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Month: October 2026

Categories
Homeowners Roof Repair

Winter Roof Leak Repair: What to Do About Ice Dams on Your Roof

If you see water stains along an outside wall or near the ceiling edge after a snow, ice dams on your roof are a likely cause, and the repair has two parts: a roof leak repair where the water got in, and a look at why the ice formed in the first place. Stay off the roof and off ladders, and don’t try to chip the ice. Catch the water inside, take photos from the ground, and have a roofer find the source. Our roof repair visits start there: we find where the water is getting in, photograph it and give you a straight answer.

What are ice dams on a roof?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that builds up along the lower edge of the roof, usually right over the gutters and eaves.

Snow sits on the roof. Heat from the house warms the upper part of the roof deck, and the snow there melts from underneath. That meltwater runs down the roof until it reaches the eaves, which hang out past the warm walls and stay cold. There it refreezes. Each melt-and-freeze cycle adds to the ridge, and before long there’s a wall of ice holding back a pool of water.

Shingles are designed to shed water running downhill. They aren’t built to hold back standing water. When that pool backs up under the shingles, it can work its way to the roof boards and into the house.

Front Range weather can set this up. We get a snow, then a sunny afternoon above freezing, then a hard freeze that night. Heat from the house and from the sun melts the snow on the upper roof, and the overnight freeze turns that meltwater back into ice at the eaves. Each round of that cycle builds the ice.

Signs an ice dam is causing your leak

Look for:

  • Water stains or peeling paint near exterior walls, often in the corners of upstairs rooms or along the top of a wall.
  • Thick ice along the eaves and gutters, sometimes with icicles hanging off it.
  • A leak that shows up on a sunny day after a snow, not during the snowfall itself.
  • Wet or frosty insulation in the attic near the outside edges, if you can see it safely from the attic hatch, without stepping on the insulation.

What to do right now (and what not to do)

Do:

  • Catch the water inside with buckets and towels, and move furniture and electronics away from it.
  • If water is dripping through a light fixture or near an outlet, don’t touch it and keep people and pets away. If a ceiling is bulging or sagging with water, stay out from under it. If you can reach your electrical panel without stepping through water, turn off the breaker for that room. If you’re not sure, call an electrician.
  • Take photos and a short video of the stain, the drip and the ice along the roof edge from the ground.
  • Call a roofer to look at it.

Don’t:

  • Don’t climb onto the roof, or onto a ladder, when there’s snow or ice on the roof or the ground. An icy roof edge is one of the most dangerous places on a house. That’s a job for a trained crew, once conditions allow.
  • Don’t stand or park under icicles or ice at the roof edge. Chunks can fall without warning. Take your photos from a safe distance.
  • Don’t chip at the ice with a hammer, shovel or ice pick. It’s easy to break shingles, gouge the gutters or tear off flashing, which turns one leak into several.
  • Don’t throw salt or chemicals on the roof. Some can damage shingles, metal and plants below.

What roof leak repair looks like after an ice dam

Once the ice melts, the leak often stops. But the water already got under the shingles once, and it can again.

When we come out on an ice dam leak, we:

  • Inspect the roof section by section when conditions allow, and photograph what we find, especially along the eaves, valleys and roof-to-wall joints.
  • Check the attic for wet insulation, stained roof boards and signs that warm air is reaching the roof deck.
  • Look for related damage: lifted or cracked shingles at the eaves, flashing pulled loose, and gutters bent by the weight of the ice.
  • Tell you honestly whether this is a repair or a sign the roof is at the point where repairs stop making sense.
  • Give you a written scope and price before any work starts.

Some repair work depends on temperature, because shingle sealing and some materials need warmer weather. Sometimes the right move in winter is a temporary fix now and a permanent repair when the weather allows. A temporary fix is meant to limit water until conditions are right for the real repair. It isn’t a guarantee that the leak is fully stopped. We’ll tell you which one you’re getting.

Why ice dams form on some roofs and not others

The difference is usually how much heat is reaching the roof. Common causes:

  • Warm air leaking into the attic through gaps around light fixtures, attic hatches and plumbing or vent openings.
  • Not enough insulation in the attic, so heat moves straight up to the roof deck.
  • Poor attic ventilation, so warm air gets trapped under the roof instead of being replaced by cold outside air.
  • Roof shape: valleys and low-slope sections collect more snow and meltwater.

