What is Lamont Bros.’ warranty?

When you remodel your home, longevity matters. Nobody wants to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a renovation that falls apart within a few years. If you’re like most homeowners, a remodel is a sizable investment. You are well within your right to expect it to last a long time.

At Lamont Bros., “Build things that last” is one of our 7 core values. We believe the best kind of remodel is the kind you won’t have to remodel again. That’s why, in addition to the legal minimum and product-specific warranties, we offer a limited warranty on all of our remodels. 

In this article, you’ll be able to learn what you should expect from a contractor’s warranty. We’ll discuss:

• The different types of construction warranties
• How you can make sure your warranty will protect your remodel
• What you should do if there is an issue with your remodel

What are the different types of warranties?

Home remodel projects completed by Lamont Bros. include several warranty types. Each offers different protections and limitations, which you can read about below.

CCB Required Warranty – 1 year

Contractors in the state of Oregon are required to offer a warranty on their work. The Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB), which licenses contractors in the state, oversees the requirements of this warranty.

If a remodeled home has installation errors or defects, a homeowner files a claim with the CCB within 1 year of the completion of the project. In turn, the CCB may order the contractor to fix their work or charge them a fine. As a result, most contractors will simply include a 1-year warranty as part of their contract.

The terms of these warranties are often ambiguous enough that there is room for interpretation. The primary purpose is to cover errors and defects that are the result of contractor negligence. 

Lamont Bros. Limited Warranty – 3 years

Rather than provide the bare minimum, Lamont Bros. offers a bumper-to-bumper 3-year warranty. That means if something that was part of our remodel fails within 3 years as a result of product defects or improper installation, Lamont Bros. will work with you to solve the issue, free of charge. 

This warranty applies to the full scope of the remodel, whether it be a floorboard, cabinet hinge, or water barrier system. 

Obviously, we have some limitations on this 3-year warranty. This article summarizes some of what you can expect from our warranty. Some projects may or may not correlate with the information summarized below, so you should read your own official warranty for the full details. 

There are 3 main types of damages that we exclude from our warranty. 

Normal wear and tear

It’s natural for items to slowly age over time, especially with frequent and repeated use. Plumbing fixtures, flooring, and cabinets should last you for several years or even decades, but they won’t always maintain their “brand new” look. 

Abuse

It should go without saying that if you break something in your home, intentionally or not, your contractor isn’t liable for it, nor should they be expected to fix it. Things break if used for something other than their intended purpose, so it’s best not to use your cabinets as a painter’s canvas or your drywall as a punching bag. 

Acts of God

Legally defined as “A natural catastrophe which no one can prevent,” an Act of God falls outside the scope of our 3-year warranty. We cover issues relating to flaws or failures in the fit and finish of a remodel. Natural disasters, flooding, or house fires have nothing to do with a remodel’s quality. 

For the full terms and conditions of Lamont Bros.’ warranty, request a copy from your design consultant.

Product-specific warranties – Timeline Varies

Beyond our 3-year full-project warranty, Lamont Bros. partners with several of our manufacturers to offer product-specific warranties. Depending on the product, these warranties may cost extra. 

For example, our shower systems usually have a 5 to 10-year warranty. We can offer a 20-year warranty on our shower systems for homeowners who want it. However, this requires our install team to use brand-specific products, take several extra steps, and involve the system’s manufacturer in the process. These procedures take more time, which costs more money than our typical shower installation.

We often use the OSI window installation system when installing windows and doors. For new construction, OSI offers a 10 year, $10,000 per opening warranty on their product. So, when building new homes or ADUs, you can register with OSI to get this warranty on your windows. The caveat is that it does not apply to remodel construction because of existing conditions that may affect the installation quality.

Additionally, several of our high-end cabinet manufacturing partners (though not all) offer lifetime warranties on their cabinet systems. The same general exclusions apply to these warranties, such as abuse, wear-and-tear, and acts of God. However, if at any point in the cabinet’s lifetime there is found to be a manufacturing flaw or defect, the cabinetmaker will often repair or replace the product.

The bottom line is that, if product-specific warranties are an important issue for you, you should check to see what options are available during the design process. 

How to make sure your warranty will protect your remodel

If you play your cards well, a warranty will ensure the quality of your remodel without ever actually having to use it. 

For the homeowner, a warranty offers peace of mind in the longevity of their remodel. If something flaw or defect surfaces in the first several months/years of use, they know that there is a clearly defined procedure for recourse.

In order to make sure the warranty on your remodel is adequate, there are a few steps you can take before selecting a contractor. 

Work with a remodeler who offers more than the minimum warranty

When a contractor’s warranty is the bare-minimum legal requirement, that doesn’t communicate much faith in their own work. If you’re going to spend the money on a high-quality remodel, you probably want to hire somebody who will stand behind their work beyond what the CCB requires.

In addition to that, one year doesn’t always give fit-and-finish errors enough time to show through. You may find issues 16-20 months after a remodel that need to be addressed. 

Look up your contractor’s CCB listing

The Oregon Construction Contractors Board keeps records of consumer complaints against a contractor. One of the issues that homeowners frequently encounter is contractors who don’t actually make good on their warranties. 

By looking up your contractor’s listing on the CCB website, you can gain a better understanding of potential build quality issues.  You can also check specific contractors’ histories of servicing their remodel warranties. 

Read your warranties

Since several different warranties may apply to your remodel, the most important thing you can do to protect your investment is to know the terms of your warranty. 

You should take the time to read through not only your remodel warranty clause but also any product-specific warranties. The more informed and educated you are, the more comfortable you will be throughout the course of your remodel.  You’ll also be able to easily navigate the process of servicing a warranty if you ever have to. 

What if there is an issue with my remodel?

When our clients encounter an issue with any part of their remodeled home, our recommendation is that they call us as soon as they can so we can work with them to find a solution. Even if the issue that comes up isn’t technically under warranty, we still want to know about it in case we can help. 

As part of our company’s commitment to “always do the right thing,” we take our partnership with our clients very seriously. Sometimes, this has involved Lamont Bros fixing issues that weren’t technically covered by our warranty, but that we felt would be the morally good thing to do. 

This doesn’t mean our team will fix every non-warranty problem that every client encounters.  Rather, it means that by our discretion we may address an issue that’s outside of warranty when we feel like it’s the right thing to do. 

Bottom line: if something goes wrong with your remodel, even 20+ years down the road, we still want to find ways to support you in solving the issue.

Are you ready to start designing your next remodel?

We get it – remodeling is a big step, and you want to be sure that your investment will be secure. One of the biggest decisions you will make in the process is who you hire to do the work. To learn more about whether or not a design-build firm like Lamont Bros. is right for you, check out our article, “When to hire a design-build firm (and when not to).”

When you’re ready to start designing your remodel, click the button below to schedule a free video call with a design consultant. They’ll guide you through the process of curating a custom-designed remodel that uniquely fits your needs.