The East Valley specialty · Owner-led · ROC #325377
I'm Andy Johnson, owner of White Leaf Roofing. Here's the best-kept secret in East Valley roofing: your tiles are probably fine. It's the felt underneath that's failing. We lift your tiles, replace the underlayment, and relay your same tile, for far less than a full new roof.
Serving Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Sun Lakes, Gold Canyon and Mesa.
The Arizona tile roof problem
Concrete and clay tile is the perfect Arizona roofing material. It shrugs off UV, handles monsoon rain, and often lasts 50 years or more. But tile isn't actually the waterproof layer of your roof. The real waterproofing is the underlayment, the felt membrane between the tiles and the wood deck, and in our heat it typically gives out at 15 to 20 years.
Summer after summer of heat cycling bakes the felt brittle. It cracks, tears and slides, and once that happens, monsoon water gets past the tiles and finds your decking, your insulation, and eventually your ceiling. From the street, the roof looks perfect the whole time.
Most of the East Valley was built in the 1990s and 2000s, which means entire neighborhoods in Chandler and Gilbert are sitting on original underlayment that's past its service life right now. It's the single most common problem I find on inspections.
How it works
I walk the roof myself and check the underlayment condition directly. If it has years left, I'll say so and go home.
My crew carefully lifts and stacks your existing tiles. The tile you already paid for is the most expensive material up there, so we treat it that way.
Old felt comes off, decking gets checked and repaired where needed, and the new underlayment you chose goes down.
Your same tiles go back, cracked ones get swapped, and the roof looks exactly like it always has. New waterproofing, decades more life.
Why this beats a full replacement
A full roof replacement means paying for all-new tile plus everything underneath. Underlayment replacement keeps the expensive part, your tile, and replaces the part that actually failed. That's why it costs far less than a full new roof while solving the exact same problem: water getting into your house.
You also choose what goes under your tiles. I bring physical samples of several underlayment options to the estimate so you can compare them in your hands and pick the price and quality point that fits how long you plan to be in the house. Manufacturer warranties depend on the material you choose, and I'll show you the real documentation. If you want to study up first, I wrote a plain-language guide to the best underlayment for tile roofs in Arizona.
If the damage goes beyond the underlayment, I'll show you photos of exactly what I found and we'll talk honestly about a full replacement. For budgeting either way, see the Arizona roof cost guide.
Underlayment customers talking
"Andy and crew did an excellent job with my roof underlayment replacement at a fair price. I got 12 estimates from various roofing companies before I decided on White Leaf. The crew showed up on time, worked hard, and cleaned up after they were done."
Lowell Luplow Underlayment replacement · 12 estimates"He explained that our roof, being fifteen years old, seemed in pretty good shape and would need new underlayment in the next five years. We liked his honesty, professionalism and attention to detail."
Roger Edwards Told his roof was fine, for now"He offered us several underlayment options, as well as samples for us to compare. I liked that I was able to choose the product and price point that suited our needs... he was here everyday."
Bill Durham 20-year-old roof replacedUnderlayment questions
It depends on roof size, the underlayment you choose, and how many tiles need swapping, so every job gets a free individual bid. The headline is that reusing your existing tiles costs far less than a full roof replacement, because the most expensive material on the roof stays right where it is.
Tiles often last 50 years or more here, but the felt beneath them typically gives out at 15 to 20 years. Arizona heat cycling bakes it brittle, and once it cracks, the tiles alone won't keep water out of your house.
Usually, yes. If the tiles are in good shape we lift them carefully, replace the underlayment, swap any cracked tiles, and relay your same tile. The roof looks the way it always has, with brand new waterproofing underneath.
I bring physical samples of several options to the estimate so you can compare them side by side. Manufacturer warranties depend on the material you choose. My written guide to the best underlayment for Arizona tile roofs covers the trade-offs.
Water stains after monsoon rain, felt debris in the gutters, and simple age. If your home was built in the 1990s or 2000s and still has original underlayment, it's in the failure window. A repair inspection settles it either way, free.
Yes. I walk the roof personally and tell you honestly whether the underlayment is failing or has years left. I told Roger Edwards his roof was good for several more years, and he sends me referrals to this day.
Free inspection · Keep your tiles · ROC #325377
Call or text me. I'll walk the roof myself, free, and tell you straight whether your underlayment is done or has years left in it.
White Leaf Roofing · 3210 S. Gilbert Rd Ste. 1, Chandler, AZ 85286