The short answer
Published figures put clay tiles at a minimum of 60 years, a number that belongs to clay alone. Marley expects its own tiles to see around 60 years, and presents that as a forecast rather than a promise. Old peg tiles sit outside both numbers. Underlay, battens and flashings can need attention before any tile does.
A tile can outlast the rest of the roof. How long yours has left depends on the material, the weather it has faced and how it was laid.
Concrete tiles and the Marley figure
Concrete tiles are common on interwar and post-war estates and on newer houses. Marley, a leading tile maker, publishes an expected life of around 60 years for its roof tiles. The company is explicit that this is a forecast of typical performance and not a warranty of longevity.
Is 60 years a promise?
No. The number describes normal conditions. A tile's real life depends on weather, pitch, shade, moss and how well it was fixed. A warranty is something else again: a document covering named faults for a set term, with conditions attached, and it tells you little about the years the roof has left.
Concrete tiles weather in plain view. The coloured surface fades and roughens, and in time the face may flake. Our answer on spalling roof tiles shows what to look for. A tile at that stage can still keep water out, but it deserves a survey before the next hard winter. The earlier you ask, the more choices you have about how and when to repair, and the less the work is forced by a leak.
Clay tiles and the BRE minimum
Clay is the older material and, in the right conditions, a hard-wearing one. Quoting the BRE, Marley gives clay tiles a floor of 60 years for life expectancy. That floor is a clay figure and should never be borrowed for any other covering.
Does clay outlast other tiles?
Many clay roofs run well beyond the floor, although that is no promise either. A soft or poorly fired clay tile can fail early, while a hard-fired one can last for generations. Tapping a tile gives a clue: a clear ring suggests a sound body, and a dull thud can point to a hidden crack. The quality of the original tile matters as much as its age, which is why a roofer taps and inspects tiles instead of dating the roof from the house.
Bridgwater was a centre of Somerset tile making. The South West Heritage Trust records that the town's yards made bricks, tiles and terracotta, and that those wares gave many Somerset towns their look. Where clay is the character of the house, clay should go back on it, and our page on reusing tiles on a re-roof explains when old clay can be salvaged and relaid on a fresh frame.
Old peg tiles: a caveat
Peg tiles are small, hand-made clay tiles once hung from timber pegs. They turn up on older cottages and farm buildings, and they behave differently from machine-made tiles in the same place.
Does the 60-year figure apply to peg tiles?
A building conservation article warns against using it for them. Their life depends on the original clay, the firing, the upkeep and whether the pegs and battens beneath are still sound. A peg tile roof can be far older than 60 years, or it can be failing well before that. Only a close look at the tiles, one by one, settles which, and the pegs and battens behind them deserve the same attention because they set how long the tiles can stay up.
For a listed building or a home in a conservation area, a change of covering is a matter for Somerset Council's planning team and may need listed building consent. Slate sits alongside clay in this older stock, and CORC puts well-kept slate at 100+ years. Our pitched roofing page covers work on all these coverings, from a single slipped peg tile to a full relay.
What fails before the tile does
The tile is often the last part of a tiled roof to give up. Other components have shorter lives or are hidden from view, and a roof needs every one of them to do its job.
Which other parts limit a roof's life?
The underlay, the membrane below the battens, can tear or perish. The battens rot where damp lingers. Nails corrode, and lead flashings, the strips sealing joints at chimneys and walls, can last over 80 years but sometimes split sooner through poor detailing. Mortar-bedded ridge tiles loosen, and BS 5534 guidance no longer relies on mortar alone to hold them.
That is why a survey looks at the whole roof, not just the surface. If a tile has slipped, why roof tiles slip gives the causes. Replacing five tiles typically costs £150 to £200 across the UK, according to MyJobQuote (Oct 2026). Once we know the state of the timber and membrane, the written price covers exactly the work needed, and you see the pictures that justify it. Where the tiles are sound and the frame is tired, relaying them is often the sensible middle course.
More on roof life
Is a tile warranty the same as its expected life?
They are different things. A warranty covers named faults for a set period and carries conditions. A lifespan is a typical expectation under normal conditions, and Marley itself separates its 60-year expectation from any warranty. Ask for terms in writing and read what is covered before relying on them.
Should I re-roof when the tiles reach 60 years?
Not by the calendar. Sound tiles on a roof with good underlay and battens can carry on. A survey checks the tile surface, the nails, the battens and the underlay and shows you photos. If only the underlay and battens are tired, relaying the tiles on a fresh frame may be the better buy.
The full picture: Pitched roofing in Taunton · More short answers