How do you file a roof warranty claim?

A roof warranty claim is really one of two claims, and you start with the right one. A manufacturer claim is about shingles that were made badly, and it goes to the shingle maker. A workmanship claim is about a roof that was installed badly, and it goes to the roofer. In the two 2026 shingle warranties read for this page, both makers require you to report a suspected defect within 30 days of discovering it, ask for proof that you own the home and when the roof went on, and may want photos, samples or a visit to your roof. Neither promises payment: the maker decides whether the problem is a covered defect, and what a claim pays is usually the shingles, not everything the problem cost you.

This page covers the process. For what a warranty covers and how prorating works, see our guide to what a roof warranty actually covers.

Which warranty is the claim under?

Work out who made the mistake before you pick up the phone.

The line is not always clear, and many leaks come from details, not shingles. Our guide to signs of a bad roofing job lists installation faults. If you cannot tell, tell the roofer first: a standard material warranty does not pay for installation errors.

How to file a manufacturer claim

The steps below are the generic process. Your warranty document is the authority, because it names the deadlines and the contact.

1. Find your papers. You need the warranty that applied when the shingles were installed. Both makers say the warranty in effect at the time of installation or purchase is the one that governs.
2. Report the problem within 30 days of discovering it. Both documents set that limit.
3. Describe the problem and the roof. Owens Corning's online claim form asks for the issue (such as missing granules, leaking or cracking), whether it affects the whole roof or part, the shingle line, style and color, the number of squares, the warranty type and the installation date, which you may estimate if you do not know it. The form is for a suspected manufacturing defect only.
4. Send proof. The same form asks afterwards for proof of purchase, such as the contractor's installation invoice (an estimate does not count), and proof of ownership, such as a deed or a tax bill. CertainTeed's warranty asks for proof of ownership and of the date the shingles were bought and applied.
5. Provide photos or a sample if asked. Owens Corning may ask you to provide pictures or shingle samples to test, at your expense, and says you must do so to be eligible. CertainTeed may require a sample, and may ask to take photographs and samples from your roof itself.
6. Allow an inspection. Owens Corning's warranty gives it a reasonable time after notice to inspect and requires reasonable access to the roof during business hours if it asks.
7. Wait for the decision before repairing. Owens Corning says that if you repair or replace its products before it has decided, your claim may be denied. Protecting an active leak is different from replacing shingles, but tell the maker first.
8. Answer follow-up questions quickly. Owens Corning says it will tell you the next steps within 72 hours of the online form, according to its claim page. CertainTeed's warranty promises to evaluate each properly reported claim within a reasonable time.

Owens Corning's form lets either the homeowner or the contractor start a claim. CertainTeed's page points to an online warranty portal and a warranty team by phone and email. If your contractor is still in business, ask for help: they know the product details.

Put it in writing

The FTC's advice for any warranty claim is to contact the seller first, then write to the manufacturer at the address on the warranty, and send the letter by certified mail with a return receipt. It adds that if you reported the defect during the warranty period and it is not properly fixed, the company must correct it even if the warranty runs out in the meantime. Keep copies of everything, along with your contract, invoice and warranty papers. Take dated photos before anyone touches the roof.

What a manufacturer claim can pay

Read the remedy clause before you count on a number. In both warranties here, the remedy is narrow:

• Owens Corning decides how it compensates you, whether directly arranged repair or a cash settlement, a material credit, or both, and requires that all costs be approved in advance. It excludes any cost it did not authorize before you incurred it.
• CertainTeed limits its obligation to repairing, replacing, cleaning (for algae) or reimbursing the shingles it finds defective, and caps its total liability at the reasonable cost of shingles and labor to replace or repair them.
• Neither pays for resulting damage. Both disclaim damage to the building or its contents, so a stained ceiling or soaked insulation is not part of a material claim. That is a matter for your homeowners insurance.

How much they pay shrinks as the roof ages, as our warranty guide shows with worked numbers. Registration is optional under CertainTeed's standard warranty; Owens Corning's Platinum warranty must be registered by the contractor within 60 days.

