Remodel warranty: what to put in writing
Your client is ready to sign, but the warranty line on your quote says only “work guaranteed.” A remodel warranty should name your workmanship, the manufacturer's coverage on products you bought, and client-supplied products you do not warranty, then state who handles each problem, for how long, and under what conditions. This guide earns its place at your kitchen table with a coverage table and agreement wording you can adapt this week.
A warranty you have not written leaves room for whatever the client remembers. “Call me if anything happens” can sound like free repairs on everything in the room. Write the promise before signing, while both of you can decide what it includes.
This is a drafting guide, not legal advice. Have a lawyer familiar with residential construction in your state review your final terms. Written exclusions do not automatically remove obligations imposed by law; the FTC's business guide to warranty law explains that state rules and restrictions on disclaimers matter.
Remodel warranty: separate the coverage
Start with the scope you are actually selling. For a bathroom, that might include tile installation, plumbing connections, a faucet you purchased, and a vanity the owner ordered. Those items should not disappear into one sentence promising a warranty on “the bathroom.”
Use this table as a drafting worksheet. Fill every blank before sending it to a client.
| Coverage bucket | What to name | Duration and start | Responsibility to spell out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your workmanship | Covered installation work, tied to the signed scope | [Duration], beginning [defined event/date] | Inspection, correction of covered defects, and included costs |
| Manufacturer's coverage on products you bought | Brand, model, applicable warranty document | [Duration from applicable terms], beginning [event stated in those terms] | Claim contact, your assistance, and whether removal or reinstallation is covered |
| Client-supplied products | Each owner-purchased or reused item | No contractor product warranty offered; any factory coverage follows its own terms | Owner handles product claims; state separately whether your installation labor is covered |
Keep a separate row for anything with different terms. A faucet, cabinet finish, and appliance may need separate entries even when you purchased all of them. Attach the actual product documents rather than replacing them with a broad promise in your quote.
Your workmanship warranty concerns the work you perform. A manufacturer warranty concerns the product under the maker's terms. One does not tell the client what the other covers.
Define the work and the remedy
“Labor covered” still leaves a lot unanswered. Name the covered work by referring to the agreement's scope and any signed changes. If your company hires a subcontractor, explain whom the homeowner contacts about that work. Do not leave the client guessing whether to call you or a trade they never hired directly.
Then state what you will do about a covered defect. Will you inspect it and repair the affected work? What access will you need? Which materials and labor are included in that correction? If the repair requires opening a finished surface, address restoration instead of leaving it for the callback.
Use a defined starting event. “Completion” needs a meaning both sides can identify, such as the documented completion date specified in the agreement. Decide how unfinished punch-list items are handled. Avoid giving each document a different start date.
Keep warranty work separate from work you still owe under the original scope. A missing trim piece does not become a new warranty request just because the client has moved back into the room. Record unfinished work and its agreed resolution in the closeout documents.
Do not choose a duration because another builder uses it. Choose terms you can honor, then have them checked against the rules that apply where you work. This guide leaves durations blank because it does not establish a state warranty term.
Explain who pays for a factory part
A replacement part and an installed repair are different promises. Before saying a fixture is covered, read whether the factory pays for diagnosis, shipping, removal, installation, and labor.
For example, KOHLER's faucet warranty document excludes removal, installation, and labor charges from its coverage. It also requires proof of purchase and identifies exclusions involving improper installation and care. That is a product-specific example, not a rule for every fixture. KOHLER faucet warranty details
Your agreement should explain what happens to costs the factory does not cover. If you include replacement labor as part of your own promise, say so. If that labor may be chargeable when your installation is sound, explain that boundary before the client accepts the quote. Do not surprise them with it after a failure.
Specify your role in the claim. “Provide the receipt and help submit the request” is a smaller commitment than “handle the entire repair at no cost.” Use the version you intend to deliver.
The FTC recommends saving the warranty and purchase receipt, and checking who handles claims and whether labor or shipping costs fall to the buyer. FTC warranty guidance Keep those documents with the model information so a future request does not begin with a search through supplier emails.
Client-supplied products need their own sentence
An owner-purchased vanity can fail because of a product defect, installation damage, or an unrelated leak. The phrase “owner supplied, no warranty” does not explain those differences.
Identify the item and state that you offer no product warranty on it. Then state separately what promise applies to your installation labor. An owner buying the faucet does not turn your connection work into the owner's responsibility.
Before installation, record visible damage, missing parts, and compatibility concerns. If you cannot install the item correctly, stop and resolve that issue rather than relying on an exclusion later. Put any approved substitution into the scope and update the warranty schedule to match.
