Your 20-Year-Old Tile Roof: The Tiles Are Fine, the Underlayment Isn't
If you own a tile roof in Las Vegas and it has started to leak, you've probably been told you need a new roof. Usually, you don't. You need new underlayment — and you can keep your existing tile.
Tile and underlayment age very differently
A concrete or clay tile roof in Southern Nevada can last 50 to 100 years. The tile is essentially a rain shield and a sunshade. But the actual waterproofing layer is the underlayment underneath the tile — and in our climate, traditional asphalt-felt underlayment typically fails in about 20 years, sometimes less.
So a 20- to 30-year-old tile roof can look flawless from the street while the waterproofing beneath it has gone brittle and cracked. That's why the leak surprises people.
The fix is a lift-and-relay, not new tile
A tile lift-and-relay is exactly what it sounds like: we carefully remove your existing tile, replace the underlayment and flashing with modern, longer-lasting materials, and re-lay the same tile. You keep your roof's appearance and your HOA stays happy, while everything underneath is effectively new — often with 25 to 35+ years of underlayment life.
It costs a fraction of an all-new tile roof, which is why it's the most common worthwhile roofing project in established Las Vegas and Henderson neighborhoods right now.
How to know where your roof stands
The honest answer is to have the underlayment inspected. If your tile roof is 20 or more years old, it's worth knowing whether the underlayment is near the end of its life — ideally before a leak does interior damage. We inspect underlayment age and condition for free and tell you straight whether you need a repair, a relay, or nothing yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I really keep my existing tile?
In the vast majority of cases, yes. The tile is removed, set aside, and re-laid after the underlayment and flashing are replaced. Only cracked or broken tiles need replacing, and we match those.
How long does a relay last?
Modern synthetic and rubberized underlayments commonly last 25 to 35+ years in our climate — far longer than the original felt.