A guarantee is only worth reading if you know what it says and who stands behind it. This page answers both questions in plain words. The wording for your own job is in the written document you receive, and that document is the one to rely on.
In writing
What the guarantee is
It is a promise from Taunton Prestige Roofing itself. If a fault appears in the work we carried out, caused by how it was done, we come back and put it right. It lasts 10 years and it is given in writing with the job paperwork, so you hold a copy rather than a spoken assurance.
It is the firm's own written promise and not an insurance policy. No insurer pays out under it. Its strength is the firm that signed it, which is why the paperwork should name that firm clearly and give you a way to reach it.
Scope
Workmanship, in plain terms
Workmanship means the quality of the labour: how slates were nailed, how a valley was dressed, whether lead was fixed and detailed properly, whether flashing (the metal strip that seals where roof meets masonry) was sealed, whether a ridge was bedded or dry-fixed as it should be. If a ridge tile comes loose because it was fitted badly, that is a workmanship fault.
Materials are a separate matter. Tiles, slates, membranes and rooflights usually come with a manufacturer's warranty, and that warranty comes from the manufacturer on its own terms. Ask for the product details on your job so that you can keep them with the paperwork.
Limits
What no workmanship promise can cover
Storm damage, falling branches, a later leak caused by someone else's work on the roof, and wear from age are different from faulty workmanship. A fair guarantee tells the two apart. If you are unsure which side a problem falls on, ask for a look. The roof is read before anything is said, and photos show what is happening.
Keep the roof maintained as well. Gutters that overflow and moss that holds water can cause damage that has nothing to do with the original work.
Your rights
It sits beside your legal rights
The guarantee adds to your statutory rights as a consumer and never replaces them. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 already requires reasonable care and skill, whether or not any guarantee exists. A guarantee period is also not a lifespan. A roof covering can last far longer than 10 years, and a typical lifespan is a range for a covering, not a promise to you.
Making a claim
What to do if something goes wrong
Get in touch as soon as you notice a problem, using the contact page, and have your job paperwork to hand. Photos of the problem and its date help, and so does a note of when the weather was bad. Many faults are small when found early and costly when left, so reporting something minor is always the better choice.
If you feel a problem has not been put right, the route is set out on the complaints page, and the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 gives independent advice.
Before you agree
What to ask any roofer for
Whoever you choose, ask for the cover in writing before work starts. Check the length, the name of the company giving it, what counts as workmanship, how to make a claim and whether it passes to a new owner if you sell. A sale is often when a buyer's surveyor asks for it, so keep the document with the house papers. The terms for the work itself are on the terms page.