Concrete roof tiles, first fabricated in Bavaria in the middle of the 19th century, have more than proven their long service life with many homes retaining the original concrete roof tiles today. 

Constructed with a mixture of mixture of cement, sand, and water, concrete roof tiles are a durable material that can simulate the appearance of traditional clay tiles, wood shake, slate, and stone.  Like clay, concrete tile surfaces can be textured or smooth, and tile edges can be uniform or ragged. Architects may select tiles of all one color, blended colors, or combinations of two or more shades placed in a uniform or random pattern.

Lightweight concrete tiles are also available for re-roofing applications where the roof structure is insufficient to support standard weight concrete tiles. 

Concrete roof tiles offer excellent performance and typically carrying a limited lifetime, non-pro-rated, transferable warranty. There are examples in Europe of concrete tile roofs that are over 100 years old and still performing well.

Concrete tile is more economical than other roofing products on a life-cycle basis. Concrete tiles have grown more competitive in price, due in part to the rising costs of roofing products produced from petroleum (such as asphalt shingles).

Several sustainable solutions can be addressed with concrete roof tiles.

Disaster Resistance. Concrete tiles are Class A fire rated and are resistant to damage from hail and high winds, typically achieving a minimum of a Class 3 hail resistance rating. Concrete tiles can sustain winds in excess of 125 miles per hour that would strip off most other roofing materials.  Testing has also shown the roofing systems, when installed according to building code standards, exceed current seismic load requirements for building materials.

Durability. Because of their superior performance, concrete roof tiles may meet reduced resource requirements for replacements due to natural disasters, wind-driven rain, moisture damage, and vermin.

High Albedo. Light or natural-colored roof tiles provide reflective surfaces that minimize the urban heat island effect. May contribute to LEED Credit SS 7.