A one-year workmanship warranty is the industry minimum on shower enclosure installs in Jamaica, and the most common spec on residential work. It’s a useful safety net, but only if you know what it actually covers, what it doesn’t, and how to make a claim before the year runs out.
Here’s the straight read.
What a workmanship warranty actually covers
A workmanship warranty covers install errors. Things that go wrong because of how the enclosure was installed, not because of how the glass or hardware was made.
Typically that means:
Leaks from improper sealing. Bad silicone, missed corners, gaps where the glass meets the wall. If water comes out where it shouldn’t because of how the install was done, that’s a workmanship issue.
Doors that don’t align right. The door drifts, doesn’t close against the magnetic strip, swings off-centre. If the alignment was wrong on day one (or developed within the warranty year because the hardware wasn’t set right), that’s covered.
Hardware that loosens because of install rather than wear. Hinges that come loose because the anchor wasn’t set properly, not because of normal use.
Wall or tile damage from drilling errors. A cracked tile from drilling without proper technique is workmanship.
Glass panels that aren’t level or plumb. If a fixed panel is visibly tilted because it was set wrong, that’s covered too.
What it doesn’t cover
This is where the misunderstandings happen. A workmanship warranty isn’t a general “anything that goes wrong” warranty.
Not covered:
Defects in the glass or hardware themselves. Those fall under the manufacturer warranty (typically 5 to 10 years on glass, 3 to 10 years on hardware). The installer covers their work; the manufacturer covers the product.
Impact damage. Slamming the door, hitting the glass with something, dropping a bottle on it.
Hard water stains, mineral buildup, and scratches from cleaning. That’s wear and maintenance, not workmanship.
Damage from harsh chemicals on hardware finishes or glass coatings.
Normal wear on moving parts. Hinges develop a bit of play over the years. That’s life.
Anything you modify after install. Tightening hardware yourself, swapping hardware, drilling into the glass for accessories.
Damage from natural events. Hurricanes, earthquakes, structural settling that shifts the opening.
Leakage clauses worth reading carefully
Some warranties carve out leakage. A few suppliers offer only 30 days on leakage even though the rest of the workmanship warranty runs a year. The reasoning is usually that a small amount of seepage from frameless designs is considered normal rather than a defect.
For Jamaican homeowners this matters because tropical humidity and daily shower use stress the seals harder than they would in a drier climate. Read the leakage clause closely. If your supplier offers only 30 days on leakage, ask why, and ask how they distinguish seepage from a real leak. The honest answer involves volume. A few drips is not a leak. Water pooling on the bathroom floor is.
How to make a claim
The claim process is usually simple, but it depends on getting in touch early.
Take photos as soon as you notice the issue. Date-stamped is ideal.
Contact the supplier directly through whichever channel they prefer (phone, WhatsApp, email). Reference your install date and describe what you’re seeing.
A reputable supplier schedules a visit within a few days to inspect. Some issues are obvious from photos. Others need a site visit to diagnose properly.
If the issue is covered, the supplier comes back and corrects it at no charge. Most warranty repairs are a few hours of work.
If it isn’t covered (falls outside the warranty terms), the supplier should still tell you what it would cost to fix and whether they can do it. In our experience most reputable suppliers do warranty-style fixes on small issues even when technically out of scope, because the long-term relationship is worth more than the half hour of labour.
What voids the warranty
Common voiders worth being aware of.
Modifications to the install. Drilling into the glass for accessories, swapping hardware yourself, removing and re-installing panels.
Cleaning products that damage finishes. Acidic cleaners on chrome, abrasives on glass coatings.
Letting third parties work on the enclosure without supplier knowledge. Another contractor, a plumber, a handyman.
Skipping the basic maintenance the supplier recommended at handover. Wiping the glass after use, periodic silicone re-seal.
How to use the warranty period well
The smart move is to spend the first 90 days actively checking the enclosure.
Use the shower normally and watch for any leakage paths.
Open and close the door enough times to confirm it stays aligned and seals against the stop or magnetic strip.
Eyeball the silicone seals to confirm they’re intact.
Check hardware tightness gently. Don’t force anything; just feel for play that shouldn’t be there.
Most install issues surface in the first 90 days under normal use. After that, what shows up is usually wear or maintenance rather than install. Catching workmanship issues early gives the supplier plenty of warranty period to come back and fix them.
If something feels off in those first 90 days, raise it. A small issue caught early is much easier to fix than a bigger one that develops because the small one was ignored.
Related reading
- What does a shower enclosure installation cost in Jamaica?
- Five things to check before signing a shower enclosure contract
- How a one-year workmanship warranty works on glass doors
For background on warranty as a contractual concept and how it differs from a guarantee, Wikipedia covers the framework.
Frequently asked questions
What does a one-year workmanship warranty cover on a shower enclosure?
Install errors: leaks from improper sealing, doors that don’t align properly because of how hardware was set, hardware that loosens early because of install rather than wear, tile damage from drilling errors, panels that aren’t level or plumb. It covers what the installer did, not the products they installed (those fall under separate manufacturer warranties on glass and hardware).
What’s not covered under a workmanship warranty?
Defects in glass or hardware themselves (manufacturer warranty handles those), impact damage, hard water stains and mineral buildup, scratches from cleaning, damage from harsh chemicals, normal wear on moving parts, anything you modified after install, damage from natural events (hurricanes, earthquakes, structural settling). A workmanship warranty covers install errors specifically, not all possible issues.
What’s the difference between workmanship warranty and manufacturer warranty?
Workmanship warranty covers the install (the installer is responsible). Manufacturer warranty covers the products themselves (the glass or hardware maker is responsible). Both should be in writing. A leak from bad silicone application is workmanship. A defective hinge that fails despite proper install is manufacturer. Clear definitions in your contract prevent finger-pointing between installer and manufacturer.
How do I make a warranty claim?
Document the issue with photos as soon as you notice it (date-stamped if possible). Contact the supplier directly via their preferred channel (phone, WhatsApp, email). Reference your install date and describe the issue. A reputable supplier schedules a visit within a few days to inspect. Covered issues are corrected at no charge; non-covered issues should still get a quote for repair if you want it fixed.
What voids the warranty on a shower enclosure?
Modifications you make to the install (drilling into glass for accessories, replacing hardware, removing panels), using cleaning products that damage finishes, allowing third-party contractors to work on the enclosure without supplier knowledge, failing to follow basic maintenance the supplier recommended. These voiders are standard across the industry; ask your supplier for their specific list at handover.
The next step
For warranty terms specific to a FrameCraft install, the contact page is the way to ask. We’re happy to walk through what’s covered and what isn’t before you commit.
For projects ready to quote, the quote request form takes the basics.
The shower enclosures service page covers what we install.
A one-year workmanship warranty is real protection, but only if you use it. Watch the enclosure for issues in the first 90 days, raise anything that doesn’t feel right, and the warranty does what it’s there for. A supplier who responds well to warranty calls is also the supplier worth coming back to for the next project.