Clay or Concrete Tile: Which Roof Is Better in Los Angeles?
Both last for decades in Valley heat. The choice comes down to budget, the look of the house and how the tile will age.
Concrete tile is the value choice and clay tile the premium one. Concrete runs $10–$18 per sq ft installed against $15–$25 per sq ft for clay, and both outlast the underlayment beneath them. Choose clay for a Spanish or Mediterranean house where the fired color and profile matter; choose concrete when the budget leads or you want a flat or shake-style profile. Either way, plan for new underlayment around year 25 to 30.
Standard clay and concrete tile weigh more than the 6 lb per square foot limit for an LADBS express permit, so a tile re-roof in the City of Los Angeles goes through the regular permit process. Switching from shingle to tile also raises the question of whether the framing can carry the extra weight.
Clay and concrete tile at a glance
| Concrete tile | Clay tile | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning cost (2026, installed) | $10–$18 per sq ft ($1,000–$1,800 per square) | $15–$25 per sq ft ($1,500–$2,500 per square) |
| Tile life in Valley heat | 50+ years | 50+ years |
| Underlayment beneath it | Replaced around year 25–30 | Replaced around year 25–30 |
| Color | Pigmented or coated; surface color can fade | Fired into the clay; holds its color |
| Profiles | Flat, S-tile, barrel, shake look | Mission barrel, S-tile, Spanish profiles |
| Typical fit | Ranch, traditional and tract homes | Spanish Colonial Revival, Mediterranean homes |
| Permit in the City of LA | Regular permit (over 6 lb per sq ft) | Regular permit (over 6 lb per sq ft) |
Why does clay tile cost more than concrete?
Clay is fired in a kiln, which takes more energy and produces fewer pieces per batch, and the classic mission and S-tile profiles take longer to lay with the bird stops, mortar and hip details that Spanish roofs need. Concrete tile is cast in molds, comes in flat and shake-style profiles that install faster, and is stocked in more colors by more suppliers. On a typical Valley roof the gap between the two is the difference between the two planning bands above, before decking, flashing and underlayment, which cost the same for either.
Which tile holds its color better in Valley sun?
Clay. Its color goes through the whole tile because it comes from the clay and the firing, so a 1930s clay roof in Glendale or Burbank still looks like clay. Concrete tile gets its color from pigment or a surface coating; the finish can weather and chalk over decades of Valley sun, which is why older concrete roofs sometimes look patchy. Light-colored versions of both are sold with Cool Roof Rating Council ratings.
Does tile weight change the permit or the framing?
The weight changes the permit path. LADBS issues an express permit only for re-roofs with a covering under 6 lb per square foot; standard clay and concrete tile weigh more, so a tile re-roof goes through the regular permit process. When a house that was built for shingle is converted to tile, the roof framing should be checked for the added load before the quote is final. Replacing tile with tile on a house built for it is the simpler case.
When does concrete tile win?
- The budget leads and you still want a tile roof.
- The house is a ranch or traditional design where a flat or shake-style profile looks right.
- You want a light, reflective color at a lower price per square.
When does clay tile win?
- The house is Spanish Colonial Revival or Mediterranean, as in much of Glendale, Burbank's Magnolia Park and the Toluca Lake village.
- You are matching or extending an existing clay roof.
- You want color that will not fade over the next fifty years.
Repair, relay or replace?
Most tile roofs that leak at 25 or 30 years do not need new tile. The underlayment under sound tile is what wears out, so the usual fix is a lift-and-relay: the tile is lifted and stacked, new underlayment goes down, and the same tile is reset, with broken pieces replaced. LADBS lists that work, removing tile, applying new underlayment and resetting it, as not requiring cool-roof compliance. See tile roof repair and replacement for how we approach each case.
What we recommend
For a Spanish or Mediterranean house, stay with clay and relay it when the underlayment fails. For most other houses that want tile, concrete gives the same lifespan for less. Either way, get the framing checked before switching from shingle, and ask for the tile line, color and weight in the written quote.
Where does this come up in the Valley?
The typical roofing jobs in the neighborhoods where this choice comes up most:
- Sherman Oaks: Shingle tear-off and re-roof on the 1950s ranches, flat-section leak repairs where a low-slope addition meets the main roof, and tile underlayment replacement on the south-of-Ventura homes.
- Encino: Tile underlayment replacement on the 1980s–90s tile roofs, large shingle re-roofs on the estate lots, and hillside repairs where tile meets a flat section.
- Toluca Lake: Tile underlayment replacement on the Spanish homes, shingle re-roofs on the traditionals, and flashing repairs at the many chimneys and dormers.
- Tarzana: Tile re-underlayment on the 1980s–90s hillside homes, shingle re-roofs on the flats, and repairs on long flat-section additions.
- Burbank: Clay-tile underlayment replacement in Magnolia Park, shingle re-roofs in the Rancho, and hillside Class A replacements above Glenoaks.
- Woodland Hills: Heat-driven shingle replacements on the big ranch roofs, tile underlayment work in Walnut Acres and Vista de Oro, and flat-roof recoating around Warner Center.
Related pages
- Tile roof repair and replacement
- Tile, shingle or metal: cost and lifespan
- Roof replacement cost in Los Angeles
- Roofing in Glendale
- Roof replacement in Burbank
- Roofing FAQ: materials
Sources
Questions We
Hear About This
Not for every house. Clay holds its color and suits Spanish and Mediterranean architecture; concrete costs less per square foot, comes in more profiles and lasts as long under Valley conditions. Both need new underlayment around year 25 to 30.
Clay tile plans at $15–$25 per sq ft, or $1,500–$2,500 per square, and concrete tile at $10–$18 per sq ft, or $1,000–$1,800 per square, installed in 2026 figures. A full re-roof quote also covers underlayment, flashing and decking repairs.
The surface color of concrete tile can weather and chalk over decades because it is pigment or a coating rather than fired color. It does not affect how the tile sheds water, but it changes how the roof looks.
Often. Tile weighs far more than shingle, so have the rafters and decking checked for the extra load before you commit. Inside the City of Los Angeles, expect the job to follow the regular permit route rather than the express one.
Usually. Salvaged tiles from the same line or a close current match are used for repairs. For an older clay roof, tiles taken from a hidden slope can be moved to the visible front and new tile placed where it shows least.
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