Bathroom remodel warranties

We will not tell you what any specific brand's warranty covers, because those terms change and only the document you are handed governs. What we can tell you is what to look for in it.

Who backs it. A "lifetime" warranty from a company that is a local dealership of a national brand may be honored by the dealer, not the brand. Ask, in writing, which entity performs warranty work and what happens if that dealer closes. Ask whether the warranty is transferable to a buyer of your house — this matters at resale.

What voids it. Product warranties commonly exclude damage from improper cleaning, improper installation, or modifications. That last one is important with one-day systems: if a different contractor later cuts into the wall for a plumbing repair, coverage may end.

What it excludes. Read for exclusions on labor, on removal and reinstallation, on "consequential damages" (meaning the water damage the failure caused), and on discoloration. A warranty that replaces a $300 panel but not the $9,000 of work to install it is not much of a warranty. Get the workmanship term in the contract as a specific number of years, and get it signed by the company, not the salesperson.

How to choose

Read the workmanship term, not the headline

Leaks are installation failures. A long product warranty next to a one-year labor warranty tells you where the risk sits.

Ask who performs warranty service

Manufacturer, franchisee, or the local dealer? Get the answer in writing along with what happens if they go out of business.

Check transferability

A transferable warranty is a selling point at resale. A non-transferable one quietly expires the day you move.

Look for labor and consequential damage exclusions

Replacing the part is the cheap half. Ask specifically whether removal, reinstallation, and resulting water damage are covered.

Get the document before you sign, not after

If a company will not show you the full warranty text during the sales visit, that is your answer.