Concrete and clay tile roofs, installed in Jacksonville

Tile weighs two to four times what shingle does, so the first question is structure. A house framed for shingle needs an engineer's sign-off and sometimes added framing before it can carry tile.

Then the underlayment, where a tile roof is won or lost. Old felt is what fails on the tile roofs we repair, so we install a self-adhered membrane with metal flashing at every wall, valley and penetration. The tile goes on last, fastened to code with screws, clips or foam adhesive by profile, with a mechanical ridge and hip system in place of mortar.

Concrete is the tile most Jacksonville homeowners choose: flat, S and barrel profiles in colors that suit the Mediterranean and Spanish revival houses where tile belongs. It is heavier than clay, less expensive, and rated for the wind uplift the code asks of it. Color is through-body or slurry-coated, and coated finishes fade faster in the sun.

We install Eagle Roofing Products and Westlake Royal lines from local supply, over a full self-adhered underlayment and new flashing. Expect the tile to outlast the membrane; the membrane is what we build to last.

Typical market range for concrete tile installed / clay tile installed: $10.00 to $16.00 and $12.00 to $20.00 per square foot (source). A planning figure, not a quote.

When the tile is sound but the underlayment beneath it has failed, a lift and relay reuses what you have. The tiles come off and are stacked on the roof or the ground, old felt and battens are stripped, new self-adhered membrane and flashing go down, and the same tiles go back on with new fasteners and a mechanical ridge.

It costs less than a new tile roof because the tile is already paid for, and it keeps the look of a street where every house carries the same profile. Breakage is the variable: some tile always cracks coming off, and we price replacement pieces into the job up front.