Here's the part that stings if you bought a Sears roof: homeowners with warranty claims have been told in writing, by the successor company, that it did not buy the old warranty obligations and that "there is no longer a labor warranty on your installation." The window to file warranty claims in the bankruptcy closed back in April 2019. Most homeowners never knew it existed.
TL;DR
- Gone: the labor and workmanship warranty.
- A Sears roof in San Diego is now anywhere from 8 to 25-plus years old.
- See our guides for Secure Roofing & Solar, PetersenDean, and orphaned solar systems.
What survives - and what doesn't
Gone: the labor and workmanship warranty. The multi-year workmanship coverage Sears sold with its roofs has no company standing behind it anymore. If flashing was done poorly or a penetration leaks, that's nobody's promise now.
Usually alive: the shingle manufacturer's materials warranty. Sears marketed roofs with manufacturer shingle warranties of up to 50 years. Those warranties run from the shingle maker to you, not through Sears - so if your shingles themselves are defective (granule loss, cracking, premature failure), a claim may still exist. The catch: manufacturers require documentation and typically a licensed roofing contractor's assessment to process a claim - and materials warranties don't cover installation errors, which is where most leaks actually come from.
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What we do for Sears-era roofs in San Diego
A Sears roof in San Diego is now anywhere from 8 to 25-plus years old. Whether it has another decade in it or is quietly failing at the flashing depends on things you can't see from the driveway.
- A $399 roof inspection report - credited toward your job - every penetration, valley, and flashing detail checked, condition and remaining-life assessment in writing. If a manufacturer materials claim looks viable, the report is your documentation.
- Leak repair and maintenance - fixing the workmanship issues no warranty covers anymore, under our own written warranty.
- Repair vs. replace, straight up - if your Sears roof has good years left, we'll tell you. If it's done, we'll show you why. (See: roof replacement in San Diego.)
- Roofing and solar under one license - if you're adding solar or already have it, we handle the roof and the array as one job: B, C-10, and C-39, one crew, one written warranty.
Estimates are always free. CSLB #1130793 - call (858) 541-1097.
Had a different contractor disappear on you?
See our guides for Secure Roofing & Solar, PetersenDean, and orphaned solar systems.
Frequently asked questions
About the author
The McKay Roofing & Solar Crew
Licensed roofers and solar installers (CSLB 1130793), on Southern California roofs since 1981
Read more about McKay Roofing & SolarWant your solar system checked by a licensed crew?
We inspect the array, the production data and the roof penetrations underneath, then put the findings in writing. Estimates are free.