Long term, the goal is to keep the roof deck cold and even from top to bottom, so snow melts slowly and evenly instead of melting up high and refreezing at the edge. Our roof inspection notes what we see in the attic and on the roof, so you know where the heat may be coming from. Blue Peaks doesn’t do insulation or air sealing. If the attic is the problem, a home energy auditor or an insulation contractor is the right call, and we’ll tell you so. On a roof replacement, we do look at the roof’s ventilation.

How to prevent ice dams before the next big snow

To make ice dams less likely:

  • Clear your gutters and downspouts in dry weather before the snow starts, or have a professional do it. Don’t go up a ladder once there’s ice or snow. Clear gutters give meltwater somewhere to go, though the bigger factor is how much heat is reaching the roof.
  • If you use a roof rake, use it from the ground only, after a heavy snow, to pull down the snow along the bottom few feet of the roof. Look up first and stay well away from power lines and the wires running to your house, since a metal or wet pole can carry current. Pull snow only: don’t chop or yank at ice stuck to the shingles. Stand out of the way of falling snow and ice. If you’re unsure, skip it and call a roofer.
  • Ask about the roof edge. When we replace a shingle roof, ice and water shield, a self-adhering waterproof membrane, goes under the shingles in every valley and along the eaves. It’s a backup layer for water that backs up at the edge of the roof. It won’t stop ice dams from forming, so we also look at where the heat is coming from.

Can an ice dam leak wait until spring?

We’d rather you didn’t wait. Every melt-and-freeze cycle can push more water under the shingles and into the roof boards, insulation and drywall. Over time, wet materials can lead to rot and mold.

If your roof is already leaking from something other than ice, our post on what to do when your roof starts leaking walks through the first steps.

Roof repair in Denver and the Front Range: how we handle winter leak calls

Blue Peaks was founded in 2019 and is based in Littleton, and we hold Atlas PRO+ Silver and TAMKO Pro Platinum credentials. Our inspections come with photos and a written scope before any work begins. We handle urgent roof problems during business hours. If water is coming in, call us and we’ll get you on the schedule.

Not every leak means a new roof. Our job is to find out which kind you have and tell you the truth about it.

Seeing stains near your walls or ice along the roof edge? Call us at (303) 808-0687 or schedule a roof inspection. We’ll find the source, show you photos and give you a straight answer.

Categories
Homeowners Roof Repair

What Should You Do When Your Roof Starts Leaking?

Flashing around a roof vent pipe on a shingle roof, a common place for roof leaks to start

If your roof starts leaking, protect people and belongings first, catch and contain the water inside, write down and photograph what you see, and call a roofer to find the real source before anyone patches it. Don’t climb onto a wet or icy roof yourself. Most leaks can be fixed without replacing the whole roof, but only after someone finds where the water is actually getting in. That’s what our roof repair visits are built around: we find the cause, photograph it and give you a straight answer.

Here’s how we walk homeowners through it when they call us with water coming through the ceiling.

Step 1: Make the inside safe

Water and a ceiling don’t mix for long, so start with the inside of the house.

  • Keep people and pets out from under the wet spot. A ceiling that’s sagging or bulging is holding water. Keep everyone out of that area until it’s dealt with.
  • Keep water away from electricity. If water is dripping near a light fixture, outlet or ceiling fan, don’t touch it. If you can reach your breaker panel safely and know which circuit it is, shut that circuit off. Don’t walk through standing water to get to the panel. If you can’t reach it dry, leave it and call an electrician.
  • Move what you can. Pull furniture, rugs, electronics and boxes away from the drip.
  • Catch the water. Buckets, towels and a tarp or plastic sheet on the floor will save your flooring and drywall a lot of grief.

None of this fixes the roof. It just keeps a roof problem from turning into a bigger inside problem while you get help.

Step 2: Write down what you’re seeing

Before you mop it all up, take a few minutes to note what’s happening. It helps whoever comes out to find the source faster.

