Maintenance and Repairs

January 26, 2026 Published by Golden Horseshoe Chapter - By Justin Deboer

Why “50-Year Shingle Warranties” Don’t Apply to Condo Roofs — and What Boards Should Focus on Instead

From the Volume 26, Winter 2026 issue of the CCI GHC Condo News Magazine

This article focuses specifically on asphalt shingle roofing systems used on condominium buildings. It does not address flat roofing assemblies or membrane-based systems.

The content is adapted from interviews with roofing manufacturers and warranty specialists. The author thanks the manufacturers who contributed their time and insight to help clarify how multi-residential shingle warranties work in practice.

Condominium boards overseeing shingle-roofed buildings often assume their new roof comes with a “50-year” or “lifetime” warranty. It’s not their fault. Warranty literature is overwhelmingly Single family detached home focused, and can be confusing for anyone looking to replace shingle on any other type of building. The assumption is straightforward: if something goes wrong decades down the road, the manufacturer will step in.

In practice, that assumption is rarely correct for multi-residential shingle roofs — and the gap between perception and reality is larger than most boards realize.

The Key Difference Boards Need to Understand

Residential roofing warranties and condominium shingle roofing warranties are not the same product — even when the shingles themselves are identical.

• Manufacturers shorten and restructure warranties for condominiums because the buildings are used differently. Condo shingle roofs experience: l Regular roof traffic from maintenance and service trades
• Work by third parties after installation (HVAC, electrical, telecom, and others)
• Long-term ownership where warranty claims are far more likely to be exercised

For these reasons, manufacturers typically cap multi-residential shingle warranties at approximately 25 years, even when the same product carries a “50-year” label in residential marketing.

This is not a downgrade. It is a more realistic alignment between coverage and how condominium buildings are actually managed.

What Boards Often Don’t Realize About “Out-of-the-Box” Coverage

One of the least understood aspects of condominium shingle roofing is the difference between default (out-of-package) coverage and what is actually available.

While manufacturers rarely describe it this way in marketing materials, out-of-the-box coverage for condo shingle roofs is often limited in scope and duration. Once exclusions, proration, and labour limitations are considered, the practical value of default coverage is frequently closer to short-term protection, not long-term risk transfer

At the same time, the residential warranties most commonly advertised — including “50-year” and “lifetime” warranties — do not apply to condominiums.

The result is a significant gap between what boards believe they are receiving and what is actually in place by default.

The Opportunity: Condo-Specific Warranties That Are Lesser Known

What is genuinely encouraging — and far less widely known — is that stronger, condo-specific shingle warranties do exist.

Through proper specification, system selection, certified installation, and registration, condominiums can access warranty programs that provide:

• Meaningfully longer non-prorated periods
• Broader coverage beyond materials alone
• Labour, tear-off, and disposal protection
• Clearer alignment with reserve fund planning timelines

For condominium corporations, the difference between out-of-package coverage and a properly structured extended warranty can represent substantial long-term value, particularly in an environment of rising insurance deductibles and capital costs.

What a “Good” Condo Shingle Warranty Actually Looks Like

For boards, the value of a shingle warranty has little to do with how long it sounds and everything to do with what it pays for.

When properly structured for multi-residential use, higher-tier shingle warranties may include:

• Non-prorated coverage for a defined period
• Labour and material replacement
• Tear-off and disposal
• Claim values adjusted for inflation

Lower-tier or default warranties often cover materials only — sometimes on a prorated basis — leaving the corporation exposed to significant costs even when a legitimate defect exists.

Qualification Is Where Boards Are Most Often Exposed

Many warranty problems do not arise from denied claims. They arise because the warranty was never properly established.

1. Enhanced condominium shingle warranties typically require: 1. Installation of a complete manufacturer-approved roofing system 
2. Use of a contractor certified by the manufacturer for multi-residential shingle work
3. Formal warranty registration at project close-out

If any one of these steps is missed, coverage may quietly default to minimal protection — in some cases as little as five years — even when boards believe they secured long-term coverage.

Cost vs. Risk: A Board-Level Decision

One of the most common misconceptions is that enhanced shingle warranties significantly increase project cost.

In practice, warranty registration fees are often modest compared to the overall value of a roofing project, particularly when spread across all units. The financial impact of not securing appropriate coverage, however, typically appears years later, when insurance deductibles are high and reserve funds are under pressure.

For boards, the decision should be framed as risk transfer, not simply price.

What Every Condo Board Should Ask Before Approving a Shingle Roof

Before approving a shingle roofing project, boards should be able to answer “yes” to all of the following:

• Is this warranty specifically written for multi-residential shingle roofs?
• Does it clearly state what is covered (labour, materials, tear-off, disposal)?
• Is coverage non-prorated, and for how long?
• Does it require a full roofing system, not just shingles?
• Is the contractor manufacturer-certified for condominium shingle work?
• Will the warranty be formally registered, and who is responsible for that?
• Does the warranty meaningfully reduce exposure relative to the corporation’s insurance deductible? If any answer is unclear, the risk typically sits with the corporation — not the manufacturer.

Performance Still Matters More Than Paper

No warranty replaces product quality and proper installation.

Manufacturers consistently emphasize that better- engineered shingles and complete system assemblies reduce the likelihood of failure in the first place. Well-designed shingle roofs often exceed their stated warranty periods, aligning naturally with reserve fund planning timelines.

The Board-Level Takeaway

For condominiums, shingle roofing warranties are not marketing tools. They are risk-management instruments.

The most important question is not “How long is the warranty?”

It is “What happens if something goes wrong — and who pays?”

When boards focus on coverage clarity, qualification requirements, and long-term alignment with reserve planning, shingle warranties move from assumed protection to real financial security.

Manufacturers Interviewed (with thanks)

This article was informed by interviews with representatives from the following roofing manufacturers. Readers are encouraged to consult each manufacturer’s published warranty documentation directly.

• CertainTeed — https://www.certainteed.ca
• GAF — https://www.gaf.com
• IKO — https://www.iko.com

Questions or Clarifications

This article is intended to support informed decision- making by condominium boards, managers, and advisors. If any clarification is required regarding shingle roofing warranty structure, terminology, or how these concepts apply to a specific building or project, readers are welcome to reach out to the author for further discussion.

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Since 2004, Justin Deboer has led Skyline Contracting with a commitment to excellence in roofing, total building envelope care, and proactive property maintenance throughout the Golden Horseshoe region. He actively contributes his expertise as a member of the Professional & Business Partners Committee of the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI) Golden Horseshoe Chapter.