Where do you find tiles that match my roof?
Matching a tile roof is detective work. The right tile has to fit the same interlock, sit at the same exposure, and blend with tile that may have been on your roof for 30, 60 or 100 years. Here is how the search works, and how our team runs it for you.
Color is only one piece. Profile, size, interlock and finish have to match too.
Matching tile usually comes from one of five places: the original manufacturer, reclaimed tile yards, hidden slopes on your own roof, a custom run made from your sample, or the closest current product when nothing else exists. The first step is always the same: identify exactly what is on your roof, from a real tile in hand, not just a photo.
Step one: identify your tile
You cannot search for a match until you know what you are matching. A trained tile roofer will pull a loose or broken tile and check six things.
Material
Fired clay, concrete, natural slate, or a synthetic. Clay keeps its color for decades. Concrete fades and erodes with age.
Profile
Spanish S, two-piece mission barrel, flat shingle, French interlocking, or a low-profile concrete shape. Each one locks together differently.
Size and exposure
Length, width, thickness, and how much of each tile shows. Off by a fraction of an inch, the courses stop lining up.
Maker's marks
Stamps or molded names on the back. Scratched numbers usually mark a production date, not the product, so the tile itself still has to be checked.
Color and finish
Single color, blend, glazed, or a surface-coated color. Many roofs use a mix of shades laid in a pattern.
Trim pieces
Ridge, hip, rake, eave closures and turrets often need their own matching pieces, and they are usually the hardest to find.
Where matching tile comes from
This is the order our team searches, starting with the option that gives you the closest match and the best long-term result.
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The original manufacturer
Many clay tile makers have been producing the same shapes for generations, and the North American clay manufacturers in the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance have not discontinued their clay lines. Some historic makers, like Ludowici, keep old patterns and molds on file and can identify their own tile from a physical sample.
Good to know: new production is fresh-from-the-kiln color, so it may need to be blended with existing tile or placed on less visible areas.
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Reclaimed and salvage tile
Specialty yards collect tile from roofs that were removed or torn down. Because it has already weathered, reclaimed tile is often the best color match for an older roof, especially for discontinued or very old profiles.
Watch for: no manufacturer warranty, and every piece needs to be checked for cracks, spalling and a sound ring before it goes on your roof.
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Hidden slopes on your own roof
Tile can be carefully removed from a back slope, a garage or another area no one sees, then moved to the front where matching matters most. The hidden area is filled with the closest new or reclaimed tile.
Watch for: this takes skilled hands to avoid breakage, and your local building department may need to approve it.
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A custom run made from your sample
Restoration-focused tile makers can create drawings and molds from a sample tile and match the color, texture and detail. This is common on historic homes, churches and campus buildings.
Watch for: longer lead times, higher cost, and sample approval before the order is made. Custom tile also needs to be checked for proper fit and code compliance.
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The closest current product
Some concrete tile colors and profiles have been discontinued. When there is no exact match anywhere, the team finds the closest current tile in shape and interlock, then reviews the options with you, including whether a section or the whole roof should be replaced so it looks right.
Why "close enough" isn't enough
The fit has to be right
- Tile roofs shed water through the way each piece laps and interlocks. A tile that is a little off can cause leaks, broken tiles and crooked courses.
- Mixing profiles or brands on one slope can leave gaps at the head lap and side lap that let wind-driven rain in.
- Underlayment under older tile is often near the end of its life. Any repair is a good time to check it.
The look and the rules matter too
- A patch of bright new tile on a weathered roof can stand out from the street and hurt curb appeal and resale value.
- Homes in historic districts may need approval for replacement tile, and often must match the original.
- Depending on your city, replacing a large section can trigger requirements to bring that area up to current code.
| Matching factor | Clay tile | Concrete tile |
|---|---|---|
| Color over time | Fired-in color holds for decades. Weathering is mostly surface patina. | Surface color fades and the face can erode, so new tile looks darker and sharper. |
| Discontinued products | Major North American clay lines remain in production. Old or imported tile may not. | Many colors and some profiles have been discontinued over the years. |
| Best match source | Manufacturer, custom run, or reclaimed tile from the same maker. | Reclaimed tile, hidden slopes, or the closest current profile. |
| Who should install | A tile roofer trained on your specific system. Walking, lifting and setting tile without breaking it is a skill of its own. | |
After a storm: what if no match exists?
Hail and wind can break tile across a whole roof. When replacement tile can't be matched, the question becomes how much of the roof has to be replaced so it looks reasonably uniform.
- Several states have matching rules for insurance claims, often based on a model standard that repairs should leave the property with a reasonably uniform appearance.
- States apply that differently. Some look only at what you can see at one time, and others look at the whole roof. Your policy language and endorsements matter too.
- Good documentation matters most: what tile is on the roof, where the team searched, what was available, and photos showing how a repair would look next to the existing tile.
Our team inspects, identifies the tile, documents the search and the storm damage, and puts it all in a clear report you can share with anyone who asks.
Please note: The policy and matching information in this section is general education. SkyView Restoration Group is not a contractor, public adjuster or law firm. We do not interpret insurance policies or negotiate claims. Rules vary by state and by policy, so talk with your carrier or a licensed professional about your specific coverage.
How SkyView finds your match
We are a team of roofing experts with 25+ years in roofing and insurance restoration, working with our roofing partners, Precision Construction and River City Roofing. Tile roofs take specially skilled tile roofers to inspect, source and install, and that is the work we do every day.
Inspect
A free inspection of the whole roof system, with photos of every damaged or slipped tile.
Identify
We pull a sample tile and pin down the material, maker, profile, size, color and trim pieces.
Source
We search manufacturers, our reclaimed tile network and custom makers, and show you side-by-side samples.
Install
Skilled tile crews from licensed Approved Contractors set every piece to the original pattern. For historic roofs, the work can use Ludowici clay tile.
More tile matching questions
Can I just send a photo of my tile?
A photo is a great start and helps us prepare, but a positive ID usually needs a real tile in hand. Size, thickness, back markings and the interlock don't show well in photos. Some manufacturers will only confirm a match from a physical sample.
How many spare tiles should I keep?
Many tile owners keep a few spares of each piece type, including ridge and trim, stored flat in a dry place. When a single tile breaks, a spare from the same batch is the easiest match you'll ever find.
Will new tile weather to match the old?
Clay tile color is fired in, so new clay may stay a bit brighter for years. Concrete may weather closer over time but rarely matches exactly. That is why blending or using reclaimed tile on visible areas often gives the best result.
Can I walk on my tile roof to look?
Please don't. Tile breaks easily under foot if you don't know where to step, and a fall from a roof is dangerous. Our team can inspect from the ground and by drone, then go up only where needed.
Do you work outside my area?
Yes. SkyView works nationwide with our roofing partners, Precision Construction and River City Roofing, on homes, churches, schools and commercial buildings.