Los Alamitos, CA
The tile is fine. The roof might not be.
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.
What a tile and slate job actually involves
These are the things a quote for this work has to account for. If a contractor has not mentioned them, they have not looked properly.
- What percentage of tile breakage they expect and how it is priced
- Whether battens are being replaced at the same time
- The condition and age of the underlayment beneath
- Fastener specification, especially near salt air
- Whether the tile can be salvaged and relaid
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Los Alamitos 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.
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.
Ask specifically how many tile or slate roofs the crew completed last year. The honest number is often small.
Broken or slipped tiles are a maintenance item, not an emergency, provided the underlayment beneath is still sound.
Locally
Close behind that: dry offshore wind that arrives all at once in autumn. Dry offshore wind lifts material that damp coastal air had been holding down. Most wind losses here happen on a handful of nights a year.
About tile and slate here
What does a new roof cost in Los Alamitos?
Most quotes here for a standard asphalt replacement come in around $13,000 to $27,000. That assumes one layer to remove and sound decking. Every quote you get should say in writing what happens if the decking is not sound.
Do I need a permit?
Yes, in nearly every jurisdiction a re-roof is permitted work. A contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something useful about how they work.
Are gutters included in a re-roof?
Normally a separate line. It is the one add-on that genuinely costs less when done at the same time.
Should I repair or replace?
Rough rule: if the covering has more than about five years left and the damage is confined to one area, repair. If it is at the end of its life or you are patching the third leak in two years, you are paying instalments on a replacement.
Start with the roof
Three questions, about a minute, and up to three Los Alamitos contractors come back to you.