Tile Roofs in North Tustin

North Tustin is an unincorporated community, so it has no city building department of its own. Permits go through the county. The tile roof cost guide has prices and sources.

The housing here

North Tustin has 9,290 housing units according to the Census. The median year built is 1965. About 33.5 percent were built before 1960, and about 85.5 percent before 1980. Most of the homes went up in the postwar decades.

A house from the 1960s may have had a roof or two since it was built. Tile is common on Southern California houses from these years, and some roofs here may be clay or concrete. If a roof is original, its underlayment may be sixty years old, and its framing may not have been sized for tile.

About 87.2 percent of the homes are owner occupied. The median home value is near $1.35 million.

Fire hazard share

CAL FIRE's maps show about 9.0 percent of North Tustin in a Very High zone and about 18.4 percent in any mapped zone. Because North Tustin is not a city, these figures come from a grid laid over the Census place, and a parcel near an edge could differ. The larger part of the community lies outside the map. Look up your address to see where you stand.

Climate zone and rain

North Tustin is in climate zone 8. The nearest station in the data, Irvine 4.1 NNE, recorded 12.73 inches of rain a year for 1991 to 2020. The California Energy Commission's 2022 cool roof sheet says requirements for alterations, which include re-roofs, apply in additional climate zones beyond those listed for new homes. Ask the building department which cool roof values apply to your re-roof.

Who to ask about a permit

The county's OC Development Services office serves North Tustin. Its building permit page sets out what typically needs a permit and how plans are reviewed, either over the counter or by regular plan check. A re-roof is not among the examples, and no application for one is described.

So a North Tustin owner has to ask the county directly whether a re-roof needs a permit and what it costs. Many jurisdictions do require one. Ask before you sign. The page is here.

Weight and framing

Tile is heavy. By RoofingCalc's numbers a square of clay weighs 600 to 650 pounds, and a square of concrete 820 to 1,100. A 1960s frame may not have been sized for that, so get an engineer's opinion on paper before ordering.

Cost context

Fixr lists $14,000 to $28,000 for a 2,000 square foot tile roof (updated February 4, 2026), and RoofingCalc lists $29,000 to $51,000 (October 2024). Neither is a local bid. A measured quote is the one number that fits your house.

A job worth doing slowly

With a median year built of 1965, a good many homes here may be due for work beneath the tile and not only on top of it. A careful roofer lifts the tile, inspects and replaces the underlayment, resets the tile and replaces any that are cracked. That is slower than a new roof on paper, but it may keep tile that has years left. Ask each bidder to state which tiles they expect to reuse and which they expect to replace.

Asking the right questions

• Is this roof original, and what is beneath the tile?
• Will my framing carry a heavier tile?
• What does the county ask for, and who files it?
• How many tiles may break, and what is your allowance?

Check any roofer's license at cslb.ca.gov.

Barrel & Pan Roofing is an information site. It does not do roof work or hold a contractor license.