  • Take photos and a short video of the drip, the stain and any sagging.
  • Note when it started and what the weather was doing: heavy rain, wind-driven rain, melting snow, or a sunny day after a snowstorm.
  • If you can get into the attic safely, look for wet insulation, dark stains on the roof boards or daylight coming through. Step only on the joists or attic boards, never on the drywall between them.
  • Check outside from the ground. Missing, cracked or lifted shingles, flashing pulling away around a chimney or vent, or gutters overflowing can all point toward the problem.

The timing detail matters more than people think. A leak that only shows up during wind-driven rain often points somewhere different than one that shows up when snow is melting off the roof.

Step 3: Stay off the roof

We get it. You want to get up there and see what’s going on. Please don’t. A roof that’s wet, frosty or icy is dangerous even for people who walk roofs every day, and we use fall protection for a reason. Stepping on the wrong spot can also crack shingles or make an existing problem worse.

Viewing from the ground, from a window, or through binoculars is fine. Leave the climbing to a roofer.

Step 4: Call a roofer to find the source, not just the drip

Here’s the part that trips a lot of people up: where the water shows up inside is often not where it’s getting in. Water can travel along roof boards, rafters and underlayment before it drips through your ceiling. A stain in the middle of the living room ceiling might come from flashing around a vent several feet away.

That’s why a good repair starts with diagnosis. When we come out for a leak, we:

  • Inspect the roof section by section and take photos of what we find, including the spots you can’t see yourself.
  • Look at the usual suspects: flashing around chimneys, vents and skylights, roof-to-wall joints, damaged or missing shingles, and sealant that has dried out and cracked.
  • Tell you honestly whether a repair is enough or whether the roof is at the point where repairs stop making sense.
  • Give you a written scope and price before any work starts.

If you’re stuck between those two options, our post on roof repair vs. replacement walks through how to think about it.

What usually causes roof leaks in Colorado?

Every roof is different, but these are the problems we see most often on Front Range homes:

  • Flashing and seals. The metal flashing around chimneys, vents and walls often wears out before the shingles do, and caulking and sealants dry out and crack in our sun.
  • Damaged or missing shingles. Wind can lift shingles and break their seal, and age makes them crack and curl.
  • Penetrations. Every pipe, vent and skylight is a hole in the roof that has to be sealed right.
  • Ice dams. In winter, snow melts on the warmer part of the roof, runs down and refreezes at the colder eaves. The water backs up under the shingles and can show up as a stain near your exterior walls. Don’t chip at ice dams or climb a ladder onto icy eaves to clear them.
  • Storm damage. Hail can bruise and crack shingles, and the damage isn’t always obvious from the ground. If your leak showed up after a hailstorm, our hail damage inspection page explains how we look at that.

Can a roof leak wait until spring?

We’d rather you didn’t wait. A small leak keeps soaking the roof boards, insulation and drywall every time it rains or the snow melts, and wet materials can lead to rot and mold over time. What starts as a quick repair can turn into replacing decking, insulation and drywall if it sits for months.

The good news is that a lot of repair work can still be done in cooler weather. Shingle sealing and some materials do depend on temperature, so we’ll tell you what makes sense for your roof and the forecast. Sometimes the right move is a temporary fix now and a permanent repair when the weather allows. We’ll be upfront about which one you’re getting.

What a good roof repair looks like

Whoever you hire, here’s what you should expect:

  • A clear diagnosis with photos. You should see the problem, not just hear about it.
  • A written scope and price before work starts.
  • Photos of the repair while it’s underway and when it’s finished, so you know what was done on a part of the house you can’t get to.
  • A check after the repair. We check our repairs from the attic and the outside, clean up, and walk you through what we did.
  • Straight answers on warranty. On our residential roofs, our 5-year workmanship warranty covers qualifying installation-related defects. Repairs are handled case by case, and your contract spells out what’s covered before we start.

How Blue Peaks handles leak calls

We’ve worked out of our Littleton office since 2019, and we hold Atlas PRO+ Silver Level and TAMKO Pro Platinum credentials. Every job, repairs included, gets a dedicated project manager and photo documentation. Emergency repairs are available during business hours, and non-emergency inspections are typically scheduled within 24 to 48 hours.

