Long warranty numbers are the loudest claim in this industry. Here is how to tell a factory warranty from a dealer promise, and which one still pays out in year nine.
Standard factory coverage on home standby units runs 3 to 5 years across the majors: Generac 5 years limited on most Guardian models, Cummins 5 years, Briggs & Stratton commonly 5 to 6, Champion 3. Extended factory-backed coverage to 10 years is available on most lines at additional cost. Those are the numbers the manufacturer stands behind, honored at any authorized service center in the country.
When a dealer advertises coverage longer than the factory term, one question settles it: who pays the claim, the manufacturer or the dealer? Dealer-backed extensions can be genuinely valuable, and some dealers honor them faithfully for decades. But the coverage is only as durable as that company. If they are acquired, close, drop the brand, or simply decline, your recourse is against them rather than the manufacturer. A factory warranty does not care what happened to the dealer.
Neither answer is disqualifying. What matters is knowing which one you are buying. Ask for it in writing, and ask specifically whether parts, labor, and travel are all covered, because those are frequently split.
Skipped annual maintenance is the leading cause of denied claims, followed by unpermitted or unlicensed installation and undocumented service history. This is the practical argument for permitted installation by a licensed contractor and a documented service plan: not bureaucracy, but keeping the coverage you paid for enforceable.
We register the factory warranty at commissioning and hand you written confirmation of the term, what is covered, and who to call. Because we carry eight brands, your quote shows the actual warranty terms side by side rather than the one brand we happen to stock. If a competitor's longer number is genuinely better for your situation, the comparison will show that too.
Standard factory warranties run 3 to 5 years across the major brands: Generac 5 years limited on most Guardian models, Cummins 5 years, Briggs & Stratton commonly 5 to 6 years, Champion 3 years. Extended coverage to 10 years is available on most lines. Any warranty longer than the manufacturer's standard term is a dealer-backed extension, not a factory warranty, so ask who actually pays the claim.
It is coverage sold or added by the dealer beyond the factory term. It can be genuinely valuable, but it is only as durable as the dealer offering it: if that company is acquired, closes, or drops the brand, the extension can become difficult to claim against. A factory warranty is honored by the manufacturer through any authorized service center in the country. Ask which type you are being offered and get the answer in writing.
Yes, and it is the most common reason claims are denied. Manufacturers expect documented annual service. Keep receipts, and if your unit has Wi-Fi monitoring, leave it on: the run-hour log becomes your service record.
Yes. We register the factory warranty at commissioning and give you written confirmation of the terms, the coverage period, and who to call for service. Because we carry eight brands, we put the actual warranty terms side by side in your quote instead of selling you whichever one we happen to stock.
Three fields, then a real person calls or texts you back, usually the same business day. Free load sizing, factory-direct pricing, no commissions.
Eight brands, actual terms in writing, no incentive to steer you to one of them.
Or text POWER to 816-785-1268. Real reply from a real person, usually within the hour.
