Workmanship warranty template
A workmanship warranty states what labor defects you will repair, for how long, what is excluded (owner abuse, acts of God, third-party damage), and how the customer requests service — separate from manufacturer equipment warranties.
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Workmanship warranty
Your company · License —
Prepared for: Customer
Site: —
Document #001 · 10/9/2026
Valid for 30 days from date above.
Document
WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY Contractor warrants labor performed under Agreement #[ ] for [12 / 24] months from substantial completion. Covered: defects in installation workmanship per original scope. Excluded: owner modifications, misuse, lack of maintenance, normal wear, manufacturer defects (handled per manufacturer), damage by others, code changes after completion. To claim: contact [phone/email] with address, date of completion, and description. Contractor will respond within [business days]. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF OTHER EXPRESS WARRANTIES EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
Document prepared by the trade business named above. True Trade Path does not sell leads or placement.
Not legal advice. Customer signature: _________________________ Date: __________
Labor warranty vs equipment warranty
Manufacturers cover parts; you cover how you installed them. Confusing the two creates callback arguments you cannot win.
Length should match your risk — longer labor warranties on roofing and waterproofing need reserve in overhead, not hope.
How customers activate
Require written notice and access — not ‘my cousin noticed a leak.’ Define response time as business days, not ‘immediately,’ unless you sell a premium plan.
Pair with completion checklist sign-off so ‘substantial completion’ date is clear.
Required clauses
Exclusions must be plain language — courts and customers read them when something fails.
- Warranty period start (substantial completion date)
- What labor is covered
- Exclusions (maintenance, misuse, third parties, acts of God)
- Manufacturer pass-through for equipment
- Claim procedure and contact
- Response time (business days)
- Limitation of consequential damages (per counsel)
Copy-ready clause library
Trade-specific exclusions can attach as Exhibit B.
Maintenance required
“Warranty void if owner fails to maintain [system] per manufacturer instructions, including [filters / gutters / caulking].”
Links to common callback root causes.
Transfer
“Warranty transfers to subsequent owner with written notice within [days] of sale; one transfer only.”
Optional marketing benefit with bounded liability.
Common mistakes
Lifetime verbal warranties and no exclusions are how small shops absorb big callbacks.
- Promising lifetime labor on roofs or waterproofing
- No definition of substantial completion
- Warranty without maintenance requirements on HVAC and gutters
- Using manufacturer warranty PDF as your only document