Most roof problems are fixable without a full replacement. Our job is to find out which kind you have and tell you the truth about it.

Seeing water stains or a drip? Call us at (303) 808-0687 or schedule a free roof inspection. We’ll find the source, show you photos, and give you a straight answer.

Categories
Hail Damage

What Does a Hail Damage Roof Inspection Check?

Close-up of chalk circles marking hail hits on an asphalt shingle roof after a Front Range storm

A proper hail damage roof inspection checks more than shingles. On a Front Range home, we start on the ground, walking every side of the house and looking at siding, paint, windows, gutters, and downspouts, because the whole house tells the storm story. Then we go up and check the roof surface, vents, flashing, and anything mounted on the roof. We photograph what we find so you can see it for yourself. That is what a hail damage roof inspection is supposed to check: the house, then the roof, documented clearly enough that you can decide what to do next.

If you had hail this year and never had anyone look, you are not alone. Storm season on the Front Range moves fast. By fall, a lot of homeowners finally get around to asking the right question. This post answers that question in plain language, then helps you decide when an inspection is worth it, what the photos mean, and which door-knocker promises to treat as red flags.

For how we run inspections at Blue Peaks, see our hail damage inspection page. This article is the homeowner guide behind that search question.

Why the ground comes first

Hail does not only hit the roof. It hits soft metal, vinyl, screens, and trim on the way down. Those surfaces often show damage more clearly than asphalt from the driveway. That is why a careful inspection does not start with a ladder.

We walk every side of the house. Hail often comes in at an angle, so one elevation can take more hits than another. Skipping a side means skipping half the story. On that walk we look at:

  • Siding and paint for cracks, chips, or dents
  • Windows and screens for broken glass or torn mesh
  • Gutters and downspouts for dents and granule buildup
  • Soft metals around the house that dent easily and show where hail hit

Only after that ground read do we go on the roof. Up there we check shingles (or tile or metal), vents, flashing, pipe boots, ridge and roof edges, skylights, and anything mounted on the roof. The goal is not a quick glance at the easy spots. The goal is to build a documented story of what the storm did to this house.

That order matters for you as a homeowner. If someone only climbs up, snaps three photos of the ridge, and hands you a card, they did not really inspect. They shopped for a claim.

What the photos are for

We document what we find so you can see what we saw. Close-ups show the hit. Wider shots show where it sits on the home. When we come down, we walk you through those photos in plain language: what it is, where it is, and whether it matters.

Photos are not a promise that insurance will pay. They are a record. If you later decide to file a claim with your insurer, your own documentation helps you stay grounded in what is actually on the roof instead of guessing from the driveway. If we do not find storm damage, we tell you that too. Free inspections come with no obligation either way. If the roof is fine, we say so.

We are roofers, not adjusters. We cannot guarantee anything about what your insurance company will decide. That line is not fine print for us. It is how we talk on every hail inspection, because homeowners deserve honesty before anyone starts talking about scopes and contracts.

When you should get an inspection

You do not need a visible crater in a shingle to schedule a look. Hail damage is often hard to see from the ground. Good reasons to book a free inspection include:

  • You know a hailstorm hit your neighborhood and nobody has been on the roof since
  • You see dents in gutters, downspouts, or roof vents
  • Granules are collecting in gutters or at the bottom of downspouts
  • Window screens, siding, or soft outdoor metal show new dings after a storm
  • A buyer, realtor, or HOA asked for a current roof condition report after weather

Timing is a homeowner decision. Many people prefer to know whether there is damage before they call their insurance company. Others call the carrier first. Either path is fine. What we will not do is file a claim for you. We never file a claim on your behalf. If you decide to file, you file with your insurer.

If you are heading into a claim and want the Colorado process in order, read our guide on how to file a roof insurance claim in Colorado. It covers policy basics, filing, scope review, and recoverable depreciation carefully: only on replacement-cost (RCV) policies, after the work is done, and within your policy deadline. This post will not deep-dive that. The claim guide is the right place for it.

Red flags from door-knockers who promise a free roof

After a Front Range hailstorm, trucks show up fast. Some crews are solid. Some are not. Use these as educational red flags, not as legal advice:

Anyone who promises your insurance will pay for a new roof. A roofer cannot decide your claim. Your insurance company does. If someone guarantees approval, walk away.

