Tile is less common in Irving than shingles, but it covers some of the most distinctive houses we inspect, from Mediterranean-style custom homes to the pre-war Park Cities. Our roofing contractor in Irving, TX crew treats a tile roof as two systems: the tile that sheds most of the water, and the underlayment beneath that keeps the house dry. New build with tile? See new roof installation; Spanish speakers can start at se habla español.
Clay tile vs. concrete tile on DFW roofs
Both materials are heavy, long-lived and fire resistant, but they age differently.
| Clay tile | Concrete tile | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Fired clay | Portland cement and sand, colored |
| Color over time | Holds color for decades | Fades and weathers; surface coatings wear |
| Hail behavior | Brittle; cracks and chips | Thicker; corners and edges break |
| Weight | Heavy | Usually heavier per square |
| Where we see it | Pre-war Park Cities homes, Spanish and Mediterranean styles | Newer custom and Mediterranean-style homes around DFW |
Either way, the tile is a shield; the underlayment beneath does the waterproofing, and most tile service comes down to it. Our post on tile vs. asphalt roofing for DFW homes compares tile with shingles if you are deciding between them.
Highland Park and University Park: pre-war tile and slate
Highland Park began developing in 1907 and University Park incorporated in 1924, and many of their 1920s and 1930s houses wear clay tile on Spanish and Mediterranean designs or slate on Tudor ones. The tile is often original and worth saving; the underlayment may have been replaced once, or never.
Slate has its own repair methods; we inspect it alongside the tile and composition roofs on these streets and report plainly.
Why does a tile roof leak when no tiles are broken?
Water gets under tile all the time: wind-driven rain, run-off along the laps and condensation all reach the layer below. The underlayment carries that water to the eaves. In North Texas heat, older felt underlayment dries, cracks and tears at the battens and around penetrations, often while the tiles above still look perfect. That is why a homeowner can have repeated ceiling stains on a roof with no visible damage.
Signs the underlayment is failing:
- Leaks that move or return after spot repairs
- Brittle, crumbling felt visible at the eaves or under a lifted tile
- Staining on rafters or decking seen from the attic
- Slipped tiles where nails or battens have rotted
Published tile guides put underlayment life at roughly 15 to 30 years by product, far shorter than the tile, so a 1990s custom home on original felt is usually due. Sun-facing south and west slopes, where the felt takes the most heat, usually show the damage first.
What our tile roof service includes
Every tile job starts by finding out which layer has failed, because a cracked tile, a worn-out underlayment and a bad flashing need three different fixes. Depending on what the inspection shows, the work covers:
- broken, cracked or slipped tile replaced with matched or salvage pieces
- flashing at valleys, walls, chimneys and pipes rebuilt under the tile
- lift-and-reset over new high-temperature underlayment and battens
- decking repair wherever lifted tiles expose rot
- photos before, during and after, plus a written damage report after hail
Tile we lift is stacked on the roof by course and reset in its original spot where it is sound, so a reset roof keeps its weathered color instead of a patchwork of new pieces.
How do we inspect a tile roof without breaking it?
We step only where each tile is supported by the one below, never on an unsupported edge or a barrel crown, with soft soles, foam pads or walk boards and a tie-off. Where a slope is too fragile to walk, we inspect from the ladder and the attic. Homeowners should stay off tile entirely.
Tile roof underlayment replacement: the lift-and-reset process
An underlayment reset keeps your original tile and replaces everything under it. It is usually the best value on a tile roof whose tiles are still sound.
- Inspect, count and order. We walk the roof the safe way, lift tiles at suspect spots, check the attic, estimate breakage and source matching tiles.
- Permit. Irving and the Park Cities each run their own permit process, and your city's permit is in place before work begins.
- Lift and stack. Tiles come off in sections and are stacked on the roof or staged on the ground, sorted by slope.
- Strip, repair and re-dry-in. Old underlayment and rotted battens come off, damaged decking is replaced, then a high-temperature underlayment, new battens where the system uses them and new valley, wall, chimney and pipe flashing go on.
- Relay the tile. Original tiles go back, fastened to current requirements, with broken pieces swapped for matches.
- Ridge, hips and cleanup. Ridge and hip tiles reset and sealed, debris cleared and a final walk-through with photos.
Questions about tile roofing? Talk to us.
Call for a free inspection and a written estimate. Hablamos español.
- 5.0 on Google (33 reviews)
- Free inspections & estimates
- Se habla español
- Workmanship guaranteed in writing with every contract
Can hail-damaged tiles be matched?
North Texas hail cracks clay and breaks the corners off concrete tile. A cracked tile matters more than it looks: it exposes the underlayment to sun and water. Matching depends on the material:
- Clay keeps its color, so a tile of the same profile usually blends in.
- Concrete fades, so a new tile of the same model can look darker or brighter than its neighbors for years.
- Discontinued profiles need salvage tiles or a creative layout.
When an exact match is not available, the back-slope swap described in the FAQ below is the usual answer. How your policy treats mismatched materials after a storm is a question for your insurer; our part is photographing the broken tiles, writing up the damage and, if you want, being there when the adjuster walks the roof.
What tile roof repair and replacement cost depends on
We have no reliable third-party price range for tile work in Irving to cite, so we price each job after an inspection. The main factors:
- Repair, underlayment reset or full replacement
- Clay or concrete, profile and how many replacement tiles are needed
- Availability of matching or salvage tiles
- Roof size, pitch, height and number of hips, valleys and chimneys
- Decking and batten repairs found once tiles are lifted
- The permit fee in Irving, Highland Park, University Park or your city
On an Irving tile roof, the biggest swing is reset versus replacement. Reusing sound tile means paying mainly for labor, underlayment, battens and flashing; replacing tile adds the material itself, and concrete generally costs less than clay, and specialty barrel or slate-look profiles cost more. Breakage allowance matters too: older clay loses some pieces when lifted, so the estimate should state how many spares are included and where replacements will come from.
Permits and contractor rules for tile work in Irving and the Park Cities
Texas does not license roofing contractors statewide, and TDLR issues no roofing license; RCAT's credential is voluntary, so city registration and permits are the checks that exist. An underlayment reset or tile replacement is re-roof work in Irving and needs a city permit; the Inspections Department, (972) 721-2371, can confirm what applies under the 2024 IRC edition Irving adopted for May 1, 2026. Highland Park and University Park are separate towns surrounded by Dallas, with their own building departments and permit rules, so we check with the town before work begins. Switching a house from shingles to tile adds a framing review.
Why RJ Premium Roofing for tile roofing
- Free inspection with photos of what is under the tile, not just on top.
- Storm documentation after hail, with a written damage report.
- Rated 5.0 by 33 Google reviewers as of November 2026.
- English and Spanish service, tile choices explained in either language.
- Cleanup reviewers mention, which matters when broken tile and old felt come down over flower beds.
- Honest matching advice after hail, including whether salvage tile from a hidden slope can fill visible gaps.
Tile and underlayment are covered by their manufacturers' warranties on the terms each publishes; our labor carries a workmanship guarantee that is written into the contract you sign.
Our guide on vetting a roofer when Texas has no roofing license explains what to ask before hiring anyone for tile. We serve tile homes in Highland Park, University Park, Colleyville and Southlake, as well as Irving.
