Can you put a tile roof over shingles in Florida?

Not in Broward County. The hurricane-zone rules in the Florida Building Code forbid laying tile over an existing roof, so the shingles come off down to the deck. Any rotten sheathing gets replaced, and the framing has to carry roughly three times the weight of shingles. Expect a tear-off line on the quote.

Is foam adhesive or mortar better for setting roof tile?

Both are allowed. Foam adhesive must carry Florida product approval, and mortar must be an approved premix or an approved job-site mix. Mortar is common here but can crack under humidity, UV and heat swings, the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance notes. Either way, the roof must pass a TAS 106 field uplift test before final inspection.

Do I need to reinforce my roof to switch from shingles to tile?

Maybe. Standard concrete tile weighs roughly three times as much as shingles, and cost guides list reinforcement at $1,000 to $10,000 when it's needed. Ask the roofer whether the framing needs an engineer's review before you choose tile, and price lightweight tile, at 5.5 to 7 pounds a square foot, as an option.

What changes for tile roofs in the 2026 Florida Building Code?

The 9th edition takes effect December 31, 2026. For mechanically fastened tile in the hurricane zone, it says the fastening standard applies at 4:12 and steeper and requires tile fasteners to go 3/4 inch into the sheathing even over battens. Projects permitted before the date generally stay under the 8th edition.

Tile Roof Installation in Pompano Beach, FL

Typical cost: national guides put a new tile roof around $19,000 to $35,000; a plain 1,500-square-foot concrete job can come in near $11,250.
Install time: most tile roofs take 3 to 5 days on the roof, after the permit.
Weight: standard concrete tile is 9.5 to 12 pounds per square foot; shingles are 2.5 to 4.
Reinforcement: $1,000 to $10,000 when the framing needs it.
Slope: in Broward County, adhesive- or mortar-set tile needs at least 2:12 and fastened-only tile 4:12.

Builders and owners planning a new tile roof reach one independent roofer through Pompano Tile Roofing, for tile roof installation on a new home, an addition, or a house moving from shingles or metal to tile. Have the plans or the roof's square footage handy, plus the tile you're leaning toward.

Tile Roof Installation Types

Pallets of concrete roof tiles loaded in small stacks across a newly dried-in roof on a two-story stucco home under construction

New construction tile roofs

On a new house the roof is designed for tile from the start, so the work is about sequence. Florida code requires tile to go over solid sheathing. The underlayment goes down first and gets its own inspection, then the tile is loaded; the FRSA-TRI manual says to stack it on the roof so it is easy to reach and doesn't shift. A cost guide puts a pallet at roughly $1,100 to $1,400, covering about 250 to 350 square feet. Order early if you want an unusual color, because the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance says special orders can take longer to arrive.

New tile roof over a single-story room addition meeting the older tile roof of the main house at a valley

Additions tied into an existing tile roof

An addition is a new roof joined to an old one, and the joint is where it can leak. The new section goes on under today's code, with product-approved tile and underlayment. Matching is the hard part. Some older concrete profiles are no longer made, and one maker says it can only identify a profile and color with certainty from a sample. Ask the roofer to take a loose tile from the main house to a supplier before quoting; roof tile replacement covers salvaged tile. Where the two roofs meet you get a valley or a wall, and both depend on flashing; see tile roof valley repair.

Asphalt shingles torn off one half of a hip roof down to plywood sheathing, stacks of new concrete tile waiting near the ridge

Shingle or metal to tile conversions

This is the job where weight decides everything. With standard concrete tile at 9.5 to 12 pounds per square foot and shingles at 2.5 to 4, the roof structure takes on roughly three times the load. Per 100 square feet of roof, that's 700 to 950 pounds of concrete or 600 to 950 of clay. Cost guides list reinforcement at $1,000 to $10,000 when it's needed. Nothing goes over the old roof in the hurricane zone; the shingles or metal come off and bad sheathing is replaced, as tile roof replacement explains. Lightweight concrete tile (5.5 to 7 pounds per square foot) can narrow the gap.

Gloved hands from the wrist down setting a concrete roof tile onto two fresh foam adhesive paddies on new underlayment

Mortar, foam adhesive and fastened tile

Florida's tile manual lists the ways a tile can be held down: nails, screws, foam adhesive or mortar. Foam is applied as "paddies," small mounds the tile is pressed into, and every foam system needs Florida Building Code product approval. Mortar has to be a product-approved premix, or a site-mixed batch that the building official has approved. Mechanically fastened tile relies on nails or screws. The method you pick sets the minimum slope and the fastening schedule below.

Gloved hands setting a new clay barrel tile onto foam adhesive paddies over underlayment

Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Tile Roofing

Free to call, free to request a quote
One independent local tile roofer per request, not a bidding list
Ask for tear-off, underlayment, deck repair and permit on one written price
Your details go only to the roofer handling your request

Tile Attachment and Slope Rules in Broward County

Broward sits in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so its tile rules are stricter than the rest of the state's. What the 8th edition (2023) code and the FRSA-TRI manual set:

Minimum slope
2:12 for mortar- or adhesive-set tile, 4:12 for mechanically fastened tile.
Adhesive-set, 2:12 to 6:12
the adhesive holds the tile; no extra fasteners.
Adhesive-set, over 6:12 up to 7:12
fasten every tile in the first course and every third tile in every fifth course as well.
Adhesive-set, steeper than 7:12
fasten every tile in addition to the adhesive.
Headlap
at least 3 inches between courses.
Standards
RAS 118 and 119 cover mechanically fastened tile, RAS 120 mortar- and adhesive-set tile.
Uplift test
every mortar- or adhesive-set roof gets a TAS 106 field test before the final inspection; the replacement page lists the other inspections.

The 9th edition takes effect December 31, 2026. It clarifies that RAS 118 applies at 4:12 and steeper and requires tile fasteners to penetrate 3/4 inch into the sheathing even when battens are used. A permit pulled before that date generally stays under the 8th edition.

Before You Sign for a New Tile Roof

Structure
On a conversion, ask whether the framing needs an engineer's review and get any reinforcement priced as its own line.
Attachment
Ask which method the quote uses and for the product approval number of the tile and any foam.
Lead time
Ask when the tile can be delivered, especially for special colors.
Deposit
Florida law ties a large deposit to permit and start deadlines; check the replacement page before paying more than 10% up front.
License
Check the roofer's license on the state's DBPR site; tile roof repair shows how.

See tile roof replacement if you already have a tile roof that's due to come off.