Tile selection on UK housing schemes is one of the design decisions developers and QSs sign off without always understanding the full implications. The visible aesthetic is the obvious factor. Less visible, but commercially more important, are the implications for fixing schedule, programme rate, supply continuity, and long-term performance.
Concrete interlocking tiles dominate the volume new build market because they are cost-effective at scale, available in consistent sizes from multiple suppliers, and well understood by installation crews. Clay plain tiles and clay pantiles occupy a different position in the market, generally specified where the scheme demands a specific traditional aesthetic, often in conservation areas or regions with strong architectural precedent. Slate, both natural and synthetic, sits at the premium end on most housing schemes.
Each material has different consequences for the roofing programme. Concrete interlocking tiles install fastest because the overlap is generous and each tile covers a relatively large area. Clay plain tiles install slowest because each individual tile is small and the coursing is more demanding. Pantiles are quick if the supplier and product are well selected, slow if substituted late in the programme. Slate sits between depending on whether it is natural or synthetic.
Fixing schedules differ by material as well. Concrete interlocking tiles typically use mechanical fixings at perimeter and exposure zones, with the central body relying on the interlocking geometry. Clay plain tiles require nail or peg fixings on each course, which is a larger labour input. Slate fixings depend on the slate size and exposure zone, with double-nailing or hook fixing common on exposed sites.
Supply continuity is the factor most often underestimated. Concrete tiles from major UK manufacturers can be supplied at volume with predictable lead times. Specialist clay products from smaller suppliers can have lead times measured in months rather than weeks, and substitution mid-scheme is rarely straightforward because the visual match across phases matters.
On phased housing schemes, this supply continuity becomes a programme issue. If the developer is committed to a specific clay tile aesthetic and the manufacturer cannot deliver phase three at the rate the programme needs, either the programme slips or the developer authorises a substitution that creates visible difference between phase three plots and the earlier phases. Neither outcome is acceptable, which is why the supply position needs to be established at design stage.
For developers and QSs approving the tile specification, the questions that matter beyond the price and the look are about supply commitment across the scheme duration, about the fixing labour rate the chosen tile requires, and about the historical defect rate of the chosen product on comparable UK developments. None of those questions appear in standard manufacturer literature. They need to be raised directly with the roofing contractor or the manufacturer’s technical team.
Globe Roofing’s pre-start process includes confirmation of the tile specification against supply availability for the full scheme duration. Where a specification has been chosen without that check, alternatives are recommended before the order is placed. The objective is to land on a specification that can be supplied through the scheme without surprises.
There is also a wind exposure consideration. Different tiles have different wind uplift performance, and the fixing schedule has to be calculated against the actual site exposure under BS 5534. A tile chosen for aesthetic reasons that performs marginally on the site’s wind zone will need a heavier fixing schedule than a tile chosen for performance, which increases labour cost and may still leave a marginal performance position.
For QSs negotiating with the developer on the tile specification, the operational arguments tend to land better than the aesthetic ones. Showing how the chosen tile interacts with the programme, the supply chain, and the fixing schedule typically moves the conversation toward decisions that the project can live with across all five Mondays of installation and beyond.
Talk to Globe Roofing To discuss tile selection and specification on your roofing scheme on your scheme, contact Globe Roofing on 01223 890727 or email enquiries@theglobegroup.co.uk.
