A tile roof is the longest-lasting roof most Bay Area homes will ever wear — 50 to 100 years for the tile itself. We install, replace, and repair concrete and clay tile, verify your framing can carry the weight, and rebuild the waterproofing underneath so the roof lasts as long as the tile does. Permits and structural sign-off handled.
A tile roof is a roofing system built from individual molded-concrete or fired-clay tiles laid over a waterproof underlayment on the roof deck. The tiles shed water and shrug off sun, fire, and wind for 50 to 100 years, while the underlayment beneath them does the actual waterproofing and is replaced every 20 to 30 years.
Decades of lifespan — concrete and clay tile routinely outlast two or three asphalt-shingle roofs, so it is often the last roof you buy.
Class A fire rating — non-combustible tile is one of the best roof coverings for California's wildfire and ember exposure.
Two layers, two lifespans — tile and underlayment age separately, which is why a lift-and-reset can restore the roof without buying new tile.
Built for the weight — we confirm your rafters and decking can carry roughly 900 to 1,000 lbs per roofing square before a single tile goes on.
If the tile is sound and only the underlayment has failed, you need a repair — not a new roof. Concrete and clay tile last decades longer than the felt beneath them, and a leak almost always means the underlayment reached the end of its life rather than the tile. That work has its own page: tile roof repair, covering leak tracing, flashing rebuilds, sectional lift-and-relay and full re-underlayment with your original tile put back. Wondering how often a tile roof actually needs attention? See how long tile lasts and what the underlayment underneath it really costs you.
This page is about the other case — a full tile roof replacement or a new tile installation: when the tile itself is broken across large areas, when the profile is discontinued and cannot be matched, when the structure needs assessing for a change of material, or when you are putting tile on a roof that does not have it yet.
From solar-ready concrete to authentic clay, we install and restore every tile system — matched to your home's architecture, framing, and budget across San Jose and the Bay Area.
Our most popular tile for modern San Jose homes: durable, walkable, and cost-efficient at roughly 9 to 11 lbs per square foot. Barrel, flat, and interlocking shadow-line profiles in unlimited Eagle and Boral colors, with a solar-ready flat option.
Natural terracotta that holds its color for a century and defines Spanish, Mediterranean, and mission-style homes. See our dedicated clay tile roof installation page for profiles, colors, and historic-restoration detail.
Your tiles are fine — the waterproofing underneath is not. We lift and stack the tiles, replace the underlayment, flashings, and any rotted decking, then reset the original tile. The economical alternative to a full tear-off.
The tile look at a fraction of the weight — ideal when framing can't carry clay or concrete. These metal roofing panels give a Class A, 150-mph roof without structural reinforcement.
Choosing between clay and concrete is a trade-off of aesthetics versus utility. Concrete tile is more durable, walkable, and versatile; clay tile holds its natural terracotta color for a century and best suits historic and Mediterranean architecture. In the South Bay, concrete has become the modern standard for its color range and resistance to breakage.
| Feature | Concrete Tile | Clay Tile |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | Low fragility — very durable and walkable underfoot | Higher fragility — cracks more easily when walked on |
| Weight | Roughly 9 to 11 lbs per square foot | Roughly 8 to 10 lbs per square foot |
| Color | Unlimited — full Eagle & Boral palettes | Natural terracotta that fades very slowly over decades |
| Best for | Modern homes & solar-ready roofs | Historically accurate & Mediterranean restorations |
We recommend concrete tile for most San Jose homes because it allows for safer solar-panel installation and gutter maintenance. When your home calls for authentic clay, our clay tile roof installation page covers profiles, color longevity, and historic-restoration work in depth.
In the South Bay's fire-prone, sun-drenched climate, tile isn't just beautiful — it's the most durable, lowest-lifetime-cost roof you can put on a home.
Concrete tile lasts 50 or more years and clay can pass 100 — two to three times a typical asphalt roof. Spread over its life, tile is often the cheapest roof you can own.
Non-combustible concrete and clay carry the highest Class A fire rating and resist winds up to 150 mph — critical protection in California's wildfire-urban-interface neighborhoods.
The air gap under each tile insulates the attic and cuts summer heat gain, while concrete and clay profiles add lasting architectural value in neighborhoods across San Jose.
Tile is heavy and unforgiving of shortcuts, so we start under the roof — with the structure — and document every stage through final City inspection.
Before we quote tile, we inspect your rafters, trusses, and decking to confirm they can carry the load — concrete tile can reach roughly 1,000 lbs per roofing square. If framing needs reinforcement, we scope it up front — no surprises mid-project. Not every tile roof needs replacing: here is a tile roof repaired without replacing it in South San Francisco.
We tear off the old roof (or lift and stack your tiles), replace any rotted decking, and install a double-layer underlayment with new valley and headwall flashing — the layer that actually keeps water out for the next 20 to 30 years.
