Roof tile manufacturers in China include clay and terracotta tile makers, concrete tile makers, glazed ceramic tile makers, stone-coated metal tile makers and companies that supply tiles with ridge, hip and fixing accessories as a roof system. A roof tile is the visible part of a roof covering, and each route supplies a different material with a different weight, fixing method and maintenance pattern under the same words “roof tile”.
This guide sorts the supply side into five sourcing routes so a procurement team can send one brief to the right makers and compare the answers fairly. It is not a ranking. No factory is named or scored here, and no claim is made about the strength, frost resistance, wind resistance or fire performance of any tile. The project specification, the roof designer and the local authority define those requirements, and each maker must show evidence for the exact tile it offers. For related products, see our guides to metal roofing sheet manufacturers, waterproofing membrane manufacturers and ceramic tile manufacturers.
What should a roof tile brief state?
A brief that says only “red roof tile, 20,000 pieces” produces quotations that cannot be compared. State at least the following, copied from the roof drawings and the specification.
- Roof areas and pitch: the plan area and the pitch of each roof, because pitch decides which tiles and underlays are permitted.
- Tile material and profile: clay, concrete, glazed ceramic or metal, the profile the designer names and a reference tile.
- Colour and surface: the colour reference, the glaze or coating, and the approved sample, with how the colour range between batches is controlled.
- Fixing method: nailed, clipped, screwed or bedded, the battens and counter-battens, and who supplies the fixings.
- Fittings and accessories: ridge, hip, verge, eaves, valley and vent tiles, with quantities by roof, quoted separately from the field tiles.
- Wind, frost and fire conditions: the exposure the project asks the roof to meet, as the designer states it, with the test requirement and its edition named by the project.
- Weight and structure: the tile weight the roof structure was designed for, as the structural engineer states it.
- Packing: pallet size, wrapping, corner protection and the method for breakage allowance at delivery.
- Documents: the data sheets, test reports and installation guidance the project requires.
Five sourcing routes for roof tiles
1. Clay and terracotta tile makers
Clay tile makers press or extrude and fire tiles in a range of profiles and natural colours. Ask for the clay body description, the profile drawing, the firing method and the colour tolerance between firings, and request a set of tiles from different production lots to see the colour spread. Settle the breakage allowance for transport in writing, because fired tiles chip at edges.
2. Concrete roof tile makers
Concrete tiles are made on high-volume lines in standard profiles with integral or sprayed colour. Ask for the profile, the surface finish, the colour system and the fittings range, and request a sample with the finish you will receive, not only a catalogue tile. Check that ridge and hip fittings come from the same line as the field tile.
3. Glazed ceramic tile makers
Glazed roof tiles are produced by ceramic workshops that apply and fire a glaze on the tile body. Ask for the glaze reference, the lot-to-lot colour control and the finish of the underside and edges, and approve a full set in your colour before bulk production. Glaze defects show on the roof, so agree the inspection method on the approved sample.
4. Stone-coated metal tile makers
Metal tiles are formed from coated steel or aluminium sheet and finished with a granular surface. They are lighter than clay or concrete, which can matter on a refurbishment or a light structure. Ask for the substrate, coating and granule description, the profile, the fixing method and the fittings, and compare with the roofing sheet route in our guide to metal roofing sheet manufacturers.
5. Roof system suppliers with fittings and fixings
Some suppliers quote the tile, the underlay, the battens, the fittings and the fixings as a system. This gives one party to coordinate, but ask the supplier to price each component on its own line and to name the maker of each so that evidence can be checked. A system quote can hide a weak component in a package price.
Sourcing this for a commercial project?
FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. We work with Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers. Send your BOQ, drawings or product schedule for review.
How to compare roof tile quotations
- What is included: field tiles, ridge, hip, verge, eaves, valley and vent fittings, fixings and underlay, each on a separate line with its unit.
- Unit of measure: per piece, per square metre of roof or per pallet, and the coverage per square metre stated for the exact profile and lap.
- Profile and colour: the profile and colour reference quoted, with the approved sample it refers to.
- Breakage allowance: what the maker includes and what is replaced on claim.
- Packing: pieces per pallet, pallet weight and the method of protection.
- Exclusions and substitutions: any change of body, glaze, coating or fittings the maker proposes.
Samples, approval and acceptance on delivery
Approve a set of tiles with fittings in your colour, drawn from more than one production lot, before bulk production. Ask the roofing contractor to dry-lay the sample set and to check the lap, the fixing and the fittings against the drawing, and record the approval in writing. Keep the approved set as the reference for the bulk order.
On delivery, check a sample of pallets against the order: profile, colour, fittings and quantity of each. Note breakage in writing on the day with photographs, so the maker can respond while the evidence is fresh.
What evidence to ask each route for
Evidence should be requested for the exact tile, not for a product family. Ask for the following in writing and keep the answers with the quotation.
- Clay tile makers: the clay body description, the profile drawing and tiles from different firings.
- Concrete tile makers: the finish and colour system description and a sample with the finish you will receive.
- Glazed tile makers: the glaze reference, the lot colour control method and an approved full set.
- Metal tile makers: the substrate, coating and granule description and the fixing method.
- Roof system suppliers: each component named with its maker and priced on its own line.
Specification gaps to close before quotation
A quotation cannot answer the questions below for itself. Check that the brief answers these questions before it goes out.
- Which tile material and profile does the designer name, and is there a reference tile?
- What pitch and exposure does each roof have, and what does the designer require for it?
- Who supplies battens, underlay and fixings, and who specifies the fixing pattern?
- Are ridge, hip, verge and vent fittings listed with quantities by roof?
- Is the colour approved on a set from several lots?
- How is breakage handled at delivery and on site?
Next steps for a roofing package
Send each maker the same brief and ask for answers in writing, line by line, with samples or documents before bulk production. FBM Sourcing manages China procurement packages for overseas projects; furniture-only packages are also run through FBM Furniture.
Questions buyers ask about roof tiles from China
Should the fittings be quoted with the field tiles?
Quote them on separate lines even when one maker supplies both. Ridge, hip, verge and vent fittings are often missed in a first quotation and found short on site.
Does colour vary between production lots?
Fired and coated tiles can vary between lots. Ask the maker how colour is controlled, approve a set drawn from more than one lot and keep it as the reference.
Who decides which tile suits the roof pitch and exposure?
The roof designer and the local authority decide, from the pitch, the exposure and the structure. Put the conditions in the brief and ask each maker to show evidence for the exact tile.
How much breakage should be allowed for?
Agree the allowance and the claim method in writing before the order, because it depends on the material, the packing and the route. Do not leave it to be settled at delivery.
How does FBM Sourcing support this kind of package?
We review the brief, collect comparable quotations and manage the package for the project. For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and the client’s project team is welcome to attend.
FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. We work with Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.
