Tile Underlayment Replacement, Lift and Relay
Your tiles can last 50 years. The paper under them usually lasts 20 to 30. When that paper wears out, we lift the tile, put down new underlayment and flashing, and set your same tiles back in place. You keep the tile you already paid for.
Why the Paper Wears Out First
Concrete tile is not waterproof on its own. It sheds most of the water, and the paper below it handles the rest. Heat in the attic and sun through every gap dry that paper until it cracks like an old map.
Thousands of homes in Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino and Fontana were built with tile in the 1980s and 1990s. Many of them are now past that age. The tile looks fine from the street while the paper tears underneath.
Signs It Is Time
Leaks in more than one room. Leaks that only show up in hard rain. Stains at the eaves or near the bottom of a slope. Paper that crumbles at the edge when a tile is lifted.
A roof past 25 years with any of these is worth a look. We lift a few tiles in different spots and take photos, so you can see the paper yourself.
What Lift and Relay Means
We take the tile off one section at a time and stack it on the roof. We tear out the old paper and walk the wood under it. Soft boards get replaced, and we show you photos of what we found.
Then the new underlayment goes down, with new metal in the valleys and at every wall, new pipe flashings and, where needed, new battens. Bird stops go in at the eaves. The same tiles go back on, and broken ones are matched.
Why Not a New Tile Roof
Because you keep your tile, a relay usually costs much less than a new tile roof. The house looks the same when we leave, which matters on HOA streets. The weight on the framing does not change either.
If the tile itself is failing, or you want a new color or a lighter roof, we price a new roof too and put both in writing.
Permits for a Relay
A relay is a reroof, so it needs a permit from the city. In Ontario, reroof permits for single family homes go through the city's online permit platform. We pull the permit and meet the inspector, wherever you live in our area.
Tile Underlayment Replacement by City
Pages for the towns where we do the most of this work, written for the homes there.
Tile Underlayment Replacement in Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Eastvale, Pomona, Claremont.
Questions People Ask
How long does a tile relay take?
Often about a week on a typical house, depending on size, pitch and weather. We tell you the expected days in the quote.
How much of my tile will break?
Some always does. Old tile is brittle at the nail holes. We plan for a small share of breakage and match replacement pieces as close as we can.
How long does a relay last?
Modern underlayment is rated for decades. With the tile shading it from the sun, a relay should last about as long as a new roof.
Related Services
Where to Find Ontario Roofing
4335 E Lowell St Ste G, Ontario, CA 91761
Get a Free Roof Estimate
Tell us what your roof is doing. We look, take photos and give you a written price.