Tile Roof Repair

What Is Tile Roof Repair?

Tile roof repair starts from an inversion most owners do not expect: the tile is the armor and the underlayment beneath it is the actual waterproofing. Clay and concrete tiles shed most water and shrug off UV for 50 to 100 years, but the felt or synthetic underlayment under them fails in 20 to 30 — so a leaking tile roof with intact tiles is usually an underlayment problem, and the honest major repair is lifting and relaying the existing tiles over new underlayment rather than replacing the tile itself. Individual cracked or slipped tiles — from hail, foot traffic, or fastener failure — are replaced one at a time, and matching aged clay colors can require sourcing salvage tile. Technique matters unusually much: tiles break underfoot unless walked correctly (weight on the headlap ends or padded), which is why untrained trades servicing rooftop equipment are a leading cause of tile damage. Hail performance splits by material — concrete tile resists well; aged clay can shatter — and repair bids should separate tile work from the flashing and valley metal that commonly fails alongside.

Important Distinction

Note: On a tile roof the underlayment, not the tile, is the waterproof layer: tiles last 50–100 years while underlayment lasts 20–30, so many 'tile roof failures' are underlayment failures under perfectly good tile.

Also Known As

These are the search terms and phrases that commonly refer to this topic, so you can find it however you describe it.