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How does the claim process work?
For the safety of everyone involved, we strongly recommend that property owners hire a professional contractor to
measure the size of your roof and to safely collect samples and photographs needed to start a warranty claim. The
contractor should collect two full shingles from the affected area and digital photos of the roof using our simple
photo guidelines below:
- The entire roof from a distance
- 2 close-up photos showing fastener placement used to secure the shingles
- Each slope of the portion of the roof experiencing issues
- At least 4 close-up photos that clearly show the issue from each slope experiencing an issue
- Photographs of all attic ventilation on and around the roof (including roof mounted vents, gable vents and
soffit vents).
The shingle samples and photos will be used to determine the type of shingle and explore what issue may be occurring
with the roof. A lack of adequate roof photos, as indicated above, and/or a lack of shingle samples will delay
processing your claim.
(Any of the following information can confirm this)
- Documentation from your builder or contractor
- Invoice for the TAMKO® product (from the distributor or contractor)
- Look for extra bundles or shingles leftover from the roof install (check garages, outbuildings, under decks,
etc.)
Don’t have any of these? No problem, there are other ways to find this information.
- Invoice from roofer or builder
- The Limited Warranty brochure provided by your installer (if you have it)
- The Warranty digital certificate emailed to you after the installation (if your roofer registered your
installation)
- All the required photos of your roof, taken by a roofing professional, using our simple guidelines detailed in
the FAQ information below
- The size of your roof as determined by your professional contractor or an online satellite-based roof
measurement provider (this is not the same as your property’s interior square footage)
- Description of the issue you are experiencing
Follow the steps outlined in the “Getting Started” section at the top of the Warranty Center page to begin the process of starting a warranty claim.
A self-addressed claim packet will be sent to the address you provide so you can send two full roof shingles
from the area of the roof that you are concerned about to TAMKO for evaluation. These samples MUST have been
installed on your roof. Uninstalled samples from left-over shingles will not work for this purpose.
We strongly recommend that property owners hire a professional contractor to get on their roof and safely
gather shingle samples and photographs. It is always safer for an experienced professional to get on the
roof rather than a property owner.
Once TAMKO receives both the digital and physical items required to start your claim, your
claim will be processed as quickly as possible. If additional samples, photos, documentation or information is
needed to process your claim, a TAMKO Warranty Services representative will communicate with you to let you know
what is needed to complete the claims process.
How do I check the status of a claim?
To check the status of an existing claim, please send an email to warranty@tamko.com with the following information and a TAMKO Warranty Services representative will respond with your claim’s current status:
- Address of property with an active TAMKO warranty claim
- Legal name of one of the property owners listed in the active TAMKO warranty claim
- TAMKO-issued warranty claim number
If you have additional questions, please reach out to our dedicated Warranty Services Team at 800-441-7190 and leave
a detailed message. A Warranty Services representative will reach out to you to provide additional information.
How do limited warranties work?
Limited warranties exist to give consumers the information needed to make the best product purchasing decisions for
them. Limited warranties are typically printed on product wrappers and are available online and in brochures to
enable consumers to compare different manufacturers’ limited warranties prior to making their purchase. In general
terms, a limited warranty provides an established manufacturer remedy for eligible consumers in the unlikely event
the product has a manufacturing defect. Limited warranties notify consumers of conditions, restrictions, and
exclusions of coverage under the limited warranty.
To take advantage of TAMKO’s limited warranty coverage, consumers must start a claim with TAMKO within 30 days of
discovery of the issue and must follow TAMKO’s established claim process, completing the items that are the property
owner’s responsibility and making their roof accessible to an inspection, if requested by TAMKO.
How can I tell if my roof is under warranty?
If you answer “yes” to all of these following statements, there is a good chance* that you have a TAMKO limited
warranty in effect on your roof:
- My roofer purchased TAMKO® products from a first-quality TAMKO dealer and installed them on my roof.
