The short answer
A pantile is a tile with a curved S-shaped profile, made in clay or concrete, which overlaps its neighbour along the curve. Marley gives its Lincoln clay pantile a minimum pitch of 15 degrees, so pantiles suit shallower slopes than plain tiles do. Common faults are slipped or cracked tiles, failed ridge and verge mortar, moss in the curves and rotten battens beneath.
What makes a pantile different
A pantile has a wave across its width, so it is part trough and part crest. Each tile hooks over the one beside it, and the trough carries water down the slope. Because the profile is large and the tiles are laid one to a space instead of in a double layer, a pantile roof is lighter than a plain tile roof and uses fewer tiles to cover the same area.
Clay pantiles are fired from local earth in a kiln, and their colour comes from the clay, from deep orange to dark red and brown, sometimes glazed black. Concrete pantiles copy the profile in a cement mix, with a colour coat on the surface. The clay version weathers slowly and often mellows in a way that concrete does not. Both are interlocking in the sense that the sides overlap, though they are quite different from the rolled-edge interlocking tiles on many modern estates. See low-pitch tiles for the wider group.
Pitch and why pantiles suit shallow roofs
The reason pantiles are used on shallow roofs is that the profile channels water efficiently. In Marley's table the Lincoln clay pantile can go as low as 15 degrees, which compares with 30 to 40 degrees for its clay plain tiles. That makes pantiles a common choice for single-storey extensions, outbuildings and low bungalows, as well as older cottages and farm buildings built before modern materials.
That figure is a floor, not a target, and the tile maker's own literature settles the exact number for each product. A pantile laid below its minimum is prone to wind-driven rain, and the fixing matters more as the slope gets shallower. If you are weighing a new covering for an existing low slope, measuring the real angle first is the sensible start.
How long a pantile roof lasts
Lifespans vary with the tile and the care it gets. For clay roof tiles, the BRE determined a minimum life expectancy of 60 years in its environmental profiling scheme, and many clay roofs last well beyond that. Concrete tiles often last 30 to 60 years, according to different sources, and Marley is clear that its own figure is not a guarantee. A pantile roof does not wear out all at once. Individual tiles crack, the battens age, and ridge details need renewal long before the tiles do.
Maintenance makes most of the difference. Keeping gutters clear, replacing broken tiles promptly and having the ridge checked after storms stretch the roof's life. When a repair means choosing between the two, clay is the closer match on an old clay roof and tends to age gracefully, while concrete suits a modern extension and is priced lower in the published repair guides. Mixing them on one slope rarely looks right. If a roof is old, the underlay deserves a look too, as some older pantile roofs were laid with little or none, and daylight under the tiles is a sign of that.
The faults to watch for
Slipped tiles come first. A pantile that has lost its nail or clip slides down, leaving a gap in the course, and the curve of the profile makes the gap obvious from the ground. Wind is the usual trigger, which is why our page on tiles lifting in wind is worth reading.
Cracks come next. The profile is rigid, and a pantile snaps under foot more easily than people expect, so if someone has to go on the roof, the route and boards matter. Our page on walking on a tiled roof explains why. Then there is mortar. Verges and ridges on older pantile roofs are often bedded in mortar that cracks and falls out. Since BS 5534:2014, ridges and hips are meant to carry mechanical fixings along with their bedding, as mortar alone should not hold them, and we repair them accordingly.
The verge, where a sloping roof edge finishes against a gable wall, deserves the same scrutiny. A pantile cut to fit there is unsupported along its cut side, and if the mortar beneath it crumbles the tile can lift in a strong gust. Dry-fixed verge trims, or well-fixed bedding, prevent it.
Moss, frost and drainage
Moss and lichen sit in the troughs, where water lingers, and a thick growth can hold moisture against the tile. In frost, porous clay that stays wet can flake at the face. Gentle cleaning helps, but a pressure jet can strip the surface of a clay tile, so the method matters, and so does the timing.
At the eaves and valleys, check that the gutter is set so that water flows from the tiles into it, with no gap. Pantile eaves often need a filler to stop the profile opening a path for birds and wind. Where an extension joins a main roof, the junction is a regular source of leaks, and the lead or flashing there needs the same attention as the tiles.
Repair, re-cover and what it costs
Small repairs are straightforward when the right tile is available. Checkatrade's roof repair guide puts clay repairs at £110 to £160 per m² and concrete at £90 to £120 per m², before VAT and without access equipment, so ask whether any quote you receive covers scaffolding. Where the tile has been discontinued, we look for reclaimed stock first and suggest re-covering a single slope only if nothing suitable turns up.
We aim to recommend the minimum that cures the fault, even where a larger job would be simpler to sell. After the survey you can look at pictures of your own roof, then at a price in writing, and the work is covered by a 10-year workmanship guarantee. Other tile and slope questions are answered in the pitched roofing hub.