Ceramic tile roofs are made of baked clay or similar tiles, usually interlocking with each other to cover and protect the roof surface. The most common form is dark red tiles which are curved in a U-shape; these are an extremely common roofing material across much of the world, including Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Ceramic tiles are used most frequently on old buildings and on houses. They are generally used only on sloping roofs, and have a decorative, picturesque, or historicizing effect.

There are two common forms of ceramic tile roofing:

1. Imbrex and tegula - consisting of flat tiles with raised side edges (tegulae) and separate curved cover tiles (imbrices). The curved tiles cover the joints between adjacent flat tiles.

2. Monk and nun - consisting of alternating files of identical tiles, every other file upturned so that the tiles fit into each other.