- I owned the property at the time of the TAMKO® product installation OR the owner at that time went through the
official process of transferring the TAMKO limited warranty to me within 30 days of when I bought the property
(and within the transfer term allowed by the limited warranty).
- My roofer strictly followed TAMKO’s application instructions and used good standard roofing practices when
installing my roof.
- I have not used chemicals on my roof, brushed my roof, or used a power washer on my roof.
- My roof has NOT been exposed to hail events, hurricanes, tornadoes or other harsh weather events.
*Please consult the actual terms of the limited warranty specific to your TAMKO® product, which will provide the
definitive details regarding warranty coverage.
How can I tell which TAMKO limited warranty applies to my roof?
TAMKO offers a variety of limited warranties on our products. The limited warranty covering your roof is the limited
warranty that was in effect on the date those specific TAMKO® products were PURCHASED. Currently, all TAMKO
laminated or architectural asphalt shingles come with a Limited Lifetime Warranty that requires no additional
registration and TAMKO® Elite Glass-Seal® 3-tab shingles come with a 25-year Limited Warranty that requires no
additional registration to be in effect.
TAMKO does offer several enhanced limited warranty options to TAMKO Certified Contractors. For these enhanced limited warranties, the contractor must be certified with TAMKO and complete the qualifying steps, including proper
installation, registering the enhanced limited warranty and paying all applicable fees. If your contractor
registered an enhanced limited warranty for your roof, TAMKO will have a record of the installation.
Can TAMKO limited warranties be transferred?
Most long-term limited warranties have limitations on transferability of the limited warranty. In general, TAMKO
shingle limited warranties follow this same pattern. There are some TAMKO limited warranties that can be transferred
by the initial purchaser to the next subsequent owner during the first few years after they are purchased/installed.
These transfers MUST be registered with TAMKO within 30 days after the property is officially transferred to the new
owner. TAMKO limited warranties can only be transferred once and must be completed in accordance with TAMKO’s
official process as stated in the limited warranty, including the transferability time period limitations. See the
applicable limited warranty for complete details on transferring the limited warranty.
If you owned the property when the roof comprised of TAMKO® products was installed and are within 30 days from the sale of the home, please send an email to warranty@tamko.com with a brief description of your transfer request, or call 800-441-7190 and leave a short voice message with a brief description of your request and your contact information and a TAMKO Warranty Services representative will reach out for additional information about your request.
What do limited warranties cover?
TAMKO limited warranties cover manufacturing defects which have directly caused leaks.
What is not covered by a TAMKO limited warranty?
TAMKO does not cover issues that are outside of TAMKO’s control such as weather or environmental damage or improper installation or poor workmanship. Damage caused by hail, tree branches or other obstacles striking the roof are not covered by TAMKO limited warranties but may be covered by your property insurance policy. Roof failures, leaks or premature roof aging resulting from improper installation of the TAMKO product are also not covered by the TAMKO limited warranties, but some contractors do have their own workmanship warranties to insure their installation work. Improper installation can include, without limitation, improper or insufficient nailing, inadequate ventilation underneath the roof deck, not starting the job with a clean roof deck and/or proper underlayment, or using products, materials or chemicals that are incompatible with TAMKO products. Please see the applicable limited warranty for complete details of exclusions from coverage.
How do I know if I should start a TAMKO warranty claim?
There are several reasons that roofs may fail:
- If your area recently experienced a hail storm, you may consider starting a claim with your property insurance
company because damage caused by hail is not covered by the shingle manufacturer’s warranty, but is typically
covered by property insurance plans.
- Roofs age over time. The typical lifespan of a laminated asphalt roof differs based on the specific product and
many other factors. TAMKO limited warranties include a specified portion of time after the product’s initial
install during which an approved warranty claim will cover replacement shingles over the affected area and the
cost to install them but does not include labor cost for tear-off, removal or disposal of the original shingles
and ancillary roofing products. After this “Full Start® period” expires, labor costs are not included and the
limited warranty only covers a prorated portion of the replacement shingles.