How to file a workmanship claim

A workmanship claim is against the roofer, and the contract is the only rulebook. Check how long the workmanship warranty lasts and from what date, what it covers, and what the contractor promises to do. Then:

1. Notify the roofer in writing. Send an email and a letter that names the address, the installation date, what you saw and when.
2. Give them a chance to fix it. The FTC says to try to resolve a dispute with the contractor first, and your contract may set a period for the contractor to respond.
3. Hold off hiring someone else. Another company's repair can blur whose work failed, and your contract may say what happens to the warranty. Take photos first.
4. Escalate in writing. If the roofer does not respond, follow the contract's dispute terms and send a certified letter.

Enhanced warranties blur the line. Owens Corning's Platinum Protection warranty, for shingles bought after August 1, 2026, covers workmanship, and says that for an application error found within two years of installation, the installing contractor must make the repairs. If the contractor is unable or unwilling, Owens Corning says it will arrange the repair. That shows why it matters which warranty you actually have; see what to do if your roofer stops work or closes.

Why claims get denied

A denial does not mean a defect is not real. It usually means the claim did not fit what the document covers. These are the grounds that come straight from the 2026 warranties:

If your claim is denied, ask for the reason in writing and compare it with your warranty text.

Disputes, arbitration and time limits

Owens Corning's warranty requires disputes to go to individual arbitration, after a written notice of intent sent by certified mail that describes the problem. If the parties do not settle within 30 days of the notice, either one can begin the arbitration. It also says no dispute may be brought more than one year after the cause of action arose. CertainTeed's warranty calls itself the exclusive warranty and limits remedies to repair or replacement. Whether those terms hold depends on your state's rules. This is not legal advice: for a large or denied claim, ask a lawyer who handles consumer disputes.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a roof warranty claim?

In the two 2026 shingle warranties read for this page, you must notify the maker within 30 days of discovering the problem. That is separate from the warranty's length, which can be decades. Workmanship warranties set their own deadlines, so check your contract.

What do I need to file a claim?

Proof that you own the home, proof of what was bought and when it was installed (the contractor's invoice, not the estimate), the shingle line and color if you know them, and photos of the problem. Be ready to give a sample or allow an inspection.

Will the warranty pay for the damage inside my house?

Not under these two documents. Both exclude damage to the building and its contents, so interior damage is a matter for homeowners insurance or the contractor, depending on the contract.

Can I replace the shingles first and claim later?

That is risky. Owens Corning says a claim may be denied if you repair or replace before it decides. If water is coming in, protect the roof, document it and tell the maker what you did and why.

Where this information comes from

HomeAnvil does not publish warranty data of its own. Each fact comes from the document named beside it, all read on October 13, 2026. Makers are named only as examples of how claims are written, not as recommendations. Warranties differ by product and year, and your own warranty decides.

• Owens Corning, Standard product limited lifetime warranty on roofing shingles and components, for shingles purchased after January 1, 2026 (PDF created April 14, 2026): the claims process and right of inspection, compensation, exclusions, arbitration and the one-year limit.
• Owens Corning, Platinum Protection limited lifetime warranty, for shingles purchased after August 1, 2026: workmanship terms, registration within 60 days and the two-year contractor obligation.
• Owens Corning, roofing claim form, no date shown: the information requested, the proof of purchase and ownership, and the 72-hour response.
• CertainTeed, Asphalt shingle residential products 2026 limited warranty, for shingles installed in 2026: what the customer must do, remedies, optional registration and the limit of liability.
• CertainTeed, Residential and commercial roofing warranty claims, no date shown: where claims are started.
• FTC Consumer Advice, Warranties, July 2023: contacting the seller, writing to the manufacturer, certified mail and the duty to correct a defect reported during the warranty.
• FTC Consumer Advice, How to avoid a home improvement scam, July 2022: trying to resolve a dispute with the contractor first and keeping written records.

This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice. We will update it when these documents change, and the date above will say when.

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