Our crews set concrete or clay tile to manufacturer spec, finish ridges and hips with color-matched mortar or foam, and close out with a full magnetic sweep and City of San Jose final inspection — backed by our 10-year workmanship warranty.
Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractors — a status held by fewer than 1% of roofers nationwide. Daniel & Norayr Keshishyan have built Lifetime Roofing from the ground up since 2010 — and earned a 4.8★ Google rating. Tile is a structural decision as much as a roofing one, and we know exactly what the San Jose Community Development Department expects on load, underlayment, and flashing.
Real feedback from San Jose and Bay Area homeowners — a 4.8★ rating on Google.
"I was really pleased with the new roof job Lifetime Roofing and Renovation performed for my mom's house that I decided to hire them again for my house. … The price point for concrete tiles is what I expected given the rising costs of material and labor."
— Alden W., via Google"I went from having a concrete tile roof (which I love) but that had NO plywood and had dilapidated, aged felt (tar paper) to one that has secure plywood and a fabulous new long-living underlayment and then re-positioned my old tiles and refreshed them with pressure washing to provide not only a very secure roof but a visually pleasing one."
— Animal Gal, via Google"Nick S was especially helpful. I loved that he showed us all the possible materials, warranties and options during the initial appraisal, none of the other roofers were that specific and detailed."
— Monika K., via GoogleA real barrel-tile lift-and-reset in Milpitas, CA 95035 — sound tiles, failed waterproofing. We reset the homeowner's original tile over all-new underlayment instead of a full replacement.
Cost depends on the tile profile you choose, the size and pitch of your roof, and whether the framing needs structural reinforcement to carry the weight — so we quote it after a free on-site inspection rather than a one-size number. Tile costs more upfront than asphalt shingles, but the 50-year lifespan and fire resistance make it the lower lifetime cost. If your tiles are still sound, a lift-and-reset that reuses your existing tile costs far less than a full replacement — one Almaden Valley restoration saved the homeowner roughly $12,000 versus buying new material.
Usually just the underlayment. Concrete and clay tiles last 50 to 100 years, but the underlayment beneath them — the layer that actually waterproofs the roof — fails in 20 to 30 years. If your tiles are still sound, a lift-and-reset replaces the underlayment and flashings while reusing your original tile, which is the most cost-effective fix.
The tile itself lasts 50 to 100 years — concrete typically 50 or more, clay often past 100. The limiting factor is the underlayment underneath, which lasts 20 to 30 years. That is why a well-maintained tile roof may only need the underlayment replaced once or twice over the life of the tile.
Tile is heavy — roughly 9 to 11 lbs per square foot for concrete and 8 to 10 for clay, versus about 2.5 for asphalt shingles. Before any tile install we perform a structural load assessment of your rafters, trusses, and decking, and reinforce the framing if needed. If your home can't carry the weight, lightweight stone-coated metal tile gives the same look with no reframing. And when the framing or the homeowner would rather drop the weight altogether, here is how a Castro Valley home converted its concrete tile roof to architectural shingle.
Concrete tile costs less, offers unlimited colors, is very durable and walkable, and works well on modern and solar-ready homes. Clay tile holds its natural terracotta color for a century and suits Spanish, Mediterranean, and historic homes but is more fragile underfoot. We recommend concrete for most San Jose homes because it allows safer solar and gutter access; for authentic clay, see our clay tile roof installation page.
A tile re-roof in San Jose requires Title 24 energy-compliance forms and structural weight disclosures filed through the city's ePlan portal. As a full-service licensed San Jose roofing contractor, we handle the entire digital permitting process and the City final inspection for you.
Tile is its own trade, so ask three things. First, a California C-39 roofing license (ours is #1090028), which you can check on the CSLB website. Second, whether they do lift-and-relay: a tile specialist can lift and reuse sound tiles and replace only the worn underlayment beneath them, instead of selling you a whole new roof. Third, whether they check the framing for tile weight and handle San Jose’s permit and Title 24 paperwork. We install and repair both concrete and clay tile across San Jose and the Bay Area; for a leak on an existing tile roof, see our tile roof repair page.
Get a free, no-obligation tile roof estimate from San Jose's Owens Corning Platinum Preferred team. We confirm your framing, rebuild the waterproofing, and handle the permits — you get a roof measured in decades.
Across the full tile roofs we completed in 2025 and 2026, most ran $16,000–$33,000, with a typical project near $25,000. Tile is a premium, 50+ year system, so the range is wider than asphalt and depends heavily on the factors below.
What moves the price:
Every roof is different — these figures come from our own completed tile jobs, not a quote. Get a free, no-obligation inspection for an exact number on your home.
You can keep good concrete tile and still get a new roof: on this San Mateo home we lifted all 27 squares of the original tile, replaced the old spaced-board deck with new plywood, laid new underlayment and battens, and re-laid the same tiles.
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