Roofing in Anthem, Anthem (85086)

Common roof types in Anthem

• Concrete Tile
• Flat/Foam
• Asphalt Shingle

Typical home age: Median build year 2004; most homes 17–27 years old · Population: 43,270

Anthem at a glance

Del Webb started Anthem in 1998 on 5,856 acres along I-17, about 30 miles north of downtown Phoenix, at the base of Daisy Mountain and Gavilan Peak. The community rises from about 1,760 feet to 2,428 feet, averaging a little over 1,860 feet. Phoenix Sky Harbor sits at about 1,135 feet.

The 2020 Census counted 23,190 people in the Anthem census area. ZIP 85086 is larger, also covering parts of New River and Desert Hills and some north Phoenix neighborhoods, which is why its population estimate is about 43,000. Census figures for the ZIP show how concentrated the building was: about two-thirds of homes were built from 2000 to 2009, 15 percent in the 1990s and 11 percent in the 2010s, with a median build year of 2004.

Anthem has a community council and three homeowner associations: Parkside, the gated Country Club with about 2,866 homes, and the Village condominiums. Each association enforces its own design guidelines.

One build wave, one underlayment deadline

Because so much of Anthem went up in the same decade with concrete tile, thousands of roofs are reaching the same point together. The tile can last 50 years or more. The underlayment under it typically lasts 15 to 25 years in Arizona heat.

That means:

• Homes from 1999 to about 2003 are 23 to 27 years old. If they still have original underlayment, a lift-and-relay is due or overdue.
• Homes from about 2004 to 2009 are 17 to 22 years old and in the window. An inspection that lifts tiles at valleys and eaves tells you how much time is left.
• Homes from the 2010s mostly need repairs, not underlayment work.

Production builders reused floor plans across whole neighborhoods, so neighboring homes tend to share the same roof shape and the same weak spots. On Anthem tract homes, the bottoms of valleys, the flashing where a lower roof meets a wall, and skylight curbs are where we usually find water getting through first.

Higher ground: cooler nights, harder storms

Anthem's elevation brings cooler nights than the Valley floor, especially in winter, when frost on the roof is more common than in central Phoenix. A roof that bakes in summer and chills hard on winter nights goes through bigger daily temperature swings, which works on aging underlayment, sealants and mortar at ridges and hips.

Anthem gets strong monsoon storms too. On July 31, 2012, a storm dropped 5.01 inches of rain on Anthem in about 90 minutes, with wind gusts above 60 mph, flooding streets and yards and bringing down trees across the community. Rain at that rate overwhelms any weak spot: undersized scuppers on flat sections, clogged valleys, cracked tile at eaves and tired underlayment.

What that means in practice:

• Keep valleys and flat-roof drains clear before monsoon season starts on June 15.
• Have ridge and hip tile checked for loose mortar or missing fasteners, since edges and ridges are where wind gets a grip.
• On flat sections, make sure each scupper is open and the coating at the scupper is intact.

Wildfire and the desert edge

About a third of Anthem is preserved open desert, and many homes back onto washes or natural areas. Concrete tile is a Class A fire-rated covering, which is a good starting point. The weak spots in a wildfire are usually not the tile but what collects around it.

• Open tile ends at the eave can let embers and birds in. Eave closures or bird stops seal them.
• Dry leaves and grass packed in valleys and gutters can catch embers.
• Damaged attic vent screens let embers into the attic.

We check all three on Anthem inspections near open desert, and we install eave closures during a relay where the HOA allows them.

East or west of I-17: who issues the permit

Most of Anthem, east of I-17, is unincorporated Maricopa County. The County's building code exempts a roof replacement or reroof with the same type of material from a permit, so a lift-and-relay or tile-for-tile replacement normally doesn't need one. The County has scheduled adoption of the 2024 International Codes, with the vote set for October 21, 2026 and an effective date of November 20, 2026, and its plan keeps that reroof exemption.

The part of Anthem west of I-17 is inside the City of Phoenix, which is why those streets get Phoenix fire and police service. Phoenix also exempts a roof covering replacement with the same type of material, but a change of material type, such as shingle to tile, needs a city permit.

If you are not sure which side you are on, your property tax record shows the jurisdiction. Either way, if we are changing materials or find structural damage, we confirm the permit requirement and apply for it.

HOA design review in Anthem

Parkside, the Country Club and the Village each publish design guidelines, and changes to the outside of a home generally need approval first. The Country Club association, for example, asks owners to check plans against its Design Guidelines and has a Residential Design Coordinator for questions.

For roofing, the practical rule is this: a lift-and-relay that puts your same tile back usually changes nothing visible, so the review is simple or not required. New tile, a new color or profile, or a different material needs approval before work is scheduled. Check your association's current guidelines, and we will supply the samples and product sheets it asks for. In the Village, check whether the roof is your responsibility or the association's before planning anything.

Costs and materials for an Anthem relay

Our installed range for tile underlayment replacement is about $4.00 to $7.00 per square foot of roof area, which puts most Valley homes around $10,000 to $22,000. A new concrete tile roof runs about $6.50 to $10.50 per square foot, and repairs $300 to $5,000. Prices vary with size, pitch, access and material.

On a relay we use high-temperature underlayment made for tile in desert heat, such as TRI-BUILT HT SA self-adhered synthetic, which carries a 50-year material warranty that transfers automatically to the next owner. We replace valley and wall flashing, reset ridge and hip tile with proper fastening, and detach and reset solar panels at $150 per panel. A tile relay typically takes 3 to 5 days, weather and size permitting.