Is Your Commercial Roof Warranty Still Valid? The Fall Inspection DFW Building Owners Skip
By Reese Arrington, Sales and Marketing Manager, Arrington Roofing
Commercial and residential roofing contractor serving Dallas Fort Worth since 1983.
Published October 2026
Most building owners file the roof warranty with the closing documents and never read it again. That is understandable, because a 15 or 20 year manufacturer warranty sounds like it takes care of itself. It does not. Nearly every commercial roof warranty asks something of the owner in return, and one of the most avoidable reasons a claim gets denied has nothing to do with the membrane. It is missing paperwork showing the roof was looked after.
If you own or manage a building in Dallas Fort Worth, autumn is the right time to check where you stand. Hail season is behind you, the fall rains and leaf drop are starting, and nothing is urgent yet. Our team can walk your roof and tell you plainly what the warranty requires and whether you are meeting it. Call (214) 698-8443 or see how our commercial roof maintenance plans keep that record for you.
What Does a Commercial Roof Warranty Require From the Owner?
A commercial roof warranty typically requires the owner to inspect and maintain the roof regularly, keep records of that work, report leaks to the manufacturer in writing within a set window, and get written approval before anything is added to the roof. Miss one of those and the manufacturer may deny a claim or cancel coverage.
The language is not vague. GAF's EverGuard Diamond Pledge guarantee, GAF's top-tier warranty for its TPO roof systems, states that the owner must perform regular inspections and maintenance and keep records of that work. It also excludes damage caused by inadequate roof maintenance, which the guarantee defines as failing to follow GAF's scheduled maintenance checklists.
Other manufacturers word it differently but land in the same place. Sika notes that low-slope warranties typically require ongoing maintenance to stay in full effect. Carlisle goes a step further and rewards it: roofs enrolled in its Continu-Care program, which is built around regular inspection and maintenance, can receive a five-year extension of the Carlisle Total System Warranty.
The four obligations that catch owners out
Leak notice. The GAF guarantee requires owners to notify GAF directly, in writing, within 30 days of discovering a leak. Telling your roofing contractor does not count as notice to the manufacturer.
Rooftop traffic. The same guarantee excludes damage from traffic of any kind on the roof unless GAF walkways are used. In DFW, the heaviest roof traffic usually comes from HVAC technicians servicing rooftop units, often twice a year at the seasonal changeover.
Additions and alterations. New penetrations, equipment curbs, satellite mounts and solar arrays generally need the manufacturer's written approval. Sika warns that adding solar without consulting the manufacturer will almost always void the warranty, and Carlisle requires a compliance letter and a paid inspection, $0.05 per square foot with a $500 minimum, before solar goes on an existing warranted roof.
Ponding water. Many low-slope warranties exclude damage from ponding water, which Sika describes as water that remains on the roof for 48 hours or longer. Clogged drains turn a covered roof into an excluded one.
Why Fall Is the Inspection DFW Owners Should Not Skip
The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends inspecting roof systems at least twice a year, according to GAF, with one inspection in spring and one in fall. Most owners who do anything do the spring visit after hail. The fall inspection is the one that slips, and in North Texas it is arguably the more useful of the two.
It documents the hail season you just had
Texas recorded 902 major hail events in 2025, the most of any state, according to the Insurance Information Institute. A storm that cracked a seam in May may not leak until the first sustained autumn rain. A fall inspection with dated photographs separates storm damage from wear while the season is still fresh, which matters for both the manufacturer and your insurer. We cover the claim side in commercial hail damage insurance claims in Dallas.
It clears drains before the wet months
Leaves, seed pods and debris from the summer collect at drains, scuppers and gutters on DFW roofs every autumn. A partly blocked drain in October becomes standing water in December, and on a TPO roof or any other single-ply system, that is exactly the condition many warranties exclude.
It catches the damage HVAC season leaves behind
Summer is hard on rooftop equipment, and repairs to it tend to leave dropped fasteners, cut membrane near curbs and panels left open. Finding those in fall, and documenting that they were repaired properly, protects you from a denied claim on damage someone else caused.
A Fall Commercial Roof Inspection Checklist for DFW Buildings
This is the scope we would expect from any fall inspection on a low-slope building. It is also a fair test of what an inspection report should contain.
Drains, scuppers, gutters and downspouts cleared and flowing, with any ponding areas measured and photographed
Field membrane checked for punctures, cuts and hail fractures, with seams probed on single-ply systems
Flashing at walls, curbs and parapets checked for open laps and failed sealant
Every rooftop unit, pipe and penetration checked, with any new additions noted against the warranty
Walkway pads in place along service routes to rooftop equipment
Coping, edge metal and counterflashing secured
Interior ceilings and top-floor spaces checked for staining that the roof surface does not show
A dated, photographed report kept with the warranty file
If any of the warning signs in our guide to commercial roof warning signs show up during the walk, they should be repaired by a contractor the manufacturer authorizes, so the repair itself does not become the reason coverage lapses. Our commercial roof repair crews handle that work on DFW buildings of every size.
How Do You Keep a Commercial Roof Warranty Valid Year After Year?
A commercial roof warranty stays valid when the owner can prove the roof was maintained. In practice that means inspections at least twice a year by a qualified roofer, dated photo reports, written records of every repair, manufacturer approval before rooftop additions, and written leak notice within the warranty's deadline.
The hard part is not any single task. It is doing all of them on schedule for 15 or 20 years, through staff changes and ownership changes, without letting the file go thin. That is the job a written maintenance program does. Every inspection under an Arrington maintenance agreement starts from a baseline that notes your manufacturer and warranty specifics, runs twice a year, and ends with a photographed condition report you keep. If you are weighing what that costs against what a denied claim costs, our breakdown of maintenance plan pricing in Dallas Fort Worth sets out the numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Roof Warranties
Does skipping maintenance void a commercial roof warranty?
Skipping maintenance can void a commercial roof warranty or exclude a claim. GAF's EverGuard guarantee, for example, excludes damage caused by inadequate maintenance and requires the owner to keep inspection and maintenance records. Without those records, a manufacturer can treat a leak as a maintenance failure rather than a covered defect.
How often should a commercial roof be inspected to keep the warranty?
Most commercial roofs should be inspected at least twice a year, in spring and fall, which is the frequency the National Roofing Contractors Association recommends. In North Texas, adding an inspection after any significant hail or wind event is sensible, because damage found and reported promptly is far easier to claim.
Who has to be notified about a roof leak under a manufacturer warranty?
Under most manufacturer warranties, the manufacturer itself must be notified, not just the roofer. GAF's EverGuard guarantee requires written notice directly to GAF within 30 days of discovering a leak. Check your own warranty document for its exact notice window, address and method, and keep a copy of what you send.
Can I add solar panels or new equipment to a warranted roof?
Solar panels and new rooftop equipment can usually be added to a warranted roof, but only with the manufacturer's involvement first. Carlisle, for example, requires a compliance letter, a paid inspection and installation by an authorized applicator. Sika warns that adding solar without consulting the manufacturer will almost always void the warranty.
Find Out Where Your Warranty Stands
If you are not sure what your roof warranty requires, or whether the file would hold up if you needed to make a claim tomorrow, that is worth an hour of someone's time before winter. Arrington Roofing has worked on Dallas Fort Worth commercial roofs since 1983, and we will read the warranty with you as well as walk the roof.
Call (214) 698-8443 or schedule a commercial roof inspection.
