CertainTeed Organic Shingles Class Action Settlement

Residential home roof covered with asphalt shingles

Published: June 15, 2026

Status Claims Open

Claim Deadline Varies by Warranty Tied to each roof's warranty period · latest filing windows run to 2030

Estimated Payout Up to $74 per square Prorated by remaining warranty · a "square" = 100 sq ft of roofing

Proof Required Yes Photographs of the damaged shingles plus roof and warranty documentation

What Is This Settlement About?

This settlement resolves In re: CertainTeed Corporation Roofing Shingles Products Liability Litigation, a class action consolidated as MDL No. 1817 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit alleged that organic asphalt shingles manufactured by CertainTeed from July 1, 1987 through 2005 are prone to premature failure — including cracking, blistering, splitting, and curling — and otherwise do not perform in line with the reasonable expectations of property owners.

CertainTeed denied any wrongdoing and no longer manufactures organic shingles — every shingle it has sold since 2005 is fiberglass and is not at issue. To resolve the litigation, the company agreed to a settlement that provides enhanced warranty compensation to eligible property owners. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania held its final approval hearing on June 8, 2010, and the settlement's effective date was October 2, 2010. This is a claims-made settlement, so each valid claim is paid under fixed formulas regardless of how many claims are filed — there is no capped fund that runs out. Because the benefit is structured around each roof's warranty, the claims program has remained open for years rather than closing on a single short deadline.

Who Qualifies?

You are a class member if, as of December 15, 2009, you owned a home or other building in the United States or Canada on which the organic shingles were or had been installed; or you owned such a building before that date but kept the right to claim through a valid documented assignment when you sold it; or you settled a warranty claim for the organic shingles with CertainTeed between August 1, 2006 and the settlement's effective date. The covered shingles were sold under organic product lines including Hallmark Shangle, Independence Shangle, Horizon Shangle, Custom Sealdon, Custom Sealdon 30, Sealdon 20, Sealdon 25, Hearthstead, Solid Slab, Master Slab, Custom Saf-T-Lok, Saf-T-Lok, and Custom Lok 25. Several of those brand names were sold in both organic and fiberglass versions — only the organic ones are covered.

Being a class member is not the same as qualifying for a payment. To be paid, your shingles must show "Damage" as the settlement defines it — blistering, clawing, cracking, curling, cold-weather curling, fishmouthing, or spalling — the damage must occur before the warranty period ends, and it must be caused by a product defect rather than improper installation or maintenance. Do not file if your shingles are fine, or if they have been on the building past the end of the warranty period.

CertainTeed's records show more than 90% of these organic shingles were sold in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, with limited Canadian sales in parts of Ontario and in Winnipeg, Manitoba — so if you are outside those areas, it is less likely your shingles are the ones at issue. Because warranty terms varied by product and installation date, the best way to confirm whether your roof is still eligible is to check the official settlement website.

How Much Can You Get?

There is no flat cash amount. Payments are calculated per "square" — a roofing term meaning 100 square feet of shingles — and are prorated based on how much of the original warranty period remains. Proration means the payment is reduced in proportion to the years of use you have already gotten from the shingles. The notice's example: on a 30-year (360-month) warranty claimed exactly 12 years after installation, 216 of 360 months remain, so the payment is multiplied by 60%.

For an original purchaser (or a subsequent owner whom the warranty still covers) with a valid, in-warranty claim:

Within 10 years of installation: $40 per square (not prorated), plus $34 per square prorated for years of actual use.
More than 10 years after installation (but before the warranty expires): $74 per square, prorated.

The amount you actually receive also depends on whether you originally purchased the shingles, the warranty terms, how many shingles are damaged, how long they have been installed, whether the damage meets the settlement's definition, and whether the damage was caused by a manufacturing defect rather than improper installation or maintenance. The settlement website offers an estimated-settlement calculator to model a specific claim.

The settlement supplements your original warranty benefits. You can also still pursue claims for compensatory damages to the interior of your building below the roof deck, or for personal injury, that you believe were caused by premature shingle deterioration — but not claims for attorneys' fees, penalties, or punitive damages on those issues.

How Long Is My Warranty?

