Authority Industries Service Guarantee Terms

Service guarantee terms define the conditions under which a home services network stands behind the work performed by its listed contractors — specifying what is protected, for how long, and under what circumstances a consumer may seek remedy. This page covers the definition, operating mechanism, common claim scenarios, and the decision boundaries that determine whether a guarantee applies or is excluded. Understanding these terms is essential for homeowners before authorizing work and for contractors before accepting a project through the network.

Definition and scope

A service guarantee, in the context of a home services directory network, is a structured commitment that work completed by a vetted provider will meet defined quality and completeness standards. It is distinct from a manufacturer's product warranty, which covers materials or equipment, and distinct from a contractor's own workmanship warranty, which is a bilateral agreement between that contractor and the homeowner. The network-level guarantee operates as a third layer: it activates when the contractor's own remedy fails or is unavailable.

The scope of coverage is bounded by the Authority Industries verified contractor criteria and the Authority Industries scope of covered trades. Work that falls outside the listed trade categories — for example, unlicensed specialty work performed outside the contractor's credentialed scope — does not trigger guarantee protections. Coverage is also contingent on the consumer having initiated the match through the Authority Industries homeowner matching process rather than engaging a listed provider through a separate, off-network arrangement.

How it works

The guarantee operates in 4 sequential stages:

1. Complaint submission — The homeowner documents the deficiency and submits a formal complaint within the applicable remedy window, which varies by trade category. Structural and systems work (HVAC, electrical, plumbing) typically carries a longer remedy window than cosmetic or maintenance services.
2. Provider notification — The listed contractor receives formal notice and is given a defined period — typically 5 to 10 business days — to respond and schedule a corrective visit.
3. Corrective work assessment — An independent review, governed by the Authority Industries dispute resolution process, determines whether the corrective work was completed to the original scope and applicable code standards.
4. Escalated remedy — If the provider fails to remedy the deficiency within the general timeframe, or if the corrective work is assessed as inadequate, the network may facilitate reimbursement or an alternative provider assignment, subject to the monetary ceiling specified in the guarantee tier applicable to the original service agreement.

Guarantee tier assignments are tied to the contractor's standing in the Authority Industries network membership tiers. Providers at higher membership standing carry broader guarantee backing because they have demonstrated sustained compliance with the Authority Industries quality benchmarks and the Authority Industries contractor performance metrics.

Workmanship guarantee vs. satisfaction guarantee — a key contrast: A workmanship guarantee covers objectively verifiable defects — work that fails to meet trade code, deviates from the agreed scope, or produces a measurable functional failure. A satisfaction guarantee, by contrast, covers subjective dissatisfaction with an outcome that technically met the contracted scope. The Authority Industries framework applies workmanship guarantee standards; satisfaction-based claims that do not identify a technical deficiency are handled separately under the Authority Industries ratings and reviews methodology and may not result in financial remedy.

Common scenarios

Scenario 1 — Incomplete installation. A plumber listed in the network completes a water heater installation but fails to reconnect a secondary supply line, resulting in a non-functional unit. This constitutes a scope deficiency and triggers Stage 1 of the guarantee process.

Scenario 2 — Post-service failure within the remedy window. An HVAC technician services a central air unit; the compressor fails 12 days after the service visit. Whether this falls under the guarantee depends on whether the failure mode is traceable to the technician's actions or omissions, as assessed during Stage 3.

Scenario 3 — Contractor non-response. A roofing contractor fails to respond to a corrective work notice within the specified window. This advances automatically to Stage 4, and the network's escalated remedy provisions apply without requiring additional homeowner action.

Scenario 4 — Out-of-scope claim. A homeowner requests remedy for damage to landscaping that occurred incidentally during a fence installation. Because landscaping damage is addressed under the Authority Industries insurance standards framework — specifically contractor liability insurance requirements — rather than the workmanship guarantee, this claim is routed to the contractor's general liability carrier, not the network guarantee process.

Decision boundaries

Guarantee coverage is denied or limited under the following conditions:

• The work was not matched through the network's verified intake process.
• The contractor held a lapsed license at the time of service, which is tracked under Authority Industries licensing requirements by trade.
• The homeowner materially altered the completed work before the corrective assessment.
• The claimed deficiency arose from conditions outside the contractor's control, including pre-existing structural defects documented in the project intake.
• The complaint was submitted after the remedy window expired for the applicable trade category.
• The claimed amount exceeds the monetary ceiling associated with the contractor's network membership tier.

Claims that sit at the boundary — for example, partial scope completion where some elements meet standard and others do not — are resolved through the staged dispute process with each line item assessed independently. The Authority Industries consumer protection framework governs how ambiguous boundaries are interpreted, with interpretive ambiguity resolved in favor of the homeowner where the contractor cannot produce documentation establishing scope agreement.

References

• Federal Trade Commission — Consumer Information on Warranties
• Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 2301–2312 (via Cornell Legal Information Institute)
• U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Home Improvement Contracts Guidance
• National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA)