Many of the Mediterranean, Tuscan and Spanish-style homes in Colleyville were built to look like they wear clay tile. Some do. Many have concrete tile. Some owners want that look, or a slate or shake look, without the weight, the cracked pieces and the upkeep. Brava Roof Tile is one of the composite brands built for that.
I’m Blake Snow. I’ve been roofing for 30 years, and we have experience installing and repairing Brava shake, slate and barrel tile. Here’s what Brava publishes about its products, plus the warranty details I’d want any Colleyville homeowner to read before signing.
The three Brava looks, by the numbers
All figures below come from Brava’s own Spanish Barrel Tile and Slate spec tables and Brava’s Cedar Shake installation guide.
| Brava line | Look | Approx. weight per square (100 sq ft) | Key sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Barrel Tile | Clay barrel / Spanish tile | ~281 lb | 16 1/2” x 13”, 13” exposure |
| Slate | Natural slate, 1” thick profile | ~311 lb | 22” long, 12” or 6/9/12” multi-width, 10” max exposure |
| Cedar Shake | Hand-split cedar | ~287 lb | 22” long, 5/7/12” widths, 10” max exposure |
For comparison, Eagle’s Texas brochure lists its concrete tile at roughly 900 to 970 lb per square installed (see our Eagle tile post). Brava is around a third of that. That matters most when a Colleyville owner wants a tile or slate look on a house that was framed for shingles.
Lighter doesn’t mean “skip the structure check.” Brava publishes its own roof sheathing requirements bulletin, and we check deck condition and thickness before we quote.
Ratings: what’s tested and what depends on the install
- Impact: Brava lists Class 4 (UL 2218) for its tile lines. For Texas homeowners, that can matter for insurance. See our impact-resistant roof insurance guide.
- Fire: Brava lists Class A with a fire-resistant underlayment and Class C with standard underlayment. That’s the detail most comparisons skip. Two Brava quotes can be different roofs on paper because of what goes under the tile.
- Wind: Brava says its tiles were tested to 188 mph nailed and 211 mph with a high-wind screw installation. The warranty’s wind coverage is a separate, lower number (see below).
- Texas approvals: Brava lists Texas Department of Insurance product approvals for its Cedar Shake, Slate and Spanish Barrel Tile.
The warranty fine print most reviews skip
Brava advertises a 50-year limited lifetime warranty. Here’s what the Brava warranty document we reviewed (effective 1/1/24) actually says. Ask for the current version when you sign.
- Register within 30 days. The original owner must send in the registration form within 30 days of installation being completed. High-wind installs need a separate compliance form.
- Hail coverage has a size limit. Coverage doesn’t apply to hail larger than 1 1/2 inches in diameter as determined by the National Weather Service. North Texas gets storms bigger than that, so don’t treat the warranty as hail insurance.
- Insurance comes first. For damage from an insurable risk, the owner has to pursue the claim through their homeowners insurance before the warranty applies.
- Wind coverage depends on the install. The warranty limits wind coverage to 90, 110 or 130 mph depending on the installation spec used, and only for the first 15 years.
- The first 10 years are the strongest. In the first 120 months, Brava may supply replacement product and pay installation costs (capped at the lower of local rates or $350 per 100 sq ft), refund the product price, or agree to another fix. After that, the remedy becomes a prorated refund of the product price only.
- One transfer. It can transfer once in the first 25 years, with the transfer form sent within 30 days of the sale.
None of that makes Brava a bad choice. It means the install spec, the underlayment and the paperwork matter as much as the tile.
Which Brava look fits which Colleyville home
- Spanish Barrel Tile fits stucco and stone Mediterranean homes that want the clay look at a fraction of the weight. Brava’s own project library includes a 38-building Dallas townhome community re-roofed in Brava Spanish tile in 2016.
- Slate suits French country, Tudor and traditional brick homes. The multi-width option gives a more random, hand-laid look.
- Cedar Shake suits lodge, Craftsman and ranch-style homes where an HOA wants a shake look without real wood.
If your home already has concrete or clay tile and the tile is still sound, a tile lift-and-relay might be the better answer. We’ll tell you which way makes sense.
Before you sign a Brava proposal
- Which Brava line, color and size (standard or multi-width)?
- Fire-resistant underlayment for Class A, or standard underlayment?
- Nailed or high-wind screw install, and which wind coverage that earns?
- Solid rake and valley pieces, hip and ridge, eave starters and metal flashing details
- Who registers the warranty, and when?
- HOA approval. Brava publishes HOA and historic-restoration brochures that can help with a submittal.
After a hailstorm
Get the roof inspected and photographed, and save the storm date and any National Weather Service hail size reports. Our storm damage page covers what to document. In Texas you generally have one year from the date of loss to file a claim, but check your policy.
Talk to us about Brava in Colleyville
We install and repair Brava and other composite slate, shake and tile roofs across Colleyville, Southlake, Keller, Grapevine and Westlake. Brava roofs are installed to manufacturer specs by certified installers. We’re certified with GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Atlas, Johns Manville, Carlisle, Tropical, Mule-Hide and Enviroshake, and we’re A+ rated with the BBB. See our Brava page, request a free inspection or call (817) 733-9228.
