A 2025 project in a master-planned community in Lakewood Ranch. The home was a 2008 build; the original developer specification was Eagle concrete tile in a medium terra-cotta single color. By 2024 the field was sun-faded, the color was reading flat against the homes that had been re-roofed in clay over the years, and the underlayment was at end of life.
The owner asked whether the right answer was concrete-to-concrete or concrete-to-clay.
The math
- Like-kind concrete replacement: roughly $9.50/sq ft installed. Total approximate cost: $52,000.
- Upgrade to Ludowici clay: roughly $18/sq ft. Total approximate cost: $98,000.
- Differential: $46,000.
The home's expected hold period: 15+ years.
The clay roof's expected service life: 75+ years (the underlayment beneath will need replacement once at year 40).
The concrete roof's expected service life: 28-32 years before the color washes substantially and tiles begin breaking under minor impact.
What the owner concluded
The clay upgrade is paying for itself in roof number two. The owner does not need a second re-roof. If they sell within 15 years, the clay roof presents to the next owner as essentially new. If they keep the home, they never re-roof.
The decisive number, for them, was the resale comparison. Comparable homes in the community with clay roofs were selling for $40,000-$60,000 more than concrete-roofed equivalents. The differential covered the upgrade premium and then some.
What we installed
- Ludowici Spanish S, three-color custom blend
- RAS 127 foam-set attachment
- Polyglass underlayment, fully adhered
- Copper hip and ridge
- Re-nailed deck to current code
- 316 stainless fasteners
5,500 square feet of roof. 14 weeks from start to finish.
What we are most proud of
The home now reads as the most architecturally serious house in the community. Three of the neighbors have since called for site visits.
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