- If you have a roof leak and you believe it may be the result of a manufacturing defect, rather than damage to
the roof from hail, tornado, hurricane or other environmental issue; improper installation; or normal roof
aging, you may start a TAMKO warranty claim by following the steps outlined in the “Getting Started” section at the top of the Warranty Center page.
What is a Limited Lifetime Warranty?
A Limited Lifetime Warranty offers property owners some level of warranty coverage for the entire lifetime of the shingle. At TAMKO, all of our architectural asphalt shingles come with a Limited Lifetime Warranty that includes a 10-year Full Start® non-prorated warranty period, during which the cost of replacement shingles and the labor for their installation are covered (excluding the labor cost for tear-off, removal and disposal of the original shingles and does not cover accessory products such as underlayment, flashing, drip edge, etc.). After the Full Start® period ends, installation labor costs are no longer included in the limited warranty remedy and the quantity of replacement shingles provided to the property owner is prorated each year up to year 40, at which time the prorated remedy stays at 20% of the cost for replacements shingles.
What is the Full Start® non-prorated warranty period?
The Full Start® period is an initial time period after the shingles are installed, during which both the cost of replacement shingles and the labor for their installation are covered (excluding the labor cost for tear-off, removal and disposal of the original shingles and does not cover accessory products such as underlayment, flashing, drip edge, etc.). After the Full Start® period ends, installation labor costs are no longer included in the limited warranty remedy and the quantity of replacement shingles provided to the property owner is prorated each year. Studies have shown the most common time for a roof to fail due to a manufacturing defect is during the first few years after it is installed. TAMKO provides the Full Start® period to offer protection and assurance to property owners during the period where roofs are most likely to experience these types of issues.
How do I submit shingle photos and samples?
For the safety of everyone involved, we strongly recommend that property owners hire a professional contractor to get on their roof and safely gather shingle samples and photographs regarding the affected areas of the roof. It is always safer for an experienced professional to get on the roof rather than a property owner.
To help expedite your claims experience, please follow these simple guidelines when submitting digital photos as part
of the information needed for your:
- Digital photos taken by a cell phone or digital camera both work well
- Make sure you submit all required photographs including:
- The entire roof from a distance
- 2 close-up photos showing fastener placement used to secure the shingles
- Each slope of the portion of the roof experiencing issues
- At least 4 close-up photos that clearly show the issue from each slope experiencing an issue
- Photographs of all attic ventilation on and around the roof (including roof mounted vents, gable vents and
soffit vents)
A self-addressed claim packet will be sent to the mailing address you provide so you can mail two samples of your installed roof shingles from the area of the roof that you are concerned about to TAMKO for evaluation. Please send two full sized shingles from the affected area as part of the claims packet. Submitted shingle samples MUST have been installed on your roof so TAMKO can see the condition of the shingles that have been exposed to the environment on your roof.
How do I find out my roof size?
The size of your roof can be measured by a professional roofing contractor or you can purchase a report containing your roof size from an online satellite-based roof measurement provider (such as EagleView at www.eagleview.com). Please note that the roof size is different than the square footage of your home’s interior. Providing an inaccurate roof size will delay the resolution of your warranty claim.
How long does the claims process take?
The length of time it takes to resolve a product warranty claim depends on a variety of factors, including you, the property owner, returning the needed items for the claims kit, and whether additional items need to be requested after the initial photos and shingle samples are submitted. Our goal is to have a resolution on your claim as quickly as possible after TAMKO receives all the required items.
I bought my home from a builder and the TAMKO® shingles were already installed – do I have a TAMKO limited warranty on my roof?
If you bought the property from a builder or developer and are the first person to occupy the residence, you are considered the original owner of the roof comprised of TAMKO® products and have the same rights and limited warranty coverage offered if you owned the property at the time the roof was installed.