Anyone who offers to cover, waive, or rebate your deductible on a home. In Colorado, a residential roofing contractor cannot pay, waive, or rebate an insurance deductible (C.R.S. 6-22-105(1)). That promise is a red flag, not a favor.

Anyone who wants to meet your adjuster or talk to your insurer before you have hired them. Under Colorado law, a roofer can meet your adjuster on site or discuss the repair scope with your insurer only after you have signed a contract with them (C.R.S. 6-22-105(3)). Until then, we can inspect, document, and give you our honest opinion of what we found, nothing more.

Anyone who skips the ground walk and only sells from the ridge. A real inspection builds the story from the house outward. A sales pitch starts with a number and works backward.

Pressure is another tell. You should have time to read your policy, compare options, and decide whether filing makes sense for your deductible and coverage type. Restoration with a Purpose, for us, means the process and the straight answer matter as much as the finished roof.

What Blue Peaks checks (and what we tell you)

On a Blue Peaks hail inspection we look at the roof surface, flashing and vents, gutters and downspouts, and siding and windows: the same areas our service page lists, walked in that ground-first order. You get photos, a plain explanation, and a recommendation: repair, replacement, or nothing at all, and why. If replacement makes sense, ask us about Class 4 impact-resistant shingles.

If you hire us under a signed contract and you have filed a claim, we can meet your adjuster on site and go over the repair scope with your insurance company. We do not negotiate your claim, and we do not file it for you.

Blue Peaks Roofing was founded in 2019 in Littleton. We serve residential, commercial, and multi-family customers across Colorado. The inspection itself stays simple: honest look, clear photos, no obligation.

Book a free hail inspection

If hail hit your area this year and you still have not had a professional look, start with the inspection, not with a promise from someone on your porch.

Call (303) 808-0687 to schedule a free hail damage inspection, or book through our hail damage inspection page. We will walk the house, check the roof, photograph what we find, and tell you straight. If you later need the claim steps, keep our guide on how to file a roof insurance claim in Colorado handy.

Free inspection. No obligation. If the roof is fine, we will say so.

Categories
Homeowners

Arvada Class 4 Roofing Requirement Explained

Atlas Pinnacle Impact shingle roof in Pewter with hips and valleys
Atlas Pinnacle Impact shingle roof, Pewter

By Andrew Ubben, Owner, Blue Peaks Roofing  |  Last updated October 2026

If you are re-roofing a home in Arvada with asphalt shingles, one City rule matters more than most homeowners expect: the shingles must be Class 4 impact resistant.

I’m Andrew Ubben, owner of Blue Peaks Roofing. We work Arvada jobs out of our Littleton office the same way we work the rest of the Front Range: check who governs the property first, then build to that code and the manufacturer’s instructions. Arvada has its own amendments, so “close enough to Denver” doesn’t cut it.

What the City says

The City of Arvada’s Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide (2026) lists this under Impact Resistance in its residential requirements:

Class 4 impact-resistant roofing materials are required in Arvada under adopted City of Arvada Amendments Sec. 18-191.

That is a city amendment, not a sales pitch. The amendment itself, Sec. 18-191, was added by Ordinance No. 4921 (adopted March 24, 2026) and reads: “Asphalt shingles shall be Class 4 impact resistant, tested in accordance with UL 2218.” If you are pulling a residential reroof permit in Arvada for an asphalt shingle roof, plan on Class 4 shingles. For metal, tile or other roof coverings, confirm the impact requirement with Arvada Building Safety.

The guide covers both residential and commercial reroofing. Residential work follows Chapter 9 of the 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) plus City amendments. Commercial work follows Chapter 15 of the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) plus amendments. The Class 4 line appears in the residential section. The commercial section of the guide does not list it, so if you own a commercial building, confirm the impact requirement for your project with Arvada Building Safety.

What changed on July 1, 2026, and what didn’t

Arvada updated its building codes on July 1, 2026. In general, permits submitted before that date could use the 2018 codes, and permits submitted after it follow the 2024 codes. The City’s summary of the update focuses on wildfire, energy and home sprinkler changes.

