This two-story home sat in a nice Scottsdale neighborhood, real-estate sign in the yard and all. Its concrete tile roof looked great from the street. It was also leaking. The homeowners thought they were facing the cost of a whole new tile roof. They were not, and that is worth explaining, because it is one of the most misunderstood things about tile roofs in the Valley.

Here is the job, and the reason a leaking tile roof rarely means new tile.

The Home and the Roof

A two-story stucco home with a red concrete S-tile roof, the classic Southwest look you see all over Scottsdale and the north Valley. The tile itself was in good shape. Concrete tile like this can last 50 years or more. So when a roof like this leaks, the tile is almost never the problem.

The Tile Was Fine, the Underlayment Was Not

Here is the part most homeowners never hear. On a tile roof, the tile is not what keeps the water out. The tile sheds water and shades the roof. The actual waterproofing is the underlayment, the layer that runs underneath the tile across the whole roof.

That underlayment is what fails. In Scottsdale, the roof surface bakes under relentless sun, and the heat and UV dry out and crack the underlayment years before the tile ever wears down. When a monsoon storm drives rain sideways under the tile, there is nothing left underneath to stop it, so the water reaches the deck and then the ceiling. The roof looks perfect from the street the whole time.

How a Tile Re-Roof Actually Works

The fix keeps your tile and replaces what actually failed. On this Scottsdale home, that meant:

  • We carefully lifted the concrete tile off the roof and stacked it so it could be reused.
  • We tore off the old, brittle underlayment and cleaned the deck.
  • We inspected the decking and repaired anything bad, then re-did the flashing at the valleys and penetrations where leaks tend to start.
  • We dried the roof back in with new underlayment rated for our heat.
  • We re-laid the same tile back over the fresh underlayment, swapping out any cracked pieces.

When we were done, the roof looked the same as the day we pulled up. Underneath, it was a new, watertight roof again.

Why This Costs Less Than All-New Tile

Because the existing tile gets reused, you are not paying for a whole new roof’s worth of material. You are paying for the labor, the new underlayment, and any decking or flashing repairs found once the tile is off. You keep the exact look you already have for less than a full tile tear-off and replacement.

Every roof is different, and the only honest way to price one is to get up there and measure it, which is why our estimates are free.

If your tile roof is leaking, or you are seeing stains on the ceiling and cannot find the cause, it is very likely the underlayment, not the tile. We are a licensed Phoenix-metro roofing contractor (AZ ROC 306411, CR-42) and we handle tile roofing across the Valley. Take a look at more of our work in the gallery, or get a free estimate and we will tell you honestly what your roof needs.

The service behind this project:Tile Roofing →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep my existing roof tile?

In most cases, yes. Concrete and clay tile can last 50 years or more, so on a typical Phoenix re-roof the tile is still in good shape. We lift and stack the existing tile, replace the worn underlayment beneath it, and re-lay the same tile, so your roof looks the same afterward.

Why does a tile roof leak if the tile still looks fine?

Because the tile is not what keeps water out. It sheds water and shades the roof, but the actual waterproofing is the underlayment underneath. In Arizona, heat and UV break that underlayment down long before the tile wears out, so a roof can look perfect from the street and still leak in a monsoon.

How long does the tile last compared to the underlayment?

The tile can outlast the house. Many concrete and clay tiles go 50 years or more. The underlayment beneath it has a much shorter life in our climate. That mismatch is why a tile roof usually needs its underlayment replaced once or more over its life while the same tile stays in place.

Does re-roofing tile cost less than tearing it off for all-new tile?

Usually, yes. Because we reuse the existing tile, you are paying for labor, new underlayment, and any decking or flashing repairs, not a whole new roof's worth of tile. You keep the exact look you already have for less than a full tile replacement.