Inspecting Tile Roofs After a Storm: Walk Without Breaking

Tile roof inspections are the highest-skill job in residential storm work. One wrong step and you break 4 tiles at $18 each, plus the labor to replace them, plus the liability when the homeowner claims you caused the damage. But tile hail claims also pay 2 to 3 times what shingle claims pay because the replacement cost is so much higher. This is the tile inspection playbook for operators who have only worked shingle.

Concrete vs clay: know what you are walking on

Concrete tile

Most common in Florida, California, Arizona, Texas. Brands: Eagle, Monier, Boral. Colors through the mix, weighs 9 to 13 pounds per square foot. Service life 50+ years. Resistant to hail but breaks under point load.

Clay tile

Most common in Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, California. Brands: Ludowici, MCA, Santafe. Surface-glazed color. Weighs 6 to 10 pounds per square foot. Service life 75+ years. Extremely brittle. Breaks easier than concrete.

Visual differences:

• Concrete: matte finish, slight texture, color consistent through the tile if you chip a corner
• Clay: glossy glazed surface, color only on the top layer, terracotta body visible at chips

The walk technique that does not break tile

Walking tile wrong is the most expensive mistake in roofing. Here are the rules:

1. Step on the bottom 3 inches of each tile, where the tile rests directly on the batten below. This is the strongest point.
2. Never step on the cut edges or the overlap peaks. The overlap has air under it and breaks under weight.
3. Distribute weight across two feet. Never bounce or shift weight suddenly.
4. Use plywood walkboards on heavily trafficked areas. A 2 by 4 foot piece of 3/4-inch plywood distributes weight and stays put.
5. Soft-soled shoes only. Boots with hard soles crack tile. Wear sneakers or soft-soled roofing shoes.

The rule of thumb: if the tile creaks under your weight, step off immediately. A creak is the tile telling you it is about to break.

Cracked vs broken: the distinction that pays

Adjusters draw a line between cracked (hairline fracture, tile still in place, weatherproof questionable) and broken (tile is in pieces, clearly compromised).

Both are replaceable line items, but cracked is harder to argue because it is less visible. Your job is to document cracked tiles as definitively as broken ones.

Documenting cracked tile:

• Photograph from 3 angles to show crack depth
• Tap the tile with a rubber mallet: a solid tile rings, a cracked tile thuds
• Photograph the underside of a cracked tile if possible (from inside the attic or when lifting for inspection)
• Note the crack pattern: starburst cracks from hail are different than thermal cracks

Hail signatures specific to tile

Tile does not dent like metal or bruise like shingle. Tile hail damage looks like:

• Starburst cracks: cracks radiating from a central impact point
• Surface spalling: a disc of material knocked off the tile surface, exposing the raw body underneath
• Glaze cracking (clay only): hairline fractures in the glaze that expose the terracotta
• Corner breaks: the lower corner of the tile chipped off by a hit

Tile hail tests (TAS 112 in Florida) require tiles to survive 1.75-inch impact without cracking. If the storm was 2-inch or larger, every tile on the slope is potentially compromised.

The underlayment problem

Here is the carrier angle: "The tile is cracked but the roof is still weatherproof because the underlayment is intact." Your counter is that the underlayment on most tile roofs installed before 2015 is 30-lb organic felt with a service life of 20 to 25 years. If the roof is 22 years old, the underlayment is near end-of-life and cannot be reused.

Document underlayment condition:

1. Lift 3 to 5 tiles at scattered locations to expose the underlayment
2. Photograph the underlayment condition: brittleness, cracking, degradation
3. Document any torn underlayment visible at hip or valley locations
4. Note the underlayment type (30-lb felt vs modern synthetic)

If the underlayment is 20+ years old and brittle, any tile replacement triggers a full underlayment replacement as a code-compliance requirement in most jurisdictions. This is where the supplement grows from $8,000 to $45,000 on a 3,500 square-foot Florida home.

Tile replacement cost dynamics

Line itemPrice per unit Concrete tile (standard flat profile)$3.50 to $6.00 each Clay tile (standard barrel)$8.00 to $14.00 each Labor to replace individual tiles$12 to $22 per tile Full tile tear-off and reset$4.50 to $7.50 per square foot New underlayment (synthetic)$1.20 to $1.85 per square foot Ice and water shield at eaves and valleys$1.80 to $2.40 per square foot

A 3,000 square-foot concrete tile roof re-underlayment runs $22,000 to $38,000. Clay can go $38,000 to $65,000 depending on tile availability and waste factor.

Match and availability problems

Concrete tile production has consolidated since 2010. Several profile and color combinations are discontinued. A "match" on a 22-year-old concrete tile often requires either salvage from another site or a full replacement.

Document:

1. The tile profile name and color (look for manufacturer stamp on underside of a tile)
2. The year of manufacture if visible
3. The current manufacturer's catalog availability (or lack thereof)

A discontinued tile is your best argument for full-roof replacement instead of repair. Document the discontinued status with a screenshot from the manufacturer website or a letter from a distributor.

Supplement line items often missed

• Valley metal replacement: $28 to $45 per linear foot
• Hip and ridge mortar or mud: $18 to $28 per linear foot
• Birdstop or eave closure: $3.50 to $6.00 per linear foot
• Flashing at chimneys, sidewalls, and penetrations
• Tile booster strips or anti-ponding strips
• Nail and fastener waste (20 percent overage on tile jobs)

For more inspection technique, see multi-slope roof inspection tactics. For supplement strategy, read supplementing underpaid scopes.

Tools specific to tile

• Rubber mallet for crack testing: $22
• Plywood walkboards, 2 by 4 foot: $18 each, carry 3 on the truck
• Soft-soled shoes: $80
• Tile hook and pry bar for lifting tiles: $35
• RoofKnockers inspection app with tile-specific template and underlayment documentation fields

FAQ

Can I walk a tile roof without breaking any tiles?

Yes, with technique. Step on the bottom third of each tile where it rests on the batten, use soft-soled shoes, and move slowly. A veteran tile inspector breaks zero tiles per month. A rookie breaks 3 to 5 per inspection.

Who pays when I break a tile during inspection?

You do. Document the roof condition before you climb with ground-level photos. If you break tiles despite proper technique, replace them at your cost and do not hide it from the homeowner.

How do I find matching tiles for 20-year-old roofs?

Distributors like Westile, Boral, and Eagle have limited archived stock. Tile matching services like Tile Boss can source discontinued profiles. Salvage yards are a last resort but sometimes the only option.