The City’s guide lists Class 4 as a current requirement. Sec. 18-191 is part of the code package the City adopted on March 24, 2026 and applies to permits submitted after July 1, 2026. If your permit timing is close to a code change, check with Arvada Building Safety.

Class 4 is not the same as the wildfire rules

Arvada also adopted its first Wildfire Resiliency Code. If a property is in Wildfire Resiliency Class 1 or 2, a reroof permit needs a plan review showing how the roof assembly provides flame and ember protection. The guide lists three ways to do that: firestopping the space between the roof covering and the deck with noncombustible material, one layer of ASTM D3909 cap sheet over the deck, or a listed Class A roof assembly. Roofing materials must have a Class A fire rating in wildfire zones.

That is a separate layer from impact resistance:

Rule What it covers Where it applies
Class 4 impact resistance (Sec. 18-191) How the roof covering handles hail and other impacts Asphalt shingle roofs on homes (City residential code), with limited exceptions
Wildfire Resiliency Code and Class A fire rating Flame and ember exposure Properties in mapped wildfire risk areas

Don’t let a salesperson blur the two. A Class 4 shingle is about impact testing. A Class A roof assembly is about fire classification. Some homes need both.

What Class 4 means in plain English

Class 4 is the top rating in UL 2218, the common impact test for roofing. To earn it, the product is struck by a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet and must not crack through. It is a lab rating. It does not mean a roof can’t be damaged by hail, and nothing we install is immune to a bad storm.

Atlas Pinnacle Impact shingle roof in Pewter with hips and valleys
Atlas Pinnacle Impact shingle roof, Pewter

On Arvada reroofs we lead with Atlas impact-resistant shingles, and we also install Class 4 lines from TAMKO and GAF. We are an Atlas PRO+ Silver Level and TAMKO Pro Platinum contractor. Whatever the product, the City’s guide is clear: install per the 2024 code, City amendments, approved plans and the manufacturer’s instructions. That includes Arvada’s wind requirements (136 Vult east of Highway 93, 150 Vult west of it), ice barrier and high-wind fastening. See our Class 4 impact-resistant shingles page for how the products compare.

Reroof vs. small repair

Arvada requires a reroofing permit when you replace a roof. The City’s reroofing page says you do not need a permit if you are replacing up to 25% of the roofing material, not to exceed 100 square feet (one roofing square), with a maximum of 100 square feet per year. Under Sec. 18-191, repairs of 100 square feet or less to an existing shingle roof that isn’t Class 4 may use the same or similar shingles. Larger work needs Class 4 unless the building official approves a matching alternative. When in doubt, we call Building Safety before we tear off.

What we do on every Arvada job

  1. Confirm the address is in the City of Arvada, not unincorporated Jefferson County with an Arvada mailing address. Jurisdiction follows the property, not the post office. Our city vs. county permit guide explains how to check.
  2. Check the City’s wildfire map before we lock in materials.
  3. On asphalt shingle roofs, Class 4 is the City’s baseline, not an upgrade.
  4. Schedule the inspections the City wants. The 2026 guide says mid-roof inspections will be required on all properties, scheduled once about 25% of the final roof covering is installed.

If you are comparing bids

Ask every contractor three questions:

  1. Is this product Class 4, and will you put that in the contract?
  2. Did you check whether this address is in a wildfire risk area?
  3. Who is pulling the Arvada permit and meeting the inspector?

If a bid is vague on any of those, it isn’t cheaper. It’s unfinished.

For more, see our Arvada roofing page and our roof replacement page.

Questions for the City

Arvada Building Safety: buildingpermits@arvada.org, 720-898-7620, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (per the City’s guide).

What working with us looks like: We inspect your roof for free, typically within 24 to 48 hours, and walk you through the photos of what we find. If you go ahead, your dedicated project manager sends a prep email before your build, keeps you updated every day, and we finish with a magnetic nail sweep and a final walkthrough with you. Residential roofs carry our 5-year workmanship warranty. Call (303) 808-0687 or schedule a free inspection.

Ready for an Arvada roof inspection? Call (303) 808-0687, book a hail damage inspection, or use our contact page. Blue Peaks Roofing, 8000 S Lincoln St Ste 201, Littleton, CO 80122.

