The RCABC Guarantee Explained: What BC Strata Councils Need to Know

Of all the warranty programs available to BC strata corporations, the RCABC Guarantee is the strongest — and the most misunderstood. It is not a manufacturer's product warranty. It is not the contractor's workmanship guarantee. It is a third-party, independently funded warranty backed by the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia that covers both materials and workmanship on a qualifying roof, for the full guarantee period, regardless of what happens to the original contractor. This guide explains how it actually works, what it covers, and the specific things your council must confirm before signing the contract.

What the RCABC Guarantee Is

The Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia (RCABC) is the provincial trade association for commercial and multi-family roofing. RCABC operates a self-funded Guarantee Corp that issues third-party warranties on qualifying roof assemblies installed by RCABC member contractors using RCABC-accepted materials and Roofing Practices Manual (RPM) specifications.

The Guarantee covers the cost of repair or replacement caused by ordinary wear, defective materials, or defective workmanship for the full term of the Guarantee — typically 5, 10, or 15 years depending on the assembly. The critical feature: if your original contractor goes out of business, retires, or refuses to honour their workmanship warranty, RCABC steps in and dispatches another member contractor to complete the repair at no cost to the strata.

Why It Matters More Than a Manufacturer Warranty

Most strata councils assume the 20- or 30-year manufacturer warranty on the membrane or shingle is the meaningful protection. It is not. Manufacturer warranties typically cover only the material itself, prorated by year, and require the failure to be traced to a material defect — which is exceptionally difficult to prove. Manufacturer warranties almost never cover labour, tear-off, or replacement of adjacent components.

The RCABC Guarantee covers labour, materials, tear-off of the failed area, replacement of the failed area, and incidental flashings — full repair to a watertight condition. That is the difference between a $4,000 repair invoice the strata absorbs and a fully-covered fix.

What Qualifies for the RCABC Guarantee

1. The contractor must be an RCABC member in good standing

Membership is not a rubber stamp. Members are vetted annually for financial stability, WorkSafeBC compliance, technical competence, and complaint history. A roofer can call themselves 'RCABC-trained' or 'RCABC-experienced' and not actually be a member. Confirm membership directly with RCABC at rcabc.org before signing.

2. The assembly must be RCABC-accepted

Only assemblies listed in the current RCABC Roofing Practices Manual qualify. This includes most SBS modified bitumen systems, qualifying TPO and PVC single-ply systems, EPDM, and certain shingle assemblies. The membrane manufacturer, insulation, fastener pattern, and flashing details all have to match the RPM specification.

3. The installation must be inspected and accepted

RCABC dispatches an independent third-party inspector — not the contractor — at multiple points during the installation. Failures or non-conformances must be corrected before the Guarantee is issued. The Guarantee certificate is mailed directly to the strata, not to the contractor.

4. The project must be registered before work begins

Registration is the contractor's responsibility but the council should verify it has been done before tear-off starts. A project not registered before work begins cannot retroactively qualify for the Guarantee.

Guarantee Terms by Assembly

• 2-ply SBS modified bitumen with cap sheet: 10-year Guarantee standard, 15-year available with upgraded specification
• TPO and PVC single-ply, 60-mil or thicker: 10-year Guarantee
• EPDM, 60-mil fully adhered: 10-year Guarantee
• Inverted (IRMA) protected membrane assembly: 15-year Guarantee available
• Standing seam metal: 10-year Guarantee on qualifying assemblies
• Architectural asphalt shingle on qualifying multi-family assembly: 5-year Guarantee

What the RCABC Guarantee Does Not Cover

Like any warranty, the Guarantee has exclusions. Know them before relying on it:

• Damage from acts of God, war, or vandalism
• Damage caused by foot traffic from unrelated trades (HVAC, satellite, telecom installs) — protect this with a written rooftop work protocol
• Damage caused by failure to perform required annual maintenance
• Repairs or alterations performed by non-RCABC contractors that void the assembly integrity
• Consequential damage to interior finishes (covered by your strata insurance, not the Guarantee)
• Failures caused by structural movement or deck deterioration outside the roof assembly itself

How to Preserve Your Guarantee

Most lost RCABC claims trace back to two preventable mistakes: unauthorized rooftop work and skipped maintenance. Adopt a written rooftop work protocol that requires the strata to be notified — and the RCABC-member roofer to be present or pre-approve the work — before any trade walks on the roof. This includes HVAC technicians, telecom installers, satellite installers, and solar installers.

Maintain the roof per the RCABC schedule, typically an annual inspection with documented findings. Keep the inspection reports filed with your strata records — the inspector will ask for them if you ever file a Guarantee claim.

How to File a Claim

If your roof develops a covered defect, your first call is the original RCABC-member contractor. If they are responsive and the issue is straightforward, they handle the repair under the Guarantee directly. If they are non-responsive, out of business, or dispute the claim, the strata files directly with RCABC Guarantee Corp. RCABC dispatches an independent inspector, confirms the defect, and assigns a replacement contractor at no cost to the strata. Claim processing typically takes 4–8 weeks for non-emergency issues, faster for active leaks.

Questions to Ask Before Signing

• Are you an RCABC member in good standing today? May we verify with RCABC directly?
• Will this project be registered for an RCABC Guarantee? At what term?
• Which RPM-listed assembly are you specifying?
• Will the contract clearly state that the Guarantee certificate is issued in our strata's name?
• What is your written rooftop work protocol to protect the Guarantee?
• What annual maintenance is required to keep the Guarantee in force?

Talk to an RCABC Member Contractor

Strata Roofers BC is an RCABC member in good standing and registers every qualifying strata project for the appropriate RCABC Guarantee term. For a written scope and Guarantee proposal for your Metro Vancouver building, call 604-446-3482 or email admin@budgetroofers.ca.