Both are common on Florida roofs and both outlive the underlayment beneath them. The differences are weight, color retention and cost.
The more common and less expensive option. Pigment is applied to the surface or mixed through the body, and surface-pigmented tile fades over years of Florida UV exposure. Available in flat, low and high barrel profiles.
Color is inherent to the fired clay, so it holds appearance far longer. It typically costs more and is the traditional choice for Spanish and Mediterranean architecture.
On both, the underlayment ages out before the tile does. That is why lift-and-relay — removing, stacking, re-underlaying and resetting the tile — is such a common Florida scope.
O'Brien Contracting — Florida roofing contractor, license CCC1335947. Call (239) 919-4485.