we call a "Four point Guarantee"

10 years on workmanship
3 year accidental.....We cover the first $100
3 year annual inspection.....We come out once a year for 3 years
Manufacturers warranty


----------



## ultimatetouch (May 27, 2006)

How about the tail light guarantee. Its good until your guy pulls away
from the job.:laughing: I would just see what competitors are offering and beat it.


----------



## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Options I am considering, depending on which of the Good, Better, Best option they select.

2 years standard warranty.

5 years standard warranty.

10 years, standard 1st 5 years, and prorated the next 5 years.

Any comments if that would apply or work?

Ed


----------



## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

Ed, I generally tell people if they ever have a problem to just give us a call. I have yet to tell someone to go pound sand and I do not charge a trip charge. I am at the point where I need to have some thing in writting. Most people offer a one year warranty and I am not sure how good of a selling point a 5-10 year warranty is. In the end I will still go out and make people happy if they share their experience with their friends and neighbors. "Mr HO, this out of warranty service is costing me $125.00, please pick up your phone while I am working and call 15 people and tell them how great my company is"----somewhat joking.

If they want to provide their own material they get a one -year warranty and they are charged a trip charge if the issue is not labor related. Last year I only did one job for someone that provided their own material (14 int doors, one entry, one storm). They bought an elcheapo storm door and I have been back twice playing with it. I did not charge them any trip charges.


----------



## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

Many years ago, I was sitting in the bosses office at a local mobile home dealer (we were developing plans for a sales office in another town) when he got a call he took on the speaker phone. He was talking about a warranty repair to a mobile home he sold with a plumber. It became obvious the problem was not a warranty issue but an owner issue. The dealer told him to do the repair, properly close everything up, and send him the bill.

After he hung up I asked why he would pay for what was obviously not a warranty repair. His response was: a plumber is cheaper than a lawyer and, the owner knows it's his problem and the owner knows I know it. If I fix it he will never stop talking about the exemplary service I provide, if I don't he will always bad mouth me.


----------



## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

DougChips,

I don't know what window, siding, door, deck contractors offer as their warranty, (except for Marc now), but in roofing the least experienced tend to offer the longest warranties.

I've just been toying with the idea of increasing the labor warranty length proportionately with the category of product installed.

Although my current written warranty form specifies 5 years and what is and what is not included, thats just for a long term liability cya.

Last week, a customer from 9 years ago called and had a feww drips coming in exactly 3 ft in from the wall. It was an ice dam and the I & W shield we installed was 3 feet wide. I spent a little over an hour using a rroof snow rake to remove all the snow from his North side of his house and did not charge him for the service. He was a good customer 9 years ago, and will still be a good reference today.

Ed


----------



## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

Ed, most if not all of the products that I sell have very little potential of having a problem in 10 years. What prompted my thought process was www.elkcorp.com look at the for contractors warranty info if you join their program---they cover labor if the HO buys an extended warranty. 

If I offered a longer warranty I see some risk without the reward. If I could offer extended warranties then people might see the value of the warranty. Or if I created a value--if you purchase product xxx today we can offer you an extended warranty for 3 years, noramally $395 for free-----this might sound like a used car pitch. I just confused myself.


----------



## Gordo (Feb 21, 2006)

Look at where other industries are headed with their warranty.

Seems they are all charging for 3-5 year extended warrantes.


----------



## Fence & Deck (Jan 23, 2006)

We provide 2 years on workmanship.
Manufacturers warranty (LOL) on wood.
Manufacturers warranty on manmade items, hardware, compsoits, etc.

There are a couple of companies (one in particular) that are 1 or 2 years old, offering 5 year full warranties. The customers don't seem to understand that a 1 year old company offering a 5 year warranty that a 28 year old company (me) sets at 2 years is perhaps just a bit....odd?


----------



## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

kinda hard to sit there at a sales call and tell em you're the best blah blah blah and then just give them a 1 yr implied warranty (which I think in most states is law anyways ... right?)


----------



## Bob Kovacs (May 4, 2005)

I don't think I'd be overly impressed by a 5 or 10 year warranty- especially if it was being touted as a reason to pay more for your services than the competition's. The reasons I say that are:

- In many cases, the HO won't be in the house that long anyway, so unless your warranty is transferable, who cares?