Your filing window is tied to the warranty length for your specific organic shingle product. Warranties on CertainTeed organic shingles sold from 1987 to 2005 ran from 20 to 30 years:

Custom Lok 25 — 25 years (1993–2005)
Custom Saf-T-Lok / Saf-T-Lok — 20 years (1987–1992)
Custom Sealdon — 25 years (1991–1994)
Custom Sealdon 30 — 30 years (1995–2004)
Hallmark Shangle — 30 years (1987–2003)
Hearthstead — 25 years (1987–2005)
Horizon Shangle — 25 years (1987–1996)
Independence Shangle — 30 years (1987–1996)
Master Slab — 20 years (1987); 25 years (1988–1995)
Sealdon 20 — 20 years (1987–1994)
Sealdon 25 — 25 years (1995–2005)
Solid Slab — 20 years (1987–1995); 25 years (1996–1999)

With the newest covered shingles installed as late as 2005 under 25- to 30-year warranties, some warranty windows extend into the early-to-mid 2030s. Whether a subsequent owner who bought a building with the shingles already installed is covered depends on the transferability terms of that specific warranty.

How to File a Claim

The program uses two claim forms: a Standard Claim Form for owners who have not previously filed a warranty claim with CertainTeed, and a shorter Abbreviated Claim Form for those who previously submitted a warranty claim on which CertainTeed offered a settlement (whether or not they accepted it). You can download either form, and the full Settlement Agreement, from the official settlement website.

To complete a Standard claim, submit the form together with as many clear, photo-quality color photographs as needed to support your claim — black-and-white photocopies are not accepted, and for security reasons claims are not accepted by email. You may also include a physical shingle sample: a professional should remove one full shingle (immediately replacing it to prevent leaks) and ship it flat per the packing instructions on the form. If you are not sure your shingles are CertainTeed organic shingles, CertainTeed will reimburse up to $50 for the cost of having a shingle removed and sent in for identification, but only if it is confirmed to be CertainTeed-made. Mail the completed form, photographs, and any shingle sample to the address printed on the claim form / settlement website.

Gather your roofing records, any original warranty paperwork, and clear photos of the damage before you start. If you do not know your CertainTeed warranty claim or file number you may leave that blank, and if you cannot locate your warranty details or need a paper form mailed to you, use the contact/registration form on the official settlement website. If CertainTeed denies your claim, you can appeal to an Independent Claims Administrator.

Deadlines

This settlement does not have a single, universal claim deadline — the window to file is tied to each roof's warranty. If you are the original purchaser, or a subsequent owner whom the warranty still covers, you can file any time up until the end of the original warranty period for your shingle type. Because the newest covered shingles were installed as late as 2005 under 25- to 30-year warranties, some of those windows extend into the early-to-mid 2030s.

Several deadlines tied to the settlement's 2010 effective date have already passed. Owners who bought a building with the shingles already installed but were not covered by the warranty, and people who settled an earlier warranty claim on or after August 1, 2006, had to file by October 3, 2011 — that window is closed. Anyone who settled a warranty claim before August 1, 2006, or whose prior shingle claim ended in a final court judgment, is not eligible. The key takeaway: if you are still within your warranty period, file before it ends — once the warranty lapses, the right to claim lapses with it. Confirm your specific deadline on the official settlement website.

Avoid Scams

File only through the official settlement website. CertainTeed and the settlement administrator do not ask claimants to pay a fee to submit a claim, and you do not need to hire a third-party "claim filing service" that charges a percentage of your recovery. Be wary of unsolicited calls, texts, or emails asking for payment, bank details, or sensitive personal information in connection with this settlement.

If you are dealing with a separate roofing or home-construction defect, you may also find our coverage of the Trinity Homebuilders & Homewood Corporation attic-ventilation settlement useful as a comparison of how building-defect class actions are resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the CertainTeed organic shingles settlement?

Property owners in the United States and Canada who had CertainTeed organic asphalt shingles manufactured between July 1, 1987 and 2005 installed on a building they owned. To file a claim today, the shingles generally must still be within their original warranty period.

What is the deadline to file a CertainTeed organic shingles claim?

There is no single deadline. The claim window depends on each roof's original warranty period and can run for many years after installation, with the latest possible filing windows extending to 2030. Because the deadline is tied to your individual warranty, confirm your specific window on the official settlement website before the warranty expires.

Do I need proof to file a CertainTeed shingles claim?

Yes. The claim form requires supporting documentation, including photographs of the damaged shingles and information about the roof and its warranty. This is a documentation-based warranty claim, not a no-proof cash settlement.

How much can I receive from the settlement?

Payments are calculated per square (100 square feet of roofing) and prorated by the remaining warranty. For an in-warranty original purchaser, a claim within 10 years of installation pays $40 per square (not prorated) plus $34 per square prorated; a claim more than 10 years after installation pays $74 per square, prorated. The final amount also depends on how many shingles are damaged, how long they have been installed, and whether the damage meets the settlement's definition of a defect.