Also name who handles a defective owner's product and who authorizes paid removal or reinstallation. The homeowner should understand that their purchase receipt may be needed for a factory claim. You should understand whether you have agreed to help or simply to provide a separate repair quote.
Make exclusions specific
“Any misuse voids the warranty” gives the client little practical guidance. Name the maintenance or use conditions that matter to the installed work. Provide the relevant instructions at handover.
For a finish, that means the actual cleaning guidance. For a component requiring maintenance, identify the task and refer to the manufacturer's instructions. Do not invent a care requirement just to create an exclusion.
Distinguish damage caused by later work from an unrelated defect in your installation. If someone drills through waterproofing after handover, describe how damage from that alteration is treated. Avoid wording that suggests touching one item cancels every promise on the project.
Be careful with blanket requirements that only your company may service a product. The FTC explains that manufacturers generally cannot require particular parts or services to preserve consumer product warranty coverage unless those are supplied free or an FTC waiver applies. FTC warranty guidance Have proposed restrictions reviewed rather than assuming “void” makes them enforceable.
Worked example: agreement wording to adapt
Imagine a bathroom scope with tile installation, a contractor-purchased faucet, and a client-supplied vanity. The following is an illustrative drafting example, not a customer agreement or a ready-to-sign legal form. Replace the brackets and have the wording reviewed with the rest of your contract.
Workmanship. [Contractor legal name] provides a workmanship warranty for [covered installation work and scope reference] for [duration], beginning [defined event/date]. We will inspect reported defects and correct covered defects in that work, including [specified labor, materials, and restoration]. Warranty requests should be sent to [contact] with the project address, a description, and available photos. Products purchased by us. The faucet [brand/model] has the manufacturer's coverage described in [attached warranty document/version]. Its duration is [duration], beginning [event specified by the manufacturer]. Our claim assistance includes [specific assistance]; removal, reinstallation, shipping, and other costs are handled as follows: [allocation consistent with applicable law]. Client-supplied products. We offer no product warranty on the client-supplied vanity [description/model]. Our installation labor for that item is [covered work and duration, or separately reviewed terms]. Product claims are handled by [owner/seller/manufacturer contact], and any chargeable removal or reinstallation requires the client's written approval. Conditions. Applicable care instructions are attached as [documents]. Exclusions are limited to [specific conditions and affected damage], subject to applicable law. Nothing in this section limits rights or obligations that cannot legally be limited.
Test the draft against a callback: the homeowner reports water beneath the vanity. That report alone does not establish whose warranty applies.
If your connection is defective, assess it under your workmanship terms. If a factory component failed, use the applicable product terms and the cost allocation you agreed to. If the vanity itself is defective, use the client-supplied item terms while checking whether your installation contributed. The point is to investigate before assigning responsibility.
Give the client a usable repair request
Put a working email address or phone number in the agreement. Tell the homeowner what information helps you inspect the issue, without requiring them to diagnose it. Photos, the room involved, and when the symptom appeared are useful starting details.
State an acknowledgment target as [timeframe you can meet]. Separate that from a repair completion promise. You may need an inspection or a supplier decision before you can name a repair date. Avoid promising an immediate fix when you mean an immediate reply.
For active damage or an urgent hazard, tell the client to take appropriate steps to protect people and property rather than wait for a routine email response. Have your lawyer review any notice requirements or language about emergency repairs by others.
Keep the promise consistent through closeout
Compare the quote, agreement, product schedule, and handover email. If one says “everything covered” while another excludes product labor, resolve the conflict before signing. A helpful conversation should not quietly expand the written promise.
At handover, deliver the applicable warranties, receipts, care instructions, and claim contacts. Keep the same set yourself. For substitutions, retain the documents for what you actually installed.
PikeBuild does not supply the warranty text and does not stand behind your construction warranty. Your company owns the promise it makes to the homeowner. Putting it in software does not change who must honor it.
If a fuzzy promise has already become a public complaint, see how to respond to a negative Google review as a contractor. The replies belong there; the repair decision still needs the agreement, inspection findings, and applicable law.
Sources
- FTC: Warranties - product coverage, records, claim costs, and restrictions on required parts or services.
- FTC: Businessperson's Guide to Federal Warranty Law - legal distinctions and limits on warranty disclaimers.
- KOHLER: Faucet warranty details - a concrete example of product coverage that excludes removal, installation, and labor costs.
For the next step, see AI on a leash to understand the approval boundary for client communication.