Leading American shingle manufacturers often provide lifetime guarantees on their products. While it might be appealing for customers looking for reliable and long standing roof, “liftetime warranty” in many cases does not necessarily mean that you won’t need to pay for roof repair or replacement anymore. So, can we say that lifetime warranty is just a form of marketing or scam? Or maybe it’s a feature worth extra money? We will try to explain you more about asphalt shingles’ lifetime warranty.
What Does Roof “Lifetime Warranty” Even Mean?

In terms of asphalt shingles, lifetime warranty usually means that the manufacturer takes the responsibility for any possible repairs or replacements needed because of defects emerged during the production process. Generally speaking, guarantee doesn’t cover hail damage, storm damage or incorrect installation. In essence, warranty protection cover material defects, which may come out during bad weather, after some time, just because of the roof’s wear and tear.
You should also keep the word “limited” in mind. The protection is obviously transferable, but as you may suppose, under some extra conditions. As a rule, the second property owner is covered for 10, maximally 20 years. The warranty in fact is lifetime, but only if you meet particular conditions. Usually you will not be able to meet them.
GAF Lifetime Warranty Condition
In case of GAF asphalt shingles, the situation is even more complicated. Protection levels differ significantly and there are 6 of them. Business policy of this company is set up with upselling in mind, which means that GAF provides you better conditions of warranty, if you buy another products of this company. However, the manufacturer does not always require to have their shingles installed by GAF certified contractor, such as A.B. Edward. It’s obviously a matter of common sense, but you can theoretically install your roof on your own and still have a lifetime warranty.
GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty
The primary level of GAF product warranty is lifetime, but there are some significant limitations. First of all, the GAF Smart Choice® protection’s duration is limited to only 10 years, and it’s required to use as much as 6 roofing nails instead of standard 4 nails per shingle in case of use of many models of GAF’s shingles. It’s worth mentioning that homeowners with Limited Warranty are not protected in case of need of tearing off and disposing of damaged GAF shingles. Workmanship is also not covered, but it’s obvious – contractors don’t need to meet any standards at this level.
GAF Roofing System Limited Warranty
To obtain a GAF Roofing System Limited Warranty you need to install shingles with at least 3 qualifying accessory products (starter shingles, ridge caps, underlayment, roof deck protection products, attic ventilators). Some shingle models are labeled with WINDPROVEN status, meaning that their wind protection is not limited. The main difference between this and inferior warranty level is just about the maximum wind speed.
GAF System Plus Limited Warranty
GAF System Plus warranty requires to have shingles installed by GAF Certified, Certified Plus or Master Elite Roofing Contractor. The main difference is that at this level, Smart Choice Protection Period is extended from 10 to 50 years, and when it’s necessary to perform repairs, tear-off costs are covered.
GAF Silver Pledge Limited Warranty
To grant you a Silver Pledge Warranty, GAF requires using at least 4 accessory products. The only significant difference in comparison with System Plus warranty is that also the disposal of worn shingles is covered by the manufacturer and 10 years of workmanship warranty. The roof must be installed by Certified Plus or Master Elite Roofing Contractor.
GAF Golden Pledge Limited Warranty
The highest standard of protection is granted, if you use at least 5 qualifying accessory products, what translates usually to installing entire roof with use of GAF components. For using a GAF Master Elite Roofing Contractor, you gain extended to 25 years workmanship warranty period. However, if you have Timberline UHDZ shingles, the protection lasts as much as 30 years.

