Jacksonville, FL ยท Roof Repairs
Tile roof repair for Jacksonville homes
Updated September 2026
The tile on a Florida roof usually outlives the underlayment beneath it, which is why a tile leak so often has no broken tile above it. We lift, find, fix and relay.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Concrete and clay tile
- Underlayment checked under every leak
Tile roof repair in Jacksonville, FL starts under the tile: on a roof more than about 20 years old the felt or membrane below has usually failed while the concrete or clay above still looks fine. We lift the tiles around the leak, replace the underlayment and flashing, and relay the same tiles.
What to look for
Signs a tile roof needs attention
Stains that only appear in heavy rain
Light rain drains fine; a downpour overwhelms failed underlayment.
Tile pieces in the yard or gutter
Chips and corners mean tiles are cracking or slipping somewhere above.
A visible gap in a course
One slipped tile exposes the felt to sun and wind, and the next tile follows.
Loose or missing ridge caps
Cracked mortar lets caps lift, and the ridge leaks first.
Moss or black streaks on one slope
Shade holds moisture on the north side and shortens the life of the felt beneath.
Step by step
How a tile leak call runs
- 1
Call and describe the stain
Whether it shows in every rain or only heavy ones tells us a lot before we climb.
- 2
Attic and roof inspection
Underside of the deck first, then the tile, carefully, with pads.
- 3
Lift and look
Tiles around the suspect area come up so we can see the underlayment and flashing.
- 4
Scope with photos
Repair the section or relay the slope; you see the felt before deciding.
- 5
Repair and relay
New underlayment and flashing, tiles reset, cracked pieces matched and replaced.
- 6
Final check
Hose test on the repair, and the spare tiles stay with you.
Timing
How long a tile repair takes
A cracked-tile swap or a ridge reset is a short job. A lift and relay of a slope takes longer, set by the slope's size and how much tile breaks on the way off. Either way, we never open more roof than we can close before the afternoon storms, because an exposed deck in a July downpour turns a repair into a much bigger job.
How tile actually works
Why a tile roof leaks with no broken tile in sight
Tile is a rain screen, not a waterproof layer. Water gets under it in every heavy rain and runs down the underlayment to the eave. When that underlayment cracks, rots at the batten or pulls loose at a penetration, the roof leaks with every tile intact.
So a tile leak call is really an underlayment call. We lift the tiles in the suspect area, repair the membrane and flashing, and relay. Fixing a cracked tile without checking underneath is how the same leak comes back in a month. Walking tile also breaks tile, so we step on the lower third of each piece, use foam pads, and bring spares.
Tile Roof Repair
Cracked and slipped tile replacement
Cracked field tiles come from limbs, foot traffic and the occasional hailstone. Slipped tiles usually mean the fastener or clip let go, or the batten under them rotted. Either one opens a path for wind-driven rain to reach the underlayment faster than it should.
We lift the course above, pull the damaged piece, check the batten and membrane, and set a replacement with a new fastener or a foam adhesive dab where nailing is not practical. Matching is the hard part: profiles change, colors fade, and discontinued lines have to come from salvage. We keep a stock and tell you plainly when a perfect match is not out there.
Tile Roof Repair
Underlayment failure under tile
This is the leak on most tile roofs past 20 years, and Jacksonville's 60 summer days at 90 degrees or hotter cook old felt until it cracks. Symptoms are stains in heavy rain but not light rain, and leaks that move around the ceiling as water tracks along the failed membrane.
The repair is a lift and relay of the affected area: tiles are stacked aside, old felt and battens removed, new self-adhered underlayment and flashing installed, then the same tiles go back. When the failure is spread across the whole roof, a full lift and relay is the honest recommendation instead of chasing it slope by slope.
Tile Roof Repair
Ridge and hip mortar repair
Older tile roofs have ridge and hip caps set in mortar. Mortar shrinks, cracks and lets go, wind lifts the caps, and water gets under the ridge, the highest and hardest-to-see point on the roof.
We remove loose mortar and failed caps, then reset them on a modern ridge system: a ridge board with a weather-blocking closure and caps fastened mechanically, with color-matched mortar or foam only where the look calls for it. It ends the cycle of patching the same ridge every couple of summers and adds ventilation the original roof never had.
Roofing in Jacksonville
Tile roofs in Jacksonville are concentrated where the houses are older
Tile is a minority roof in Jacksonville, and it clusters in the Mediterranean revival pockets, with San Marco the clearest example. Those roofs have often been up long enough that the original felt underlayment is decades old, which puts them squarely in the underlayment-failure category rather than the broken-tile category. The heat does the damage: the NWS normal for the city is 60 summer days at 90 degrees or hotter, and that cycle bakes old felt until it cracks at every batten and penetration. Newer tile roofs on recent builds are a different job entirely, usually a cracked tile from foot traffic or a limb.
We install and repair the lines Northeast Florida suppliers stock, from GAF, Owens Corning and CertainTeed shingles to Eagle concrete tile and Carlisle TPO.
- GAF
- Owens Corning
- CertainTeed
- TAMKO
- Atlas Roofing
- IKO
- Gulf Coast Supply
- Eagle Roofing Products
- Westlake Royal
- Polyglass
- Carlisle
- Johns Manville
- Englert
- VELUX
Cost factors
What moves the price of a tile repair
Tile above or underlayment below
Swapping a few cracked tiles is a short visit. Lifting and relaying a section over new underlayment is a bigger job with more material.
Matching the tile
Current-line concrete is easy to source. Discontinued profiles and faded clay come from salvage and cost more per piece.
Breakage during the work
Old tile breaks when walked. Spares are budgeted in, not added after.
Ridge and flashing work
Resetting a ridge or reflashing a chimney under tile adds labor a field repair does not.
Every roof is priced after we see it. Size, pitch, access, decking condition and material all move the number.
Questions we hear
Tile roof repair questions
Often, not always. Current concrete profiles are easy; discontinued clay comes from salvage. On a street-facing slope we can move original tiles forward and put the near-match at the back.
Because the underlayment under the tile is the waterproof layer, and it fails from heat and age long before the tile does. We lift tiles to check it on every leak call.
Not casually. Concrete takes careful stepping on the lower third of each piece; clay cracks easily. We use pads and still budget for breakage.
Failing in one spot, repair the spot. Brittle everywhere, a full lift and relay reuses your tile over new membrane and ends the leak-chasing.
Yes: barrel, S-tile and flat profiles and their ridge systems. We repair Eagle and Westlake Royal concrete lines and match clay from stock and salvage.
Related work
Other roof repairs we handle in Jacksonville
Shingle Roof Repair
Covers missing and blown-off shingle replacement, lifted and creased shingle repair, ridge cap repair.
See how it worksMetal Roof Repair
Covers backed-out fastener and washer replacement, standing seam leak repair, rust and coating failure.
Learn moreRoof Flashing Repair
Covers chimney flashing and cricket repair, step and wall flashing repair, drip edge replacement.
See how it worksGet under the tile and find the leak
Call any hour. We answer 24/7 and repair concrete and clay tile roofs across Jacksonville.
