The contractor's promise to fix any defects in their work for a specified period after the project is complete.
A construction warranty is the contractor's guarantee that the work will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a specified period after substantial completion. The standard AIA warranty period is one year, though longer warranties may apply for specific systems or equipment. The contractor is obligated to repair or replace defective work discovered during the warranty period at no cost to the owner.
Warranty obligations are a real cost that estimators must price into a bid, because the contractor carries the risk and labor of return visits, callbacks, and repairs for the entire warranty period after the project closes out. Extended or manufacturer-backed warranties (common on roofing, HVAC, and waterproofing) often require certified installers or specific products, which can raise subcontractor pricing and limit who can bid. Warranty terms also affect cash flow, since retainage and final payment frequently hinge on delivering required warranty documentation at closeout.
Because the spec required a 20-year manufacturer no-dollar-limit roofing warranty, only certified applicators could bid the roofing scope, and the winning contractor priced in two warranty inspection visits during the first year of its own one-year correction-of-work obligation.
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