Downey, CA
Tile roof work in Downey, CA
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 Downey contractors who do this work.
You are on the list.
No provider in Downey is taking requests through this service yet. We are lining them up, and yours is kept until one can.
- Nobody gets your details yet. Your request stays with us and is not passed to any company.
- One email when someone can help. When a provider covering your area can take it on, we email you once and ask whether you want that company, by name, to contact you.
- Deleted after 90 days. If nobody can take it on, or you do not say yes, your contact details are deleted 90 days after your request.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
Nobody will call you about this request unless you say yes to a company by name.
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.
- The condition and age of the underlayment beneath
- What percentage of tile breakage they expect and how it is priced
- Whether the tile can be salvaged and relaid
- Whether battens are being replaced at the same time
- Fastener specification, especially near salt air
Broken or slipped tiles are a maintenance item, not an emergency, provided the underlayment beneath is still sound.
Matching discontinued tile is the real constraint. Salvaging what is there is usually cheaper and always closer.
Slate wants copper or stainless fasteners and a crew who has done it before. Steel nails on a slate roof is a hundred-year covering held down by a thirty-year fixing.
Locally
Behind it: the marine layer keeping the north slope damp. Slopes that never get direct sun stay wet for hours after the fog burns off, and that is where moss, lifted shingles and soft decking start.
About tile and slate here
Are the contractors licensed and insured?
We require a licence number and current insurance from every contractor in the network. Verify it yourself anyway. Your state licensing board has a free lookup, and it takes two minutes.
How much deposit is normal?
A third at most, and never the full amount. Pay the balance when the job is finished and you have walked it. Some states cap the deposit by law.
What warranty should I expect?
Ask for both in writing: the material warranty from the manufacturer and the workmanship warranty from the contractor. The second one is the one that matters in year three, and it is only as good as the company behind it.
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.