Keep also in mind, that “Lifetime” means that the warranty lasts as long as you live, but after selling the property to another person, protection gets shortened to 20 years. The most important condition is Smart Choice Protection, which refers most popular failures and covers cost of the materials, sometimes also labor.
All the conditions are dependent on the model you choose. Generally speaking, the more expensive shingles you buy, the better warranty you get.
How Does Warranty Period Compare to Durability of GAF Asphalt Shingles?
As a roofing contractor with more than 20 years of experience with installing, repairing and maintaining asphalt shingles produced by GAF, we can say that generally, this manufacturer cares about quality and durability. In weather conditions typical for Illinois, shingles last for hussle-free, 2 decades. After this period, some minor leaks and defects may arise, but it’s also not a rule. It’s worth mentioning, that plenty of problems are consequences of poor installation, lack of maintenance and malfunctioning attic ventilation.
If properly installed, shingle roof lasts many years. Even if sometimes a repair is needed, 30 years old asphalt roofs are generally still seal enough to use them. It’ worth noting however, that shingles are produced in very repetitive way, and their quality is rather constant. It means that hardly ever, shingle roofs last noticeably shorter than mentioned 30 years, but also they are unlikely to last way longer.
Because of constant quality, long life of products and strong relation between skills of contractor and further reliability, GAF can grant lifetime warranty without being in danger of going bankrupt. Obviously, sometimes it’s necessary to replace the customer’s roof with no charge, but it doesn’t happen often. The warranty conditions are set in order to protect customers from material defects and some rare events, but no one wants to pay for contractor’s incompetence.

How Does Roof Installation Process Affect Shingles’ Lifespan?
As we have already mentioned, the way you install your shingles affects their lifespan and may increase, as well as lower the risk of wind and hail-related damage. Improper use of nail gun, wrong flashings, low quality underlayment or too short nails may result with many problems appearing after 10 or 15 years after purchasing the roof. While shingles look like a mistake-proof and user-friendly material, there is actually a lot of skill needed to install them properly and safely. You should never forget about it when choosing a roofing contractor. Your decision will affect the probability of appearing leaks, overheating and mold growth in the attic.
Is GAF’s Limited Lifetime Warranty Better Than Warranties Provided By Other Roofing Brands?
During the last 20 years, most recognized asphalt roofing brands, such as CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Atlas or GAF, competed in terms of warranty granted on their products. Because of that, protection’s conditions are virtually the same, no matter what manufacturer you choose. While some details may differ slightly, choosing recognized roofing brand along with solid roofing contractor results in very low probability of leak occurrence.
A service that very much sets GAF apart from other brands is the as-built inspection. This manufacturer is the only one on the market that sends a team of professionals to assess the workmanship’s compliance with the manufacturer’s guidelines after the roof is completed. This service is only available with the highest level of warranty, which is Golden Pledge®, and is completely free of charge. It provides the roof owner with documentation that the workmanship of his roof is 100% correct, and that the shingles will be able to take full advantage of their protective functions.

Real-life Scenarios – When Can a GAF Lifetime Warranty Help?
Although damage that qualifies for a warranty is rare, there are situations in which one will actually be useful. An example of such a situation is when you notice alarming signs of shingle wear after using the roof for several years. If you’ve noticed that the roof is leaking or the shingles are pulling away, and not enough time has passed yet to talk about wear and tear, it’s worth trying to get a warranty. Such signs could indicate a manufacturing defect in the material. With the Smart Choice Protection period, GAF will not only cover the cost of new shingles, but also labor, which will translate into savings of up to several thousand dollars. Another scenario is that the manufacturer will admit that the batch of product you received was defective. This can happen even after several years. These are, of course, very rare cases, but they do happen, and the warranty may cover the cost.
Is GAF Limited Lifetime Warranty Worth It?
GAF’s lifetime warranty is indeed applicable in some situations, but it shows more that the manufacturer is confident in the quality of its product – by offering several decades of warranty, GAF proves the reliability of their shingles. In order to receive higher levels of warranty you don’t necessarily have to pay for them directly, but you usually have to meet conditions that include additional costs. The first is installation by a certified contractor – this should be met, even regardless of the degree of warranty you seek. As stated earlier, installation is crucial to the life of your roof, so every effort should be made to make sure it is done correctly, preferably with the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Other conditions, on the other hand, include having other roof components from that manufacturer, which in some cases can be problematic – for example, if you are only replacing shingles, and the rest of your roof is completely fine and created with materials from other companies. Then replacing the “healthy” materials is unlikely to be cost-effective. What is different is if you are building the roof from scratch. You can then make sure that not only the shingles are from GAF, which will give you greater compatibility and a better warranty.
That’s why, our customers usually don’t get higher warranty levels, such as System Plus or Silver Pledge. Instead of use GAF underlayment or exhaust fans, we choose better, and often also cheaper alternatives. As we believe in quality of materials used by us, A.B. Edward grants special warranty, usually exceeding conditions of GAF’s protection.