- Given the track record of the remodeling industry, a good number of contractors won't be around 5 or 10 years from now, so what good is a warranty that lasts that long?

Bob


----------



## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

Bob Kovacs said:


> I don't think I'd be overly impressed by a 5 or 10 year warranty- especially if it was being touted as a reason to pay more for your services than the competition's. The reasons I say that are:
> 
> - In many cases, the HO won't be in the house that long anyway, so unless your warranty is transferable, who cares?
> 
> ...


Intersting. It seems like nobody has any faith in warranties anymore myself included. For the most part if something is installed correctly a warranty is pretty much a none-issue. If a product fails generally it will do so within a few months.

Our best "warranty" call from last year "the window fell out, it is on the floor". I'm thinking that it is held in by 4 screws, low expansion foam and the window stops, how could it fall out. Same day rush service to find out that her kids figured out how to remove the sashes.


----------



## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

dougchips said:


> Intersting. It seems like nobody has any faith in warranties anymore myself included. For the most part if something is installed correctly a warranty is pretty much a none-issue. *If a product fails generally it will do so within a few months.*
> 
> .


good point

yeah, i don't pay attention to warranties either.

I'm still gonna offer em. And I'll stick to em.


----------



## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

warranty plaster/marcite,dirt?


----------



## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

POOLMANinCT said:


> warranty plaster/marcite,dirt?


yes ... 2/marcite
5/quartz
10/exposed

bonding & large cracking (not check cracks)


----------



## the_turd_man (Feb 4, 2007)

Every job warranteed till the check clears:clap: :w00t: :thumbup:


----------



## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

whos pulling your plaster...?


----------



## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

POOLMANinCT said:


> whos pulling your plaster...?


prep's on me


----------



## ACTRenovator (Jan 1, 2007)

Warranties are for suckers! When we build a person their home, we guarantee them for life. YEAH shaw our Contract states 7 years for structural, and 90 working days for maintenance. If their window doesn't work properly after 2 years say, we'll respond to their plea and we work it out with them to rectify the issue. 99% of the time it is very basic and can be fixed in no time. Anyway, You have to guarantee your building work for life. It's your Reputation!

This is how a BUILDER must think!!!!!!!!


----------



## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

Boogga said:


> Warranties are for suckers! When we build a person their home, we guarantee them for life. YEAH shaw our Contract states 7 years for structural, and 90 working days for maintenance. If their window doesn't work properly after 2 years say, we'll respond to their plea and we work it out with them to rectify the issue. 99% of the time it is very basic and can be fixed in no time. Anyway, You have to guarantee your building work for life. It's your Reputation!
> 
> This is how a BUILDER must think!!!!!!!!


So you say one thing and do another??

I'm confused ...

you guarantee your work for life ... yet a 7 years on structural and 90 days on maintenance


(not criticizing ... just confused by that contradiction - clarify if you want ...)


otherwise, wouldn't you be "dishonest?"


and seriously man - does "sucker" mean like "client" or something in Austrailia?? You keep throwing that term around like it's alright to say


----------



## ruskent (Jun 20, 2005)

dirt diggler said:


> So you say one thing and do another??
> 
> I'm confused ...
> 
> ...




I think he means, that hes going to stand behind his work. If something goes wrong, that shouldn't of, he will fix it no matter how long after his written warranty it is.

thats what i think he meant!


----------



## Lee J (Jan 24, 2007)

*Warranty Service*

Hi all;

Truthfully, the waranty depends on the client. Good client's we fix a problem at no charge, basically until it hurts.

For idiots, 1 year, no exceptions. 

Twenty years ago we renovated a historic brownstone house in Phila. Complete gut and rebuild, including the roofs. Four story building, with bays etc... Twelve years later, for a new owner, we replaced the roofs, which it didn't need, but the guy wanted anyway. It was leaking where a guy installed a T.V. Dish. The owner was the type to replace the car if the radio broke. Funny part was he wanted to know if we ever worked in that neighborhood before!
Anyway, we installed the new roofs, repaired the plaster ceilings, and floors, all the way to the first floor. $ 52,000 damage to the house.