Sources: City of Arvada, Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide (2026); City of Arvada, 2026 Building Code updates.

Categories
Homeowners Maintenance & Repairs Roof Replacement

What Your Roof Warranty Covers: Manufacturer vs. Workmanship

Aerial view of a roof replacement in progress with old shingles removed

When Blue Peaks Roofing replaces a roof in Colorado, your roof warranty is really two different warranties. One comes from the company that made the shingles. The other comes from us, the contractor who installed them. They cover different things, and knowing which is which saves a lot of confusion if a problem shows up later.

Two warranties, two different jobs

  • The manufacturer’s material warranty covers the product: the shingles and other components the manufacturer makes.
  • Our workmanship warranty covers the installation: how the roof was put on.

Two documents, from two different companies, covering two different things. Here is how each one works.

The manufacturer warranty: product defects

A manufacturer warranty covers defects in the product itself, such as shingles that crack, curl or shed granules early because of a manufacturing problem. The terms are the manufacturer’s, not ours, and they vary by product line. Some manufacturer warranties are prorated, which means the coverage decreases over time, and some require the warranty to be registered after installation.

On residential roofs, we most often install Atlas, followed by TAMKO. We also install GAF on residential roofs. Before you sign, we walk you through the warranty for the specific shingle in your contract, and you get the warranty documents when the job is done. You can compare options on our residential roofing and impact-resistant shingles pages.

The workmanship warranty: how the roof was installed

Our workmanship warranty covers the installation: flashing, fastening, underlayment, ventilation details and the seals around pipes, vents and other penetrations. If a leak traces back to how something was installed, this is the warranty that applies.

On residential roofs, the Blue Peaks workmanship warranty is 5 years, and your contract spells out the terms. On commercial roofs, the warranty terms are written into the contract for that project.

What roof warranties usually don’t cover

  • Storm damage. Hail, high winds and other severe weather are generally excluded from both manufacturer and workmanship warranties. Hail is common along the Front Range, so it helps to know this up front: a roof warranty covers product defects and installation, not what a storm does to the roof.
  • Damage from other trades or foot traffic. Damage caused by satellite, solar, HVAC or other crews working on the roof is not an installation problem.
  • Changes made without the installer. New penetrations, dish mounts or solar racking added without the installer’s involvement can affect coverage for that area.
  • Neglect. Problems caused by clogged gutters, debris left on the roof or damage that was never addressed are typically excluded.

Every warranty document has its own list of exclusions, so read the actual documents for your roof.

When a storm exposes an installation problem

Sometimes heavy rain or wind exposes a problem that was already there, such as flashing that was never sealed correctly. The storm didn’t create that problem; it revealed it. That is still a workmanship issue. If you’re not sure what caused a leak, an inspection with photos shows what is actually going on.

How to keep your coverage in place

  • Keep the paperwork. Store your contract, warranty documents, final invoice and job photos where you can find them.
  • Ask about registration. If your manufacturer warranty requires registration, ask for proof that it was done.
  • Report leaks promptly. Call us as soon as you notice a leak. We handle emergency repairs during normal business hours.
  • Check before changing the roof. Talk to your installer before adding solar, a dish or any new penetration.
  • Look after the roof. Have it inspected after a big storm, and follow our seasonal roof maintenance checklist. Ask about our roof maintenance programs.

HOA boards can find more detail in Understanding Roofing Warranties for HOA Boards.

Questions about your roof warranty?

If you’re not sure what your warranty covers, or you want to know what’s happening on your roof, schedule a free roof inspection. We’ll document what we find with photos and explain it in plain language. You can see how a project runs on our process page.

What working with us looks like: We inspect your roof for free, typically within 24 to 48 hours, and walk you through the photos of what we find. If you go ahead, your dedicated project manager sends a prep email before your build, keeps you updated every day, and we finish with a magnetic nail sweep and a final walkthrough with you. Residential roofs carry our 5-year workmanship warranty. Call (303) 808-0687 or schedule a free inspection.

Blue Peaks Roofing
8000 S Lincoln St Ste 201, Littleton, CO 80122
(303) 808-0687 | Contact us

📞 Call (303) 808-0687