You love the look of a clay tile roof, or you already have one and a few pieces have cracked. Either way, you’ve got questions. Will it hold up in your weather? Can your house carry the weight? And how do you find a clay tile roofing contractor who knows the material, instead of one who treats it like any other roof?
Those are the right questions. Clay is a beautiful, long-lasting roof, but it’s less forgiving of shortcuts than shingles are. The details that decide how well it performs are mostly hidden once the last tile is set.
APC Roofing has worked on tile roofs since 2017 across Central Florida, the Daytona Beach area, the Kansas City metro and Springfield, Missouri. We’re GAF Certified, licensed and insured, and your inspection is free. Call 866-995-0704 to set it up.
What makes clay tile roofing different
A clay tile gets its color from the earth it’s made from and the kiln it’s fired in, not from a coating. There’s no color layer to fade, chalk or wear thin. A clay roof 20 years on still reads as the shade it was installed in, and a chipped edge shows the same color as the face.
Clay tile also comes in classic shapes, like barrel and S tiles, plus flatter profiles. The curved shapes are what most people picture when they think of a Spanish or Mediterranean roof.
Why clay tile suits Florida
Clay became a hot-climate roof for good reasons. Lighter clay reflects a useful share of the sun instead of soaking it up, and curved profiles leave an air space between the tile and the roof deck. That gap lets heat move out from under the roof before it reaches the attic.
Fired clay also holds up well in salty coastal air, which is hard on many other roofing materials. That’s useful in the Daytona Beach area. What Florida does test is the fastening. Hurricane wind pulls hardest at the edges, hips and ridges, so how each tile is secured there decides how the roof holds up in a storm.
Clay tile in Kansas City and Springfield
Clay is less common around Kansas City and Springfield, and the reason is freezing, not fashion. Clay is porous. Water soaked into a tile expands about 9 percent as it freezes, and that happens from the inside out. A tile made for a warm market can flake and crack within a few winters in a colder one.
The standard that settles it is ASTM C1167, which sorts clay roof tile into grades by frost resistance. Grade 1 is made for severe frost and has to pass 50 freeze-thaw cycles in testing. Anywhere temperatures swing above and below freezing, Grade 1 should be written into the order, not settled in a conversation after the first cold spring.
Clay or concrete?
Clay generally costs more, weighs less than concrete tile of a similar shape and keeps its color longer. Concrete tile costs less, comes in more profiles and is usually colored on the surface, so it can fade over time. Both need the same care underneath. Our concrete tile roofing page covers the other side of the choice.
Weight and your roof framing
Clay is lighter than most concrete tile, but it’s still many times heavier than shingles. If you’re switching from shingles to clay, the first step is making sure your rafters and walls can carry the finished roof. That question comes before colors.
What’s under the tile matters most
Clay tile sheds most of the water, but the waterproof underlayment beneath it is what actually keeps your house dry. The tile often outlasts that underlayment, so a clay roof can leak while every tile still looks perfect. A heavier, better underlayment costs more at the start and buys years before the roof needs to be lifted and relaid. Our tile roofing page explains how the layers work together.
Brittle under foot
Clay’s trade-off is that it’s brittle. A dropped tool, a boot set where a tile has no support or a falling limb can crack it. Only people who know how each profile carries weight belong on a clay roof, and a lot of clay repairs are caused by someone else’s feet.
If you have cracked or slipped tiles, our tile roof repair page covers how they’re fixed.
Questions to ask a clay tile roofing contractor
Before you sign, ask:
- What underlayment are you installing, and why that one?
- How will the tiles be fastened at the edges, hips and ridges?
- Is the tile frost-rated, if I live where it freezes?
- Has my roof framing been checked for the weight?
- Can I order spare tiles with the roof?
Clear answers to these tell you more than the price does.
Buy spares on installation day
Clay shapes and colors go out of production, and matching a 20-year-old tile can be hard. A small stack of spare tiles stored dry in the garage costs little at the time and turns a future repair from a hunt through salvage yards into a quick fix.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Book your free inspection. Call 866-995-0704 or request a free online estimate.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. You’ll see photos and hear whether your clay roof needs a repair, a relay or a new roof, or whether clay is the right fit for your house at all.
- The work gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Tile projects take longer than shingle roofs, and you’ll get a realistic timeline with your estimate.
Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance.
Clay tile roofing questions
How long does a clay tile roof last?
The tile itself can last for many decades with care. The underlayment beneath it wears out sooner, so plan on that layer needing attention during the life of the roof.
Can a few broken clay tiles be replaced?
Usually, yes, if matching tiles can be found. That’s why spare tiles from the original job are so useful.
Does clay tile work in cold climates?
It can, if it’s Grade 1 frost-rated tile and installed correctly. Tile made for warm climates can fail quickly where it freezes.
A roof worth looking at for years
Cracked tiles and worn underlayment let water reach the roof deck slowly, so catching them early keeps a repair small.
You want a roof that looks right on your home, keeps the house dry and doesn’t surprise you later. Call 866-995-0704 to book your free inspection.