Two days later it rained like hell, and the wind was blowing like crazy. Sunday night, at 10:30 this guy calls me at home, screaming and yelling. He was really pissed off. The new roof was leaking. I asked him if he wanted me to come over *then* and clean up the mess. I could hear his wife in the backround telling him to stop yelling at me, and tomorrow was good enough. He agreed the next day would be fine.

The next day I was there climbing around on the roofs, inspecting what my roofing guy had done. (same guy who did it the first time). It was first class all the way, with no obvious signs of a problem. While I was inspecting the damage inside the house, I came across an open window on the third floor of the house. This room was the guys home office. Turns out he left the window open! His wife, who was with me when I came across the open window was so embarrased.

The only repair work needed was cleaning up. The new plaster ceilings weren't painted yet, so no problem there.

This guy became one of my all time best clients, and a good friend, but he never mentioned the open window incident to me.

After that he would ask me to meet him at a property, say what he would like to do to it, and ask if I complete the work for x amount. If I would say yes, it would be a done deal. No problems, no questions. Very straight forward, no games kind of guy. The last time he did that the amount was $ 650,000.00, and we could easilly do it. :clap:


----------



## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

ruskent said:


> I think he means, that hes going to stand behind his work. If something goes wrong, that shouldn't of, he will fix it no matter how long after his written warranty it is.
> 
> thats what i think he meant!


ahhh ... ok ...

booga?


----------



## ACTRenovator (Jan 1, 2007)

Yep that's it dirt.

This 7 years and 90 days stuff is really just a formal writting in the Contract. We will go to the house after 10 years and fix something. We back ourselves. Honestly, it hasn't happened to us but we aim to keep our name to good nic.

You know what I mean?

(smile)


----------



## BenFencin' (Apr 24, 2013)

I've spent a lot of time over the years trying to find out what products are good and what are junk in the livestock/equine fence industry. Places like New Zealand seem to have figured out it makes sense to stick with brand names. Here there is too many products that are Chinese with variable quality. You can have a product that works fine then have a bad run. The suppliers say they'll stand by their product and replace these items that fail, but they don't cover the labor. Often the cost of the labor is more then the product, especially for replacing. I want to be able to stand by my work, but I don't see how I can cover labor on something that failed due to no fault of my own. One thing I've done to try to create accountability is to start a YouTube page to review products.


----------



## MCCarpentry (Feb 13, 2013)

On contract I have a one year warranty, but I do regularly talk to my previous customers and they know I will come out and help them with anything. I agree with these guys about having two choices with two different outcomes when it comes to a call about work you've done: appease the customer and be praised or reject there claims and be demonized. 

Now as far as an actual warranty? Give them the number of a client who has needed you to come fix something so they can share that experience with them. That is stronger than any paper warranty in regards to making sales.


----------



## roofex (Aug 20, 2011)

New flat roof 20 year Guarantee (EPDM)
New roofing repairs 10 years
General roof repairs 1 year
Emergency roof repair 1 Month


----------



## J L (Nov 16, 2009)

If a customer called me in 5 years and said my door isn't closing right, can you come take a look at it. I'd go fix it for them at no charge. And I've done that before.

It's just more face time in front of a potential client. More often than not, it will lead to "while you're here, can you give me a price on X".


----------



## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

dougchips said:


> Intersting. It seems like nobody has any faith in warranties anymore myself included. For the most part if something is installed correctly a warranty is pretty much a none-issue. *If a product fails generally it will do so within a few months.*


Unless it's a washer, dryer, frig, dishwasher or computer... they always seem to "know" when the warranty ends... :laughing:


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Boogga said:


> Yep that's it dirt.
> 
> This 7 years and 90 days stuff is really just a formal writting in the Contract. We will go to the house after 10 years and fix something. We back ourselves. Honestly, it hasn't happened to us but we aim to keep our name to good nic.
> 
> ...


I provide all installations with a lifetime warranty on parts and labour*


















*Lifetime is that of a field mouse which is exactly one year


----------

