Seal Beach, CA
Tile and slate roofing in Seal Beach
The most common tile job is not a replacement at all. It is a lift-and-relay: the same tile comes off, new underlayment goes down, the tile goes back.
Describe the tile and slate job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Seal Beach contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Seal Beach and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a tile and slate job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Fastener specification, especially near salt air
- Whether the tile can be salvaged and relaid
- What percentage of tile breakage they expect and how it is priced
- The condition and age of the underlayment beneath
- Whether battens are being replaced at the same time
Walking a tile roof breaks tile. That is not carelessness, it is physics, and any honest contractor will tell you a small percentage will be lost and replaced.
Underlayment life under tile is typically twenty to thirty years. The tile above it is rated for fifty or more. Plan for one relay in the life of the roof.
Ask specifically how many tile or slate roofs the crew completed last year. The honest number is often small.
Locally
Close behind that: shaded slopes that never really dry out. The north side of a house here ages years faster than the south side, and almost every roof gets replaced because of it.
About tile and slate here
Do I need a permit?
Almost certainly, for a full replacement. The contractor should pull it, and the fee should be a visible line on the quote rather than a surprise.
Is moss on the roof a problem?
Yes, eventually. Moss holds water against the shingle and lifts the edges as it thickens. Zinc or copper strip at the ridge suppresses it. Pressure washing an asphalt roof strips the granules and does more harm than the moss did.
How long does a re-roof take?
A straightforward asphalt roof on an average house is one to three days. Tile, slate and complex rooflines take longer, and weather stops work more often than anything else.
I have solar panels. What happens to them?
They come off and go back on, and that is a separate cost, often handled by the solar installer rather than the roofer. If the roof is near the end of its life, do the roof first — removing and refitting panels twice is money wasted.