During the special warranty term, the owner receives some protection against certain defined product failures. Special warranties on products and building systems may be used to differentiate superior products from a field of many products of greatly varying quality. Using special warranties to qualify manufacturers assumes the presence of reliable manufacturers in the market offering enforceable warranties. And this is sometimes true. But caution is advisable because warranties are also marketing tools.
Special warranties can cause more direct manufacturer involvement in the installation process.
The technical inspector for a manufacturer that has a financial interest in the outcome may very well guarantee better quality workmanship. When new technologies and untried systems have been specified, special warranties are prudent. In this case, the manufacturer is offering to share the risk of innovation with the owner. In return, the manufacturer develops demand for its products by providing some protection to owners willing to utilize the untried products. Properly written special warranty requirements must be based upon what the industry is able and willing to offer.