You may find yourself googling, “What is an industry standard warranty for a pedestrian bridge?”, especially if you are in charge of hiring someone to build one for you. Of course, it’s important to think about how long the warranty will last, but not all foot bridges have the same length of warranty. Some might not even have one at all!
The short answer is that an industry-standard warranty is typically 10 years, but there is more to it than that. This blog will discuss what this is, what it means, why you need it and when you should expect to see the benefits of your investment.
What is a Warranty?
For those who are curious, a warranty is the process of guaranteeing that something will be free from defects in materials or workmanship. A warranty can also refer to a guarantee by the manufacturer or seller of the bridge that the product will meet certain standards and live up to expectations.
In the case of a warranty on a pedestrian bridge, the company is guaranteeing the work they have done for you will stand up to normal, everyday use for a specified period. If it doesn’t, then there are some things that may be covered under warranty depending on the type of damage and how long after construction or installation that it was used before being damaged.
What Does “A Warranty on a Pedestrian Bridge” Mean?
The industry-standard warranty is best described as a binding contract that states that the pedestrian bridge will stand up to normal, everyday use for at least 10 years. This means if it’s used under regular conditions and still falls down in some way, then you might be able to take advantage of one or more things from your warranty, depending on what happens with your specific bridge.
Why Do You Need One?
The simple answer is that you need it because bridges are expensive, and if they fall down or cause problems, then there’s a good chance your company will lose money on the deal or even suffer liabilities. Sure, 10 years may seem like an incredibly long time for something to last before needing any kind of work done on it, but there are many factors to consider.
For example, if the bridge is used more than normal or some of its components were installed wrong (leaving it prone to damage), then warranty coverage might be something you want to look into right away before an accident happens and everything goes haywire.
When Can You Expect To See The Benefits?
One thing to understand about a warranty is that it might not be an immediate benefit if something happens with your bridge. In fact, you may have some time before you can expect anything from the warranty or take advantage of any benefits from it at all. The reason for this goes back to why warranties exist in the first place: because things happen.
For example, the Des Moines Register featured a story about a large-scale pedestrian bridge that was in need of expensive repairs after six years. The resurfacing project needed $160,000 in repairs. Turns out that the materials for the repairs (e.g., paint, sandblasting) were covered, but the city had to pay for labor costs that weren’t covered in the warranty.
This illustrates why you should understand what your warranty covers. This may seem like a bit of an inconvenience at first for most people who are used to things working right away, but it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to something as expensive and important as a bridge.
What can You Do to Make Sure the Warranty is Valid?
There are certain things you can do to make sure that your warranty is valid and useful when something actually happens with the bridge. For example, if there’s an accident or a part of the bridge breaks, then you should contact the company right away. They may ask you to send pictures or video of what’s going on, and it might be a good idea to do that in case they need clarification about something when reviewing your warranty coverage with you.
In short, this is why warranties exist. But if everything goes according to plan, then there shouldn’t be any issues with taking full advantage of it.
An experienced and reputable design-build bridge construction company will take the time to define the scope of the project, which includes going over how long your warranty is good for and how it works.
The Better Question Might Be: Should I See Benefits at all?
Perhaps the better question to ask is: If you should see the benefits of a warranty in action at all? Say you hire a pedestrian bridge company that stands behind their work and brings decades of design, assembly, and installation experience to the table. If so, then it will be less likely that any bridge built will not make it to its industry typical warranty milestone.
That’s what you want, and your reputation will be better for it. Still, things happen, and you need a company that will take the time to work with you to see if the issue is covered by the bridge manufacturer’s warranty. You’ll often need them to do regular maintenance and repairs that may or may not be covered by the warranty too.
Let Axcess Build and Install Your Pedestrian Bridge
Axcess, LLC builds bridges with authenticity and innovation you can trust. Our professionals bring a wealth of design and construction know-how to our pedestrian and trail bridges.
For bridge design, construction and repair, we’re your one-stop shop for everything you need to make the right decision before building or installing a new bridge on your property.
We will collaborate with you to develop a plan and timeline that meets your needs and fits your budget. In addition, we’ll be glad to go over any questions you may have about your pedestrian bridge’s warranty.
Additionally, you can check out our case studies and testimonials page to see what our clients think of us.
Ready to span the gap? Give us a call at (937) 907-0069, or contact us here!
