Tile Roof Guide for Southern California Homeowners
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This tile roof guide is for Southern California homeowners who have clay or concrete tile overhead, or are thinking about it. Most of what goes wrong with a tile roof comes back to one idea: the tiles usually outlast the underlayment beneath them.
That is why a tile roof can leak while every tile still looks fine, and why the fix is often less than a new roof. The sections below cover how a tile roof works, the problems we see most, your options and where to read more on each topic.
How a Tile Roof Keeps Water Out
A tile roof is a system of layers. The tiles shed most of the rain and shade the layers below from the sun, but they are not watertight on their own. Water that gets past them, through the gaps between tiles or under a broken one, is stopped by the underlayment.
| Layer | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tiles | Shed most of the water and shield the layers below from sun and heat |
| Battens | Wood or other strips that hold many tiles in place, depending on how the roof was built |
| Underlayment | The waterproof layer that stops the water the tiles let through |
| Flashings | Metal at walls, chimneys, valleys and vents, where most leaks start |
| Roof deck | The sheathing that carries all of it |
The Tiles Usually Outlast the Underlayment
Clay and concrete tiles can protect a home for decades. The underlayment beneath them works hard the whole time, in heat that builds up under the tiles, and it wears out first. When it does, water the tiles let through reaches the deck, even though the roof looks fine from the street.
- A leak or a ceiling stain after rain, with no broken tile in sight
- Dark, brittle or torn underlayment showing where a tile has slipped or broken
- Leaks at valleys, walls and chimneys, where water collects
- Repeated repairs in the same area
There is no single age at which underlayment fails; it depends on the product, how it was installed and how the roof is built. Our guide to tile roof underlayment explains the signs and the options in detail.
Broken and Slipped Tiles
A tile cracks when it is stepped on in the wrong place, hit by a falling branch or knocked during other work on the roof, such as a satellite dish, solar or HVAC service. Tiles also slip when the fastener or batten holding them gives way.
One broken tile is rarely an emergency on its own, but it leaves the underlayment below in direct sun and rain, and that speeds up its wear. A slipped tile can also let more water through than the underlayment was meant to handle.
The repair is to replace the broken tiles with the closest match, reset the slipped ones and check the underlayment and flashing around them. See tile roof repair for how we do it.
Why Walking on Tile Cracks It
A tile is strong when the load is spread the way it was designed to be, and brittle when it is not. Step on the middle of a barrel tile, or on the unsupported edge of a flat one, and it can crack under one person’s weight, even if the crack doesn’t show until the next rain.
Roofers who work on tile know where to step and where not to. When anyone else needs to be on your roof, for solar, a satellite dish or air conditioning, it is worth asking how they will walk it and having the tiles checked afterward.
Stay off a tile roof yourself. Tiles crack underfoot, and a tile roof is slippery, especially when wet. Look from the ground or ask a roofer.
Tile Weight and Your Roof Framing
Tile is heavy compared with other roofing. As a general range, clay tile weighs about 600 to 950 pounds per square (100 square feet) and concrete tile about 820 to 1,100, depending on the profile.
A home built for tile was framed for that weight. Putting tile on a home that had shingles, or switching from clay to a heavier concrete tile, means the framing has to be checked first and may need reinforcing. Our guides to clay vs. concrete tile and shingle vs. tile compare the materials.
Matching Tiles on Older Spanish-Style Homes
Many older Spanish Revival homes in Los Angeles and Orange County have clay tile in profiles or colors that are no longer made, and clay that has aged in the sun for years doesn’t look like a new tile even when the profile matches.
- Salvaged tiles of the same profile can replace broken ones.
- Your own tiles can be moved from a less visible slope to the front, with the closest new match going where it shows least.
- A lift and relay keeps your tiles on the roof, so the look of the home doesn’t change at all.
Repair, Lift and Relay, or a New Tile Roof?
| Option | When it fits | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Repair | A few broken or slipped tiles, or one flashing | Tiles replaced with the closest match or reset, flashing fixed |
| Lift and relay (SecondLife® Tile Reset) | The tiles are sound but the underlayment is worn | Tiles come off, new underlayment goes on, worn battens and flashings are renewed and the same tiles go back; only cracked or broken ones are replaced |
| New tile roof | Many tiles are brittle or broken, or you are changing tile | A complete new tile roof, from the deck up |
Our comparison of a tile lift and relay vs. a new tile roof walks through the choice, and the lift and relay and tile roof replacement pages explain how each job runs.
Caring for a Tile Roof in Southern California
- Keep valleys and gutters clear of leaves, so water can run off the roof
- Look over the roof from the ground after strong winds and storms
- Have the tiles checked after anyone else has worked on the roof
- Get a roof check before the rainy season if the underlayment’s age is unknown
- Fix broken and slipped tiles soon, before the underlayment below them wears through
Our roof maintenance checklist covers the rest of the year, and a roof maintenance plan puts the visits on a schedule.
More on Tile Roofs
- Tile roof underlayment: what it is, how it fails and how it is replaced
- Clay vs. concrete tile: how they differ and which to choose
- Tile lift and relay vs. a new tile roof: which one your roof needs
- Asphalt shingle vs. tile: weight, look and upkeep compared
- Tile and flat roofing in Mid-Wilshire: a project on a multi-family building
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a tile roof last?
The tiles themselves can protect a home for decades. The underlayment beneath them wears out sooner, and how soon depends on the product, the installation and the roof. That is why a tile roof often needs new underlayment long before it needs new tiles.
Can a tile roof leak if no tiles are broken?
Yes. Tiles are not watertight on their own, so once the underlayment beneath them wears out, water the tiles let through can reach the deck. A roof inspection checks the underlayment, not just the tiles.
Can I walk on my tile roof?
It is better not to. Tiles crack when stepped on in the wrong place, and a tile roof is slippery, especially when wet. Roofers who work on tile know where to step.
Can you replace the underlayment without new tiles?
Yes. A tile lift and relay takes the tiles off, puts new underlayment down and resets the same tiles, replacing only the cracked or broken ones.
Can you match the tiles on an older home?
We look for the closest match, use salvaged tiles where they exist and can move your own tiles to the slopes people see, with the new ones where they show least.
Get Your Tile Roof Checked
Book a free roof evaluation. A roofer checks your tiles, the underlayment and the flashings, shows you photos and gives you a written scope and price before any work.
