Warranties
Metal Panel Finish Warranty and Who Covers What
A metal panel finish warranty comes from the coil or panel manufacturer, not from us, and we help you get the documents for the coil used on your order. Installation warranties come from your installer. The terms on your quote or invoice apply to the parts we fabricate.
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Who warrants what on a metal job?
Three parties cover three different things. The coil or panel manufacturer warrants the paint finish and, in some cases, the metal substrate. Your installer warrants the installation. Our quote or invoice sets the terms for the parts we fabricate.
| What is covered | Who covers it | Where to find the terms |
|---|---|---|
| Paint finish: chalking, fading and film integrity | The coil or panel manufacturer | The manufacturer’s finish warranty for the coil used on your order |
| Metal substrate, such as perforation of Galvalume steel | The coil or panel manufacturer, where it offers substrate coverage | The manufacturer’s substrate warranty document |
| Installation: seams, fastening, flashing details and leaks | Your installer or contractor | Your installer’s contract |
| Fabricated parts made to your order | Architectural Metal Panels | The terms on your quote or invoice |
This page is a plain-language summary. The documents in the right-hand column are the ones that control.
What does a metal panel finish warranty cover?
It covers the paint, not the installation. Finish warranties usually address chalking, fading and film integrity, meaning paint that peels, cracks or flakes, and they come from the company that made and painted the coil.
Terms vary by manufacturer, finish and color. MBCI, for example, states that its Signature 200 (SMP) and Signature 300 (PVDF) finishes both carry a 30-year colorfastness warranty and a 40-year film integrity warranty. Sheffield Metals reports that PVDF warranties typically run 20 to 40 years for film adhesion but only 10 to 30 years for chalk and fade, depending on color. It adds that a headline 40-year SMP warranty usually covers film adhesion only. Read the document for the actual coil before you approve a color.
Near salt water
Location can limit coverage. The Metal Sales Galvalume warranty, which covers 45 years against rupture, structural failure or perforation from normal atmospheric corrosion, does not apply within 1,500 feet of salt water, marine atmospheres or salt spray. MBCI notes that its terms may differ in coastal areas. For a job near the ocean, Raritan Bay or the back bays, check the terms for the address before you choose a metal, and ask us to quote aluminum as well. Our standing seam roof panels page covers the aluminum option.
Copper and zinc
Copper and zinc are unpainted, so no paint finish warranty applies; they weather to a natural patina instead. Fabrication in either metal is available on request. See copper and zinc sheet metal for how those metals age.
How do we help you get the finish warranty documents?
Ask us. We identify the manufacturer, finish and color of the coil used on your order and help you get the manufacturer’s finish warranty document for it.
Some manufacturers issue or register a warranty for a specific building. In that case we help with the details that come from our side, such as the coil and color, while the building address and completion date come from you or your installer. If a project specification calls for a particular warranty term, tell us before you order so we can quote a coil that offers it.
Keep the warranty documents with your property records. If you sell, the buyer will want them, and if a claim ever comes up, the manufacturer will ask for them.
Who warrants the installation?
Your installer. We do not install, so leaks at seams, loose fasteners, flashing details and other installation problems go to the contractor who put the parts on the building, under the terms of their contract.
Get the installation warranty in writing before work starts. If a contractor works on your home, New Jersey’s home improvement rules require a written contract for jobs over $500 that describes the work, the main products and materials, the total price and any warranty, under N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2.
How the parts are installed can also affect the finish warranty. Metal Sales’ Galvalume warranty, for example, excludes areas that receive runoff from copper or lead flashing, so copper and coated steel need to be detailed apart. Before anyone fastens solar mounts, dishes or signs through panels, check with your installer. S-5!, a maker of standing seam attachments, says its clamps attach solar arrays and snow guards to the seams without penetrating the panels. Our guide to solar on standing seam roofs explains more.
What if a part does not match the approved drawing?
Call us before the part goes on the building. A part that is set aside and reported early is the easiest kind to sort out.
- When the order arrives, count the pieces against the packing list and match the labels to your cut list.
- Compare each part with the approved shop drawing or your written order: length, profile, bends and color.
- If something does not match, set it aside and do not install it.
- Contact us at (732) 201-5224 or info@architecturalmetalpanels.net with your order details and photos of the part and its label.
- We review the part against the approved drawing, and the terms on your quote or invoice apply.
Parts are made to the dimensions you or your installer supplied. If a field dimension turns out to be wrong, ask us for a quote on replacement parts made to the corrected numbers.
Which terms apply to your order?
The terms on your quote or invoice. Read them before you approve an order, and ask us if anything is unclear.
Fully insured. Architectural Metal Panels has fabricated metal in New Jersey for more than ten years, and our shop capabilities page explains how each order is checked, labelled and packed before it leaves.
What upkeep keeps a metal finish looking right?
Very little, but not none. A look twice a year and after big storms catches most problems early, and the finish manufacturer’s care instructions come first.
- Clear leaves from box gutters, valleys, outlets and downspouts each spring and fall
- Trim branches so they do not rub the panels or drop limbs on the roof
- Near the shore, rinse areas the rain does not reach, such as soffits and sheltered walls, if the finish manufacturer recommends it
- Before anyone attaches equipment to the roof or walls, check with your installer and read the finish warranty
Planning new panels or trim? See our metal roofing panels or metal wall panels, or send your dimensions for a quote.
Request a quote
Tell us what you need: the product, the metal and finish, and your dimensions or cut list. We reply with a written quote. Delivery in New Jersey or pickup at our shop.
Prefer to talk now? Call (732) 201-5224. Fully insured
Warranty FAQ
Questions about warranties
How long is the finish warranty on your metal?
It depends on the coil manufacturer, the finish and the color. MBCI, for example, states 30-year colorfastness and 40-year film integrity warranties for its Signature 200 and 300 finishes. Ask us for the document for the coil used on your order.
Do you give a warranty on installation?
No. We fabricate only, so installation warranties come from your installer or contractor. Ask what their warranty covers and get it in writing before work starts.
What if a part does not match the approved drawing?
Call us before it goes on the building, and send photos with your order details. We review the part against the approved drawing, and the terms on your quote or invoice apply.
Will solar panels or a satellite dish affect the warranty?
Fastening through panels can affect coverage, so check the finish warranty and talk to your installer first. On standing seam roofs, S-5! says its clamps attach solar arrays and snow guards to the seams without penetrating the panels.
Do finish warranties transfer when the building sells?
Each manufacturer sets its own transfer rules, printed on the warranty document. Keep the documents with your property records so a buyer can read them.
Is storm damage covered?
Storm damage, such as falling limbs or wind beyond a system’s ratings, is generally not a finish defect and is usually a matter for your property insurance. Check the manufacturer’s document and your installer’s contract for the exact terms.
Do copper and zinc carry a finish warranty?
No paint finish warranty applies, because copper and zinc are unpainted and weather to a natural patina. Fabrication in copper or zinc is available on request, so ask us.
Questions about coverage?
Ask the shop that made your parts
Call or write with a warranty question, or request a quote for panels, trim or sheet metal. We help you get the finish warranty documents for the coil used on your order.