Cedar shake is the classic PNW roofing material. Drive through Queen Anne, Magnolia, or Laurelhurst and you'll see it on every other block. That warm, textured look fits the craftsman homes and mid-century builds that define Seattle's older neighborhoods. But here's the reality: most of those cedar roofs were installed in the 1970s through the early 1990s, and they're all hitting 30 to 40 years old right now. That's end of life for cedar shake, even in the best conditions.
We're tearing off more cedar this year than any other material. It's not close.
## What failing cedar shake actually looks like
You don't need to climb the roof to spot it. From the ground, look for shakes that are curling at the edges, splitting lengthwise, or missing entirely. Moss is a huge factor here. Cedar is porous, and when moss holds moisture against the wood for months at a time (which it does in Seattle from October through May), the shake goes soft. We call it "punky." You can push your thumb through it. That shake isn't protecting anything anymore.
Other signs: dark staining that runs down the roof in streaks, shakes that have shifted out of alignment, and daylight visible in the attic where shakes have cracked all the way through. If you're seeing three or more of these, the roof is done. A roof inspection confirms it, but honestly, most homeowners already know by the time they call us.
## Why most people aren't going back to cedar
Cost is the biggest reason. Cedar shake runs $14 to $20 per square foot installed. Architectural shingles run $7 to $9. On a typical 2,000 square foot Seattle roof, that's a difference of $14,000 or more. For a material that lasts about the same amount of time as a good architectural shingle (25 to 30 years), the math doesn't work for most homeowners.
Then there's the fire code issue. If you're in or near a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zone, cedar shake may not be allowed anymore. Parts of Issaquah, Sammamish, and Redmond have restrictions. Some Bellevue neighborhoods too. Untreated cedar shake is a Class C fire rating at best, and treated shake still doesn't match what a Class A asphalt shingle or metal roof offers. Cities are tightening these codes, not loosening them.
Maintenance is the other factor. Cedar needs periodic cleaning, treatment, and individual shake replacement to hit its rated lifespan. Most homeowners don't do any of that. They install it and forget it for 25 years, and by then it's too far gone to save. Asphalt shingles aren't maintenance-free in the PNW (moss still grows on them), but they're a lot more forgiving if you skip a few years.
## What people are switching to
About 90% of our cedar tear-offs go to architectural shingles. GAF Timberline, Owens Corning Duration, CertainTeed Landmark. These are the shingle products that dominate the Seattle market right now, and for good reason. They hold up well in rain, they resist wind better than cedar, and they come with 30 to 50 year warranties. If you want a deeper comparison on materials, we broke that down in our best roofing materials for the PNW guide.
Synthetic shake is the option for homeowners who want the cedar look without the cedar problems. Products like DaVinci and Brava mimic the texture and profile of real cedar but they're made from engineered polymers. They cost more than asphalt (roughly $12 to $16 per square foot) but less than real cedar, and they carry Class A fire ratings. We install these on historic homes and in neighborhoods where the HOA cares about aesthetics.
Metal roofing is the third option. Still rare on residential cedar tear-offs, maybe 5% of what we do, but it's growing. Standing seam metal lasts 50+ years and handles PNW weather like nothing else. The upfront cost is steep though, $15 to $25 per square foot installed. It makes the most sense when someone plans to stay in the house for decades.
## The tear-off is harder than you'd think
Here's what surprises people about cedar shake replacement. Cedar shakes were installed on skip sheathing, which is spaced boards (usually 1x4s) instead of solid plywood. The shakes bridged the gaps. When you tear the shakes off, you're left with a roof deck that has open spaces every few inches. You can't just nail new shingles to that.
The entire deck needs to be re-sheathed with solid plywood or OSB before anything new goes on top. That's an extra $2,000 to $4,000 on most jobs, depending on the size of the roof. It's labor and material that doesn't apply to a standard shingle-over-shingle tear-off. Any honest estimate for a cedar shake roof replacement should include this line item. If it doesn't, ask why.
## Where we're seeing the most cedar tear-offs
The neighborhoods track exactly with where Seattle's building booms happened in the 70s and 80s. Queen Anne, Magnolia, Laurelhurst, and Ravenna are the hotspots. On the Eastside, Kirkland and parts of Bellevue have whole streets of cedar shake homes all reaching end of life in the same window.
Curious what a replacement costs in 2026? We published updated numbers that include cedar tear-off pricing specifically. And if you want a quick ballpark for your own house, our instant roof quote tool gets you a number in a couple minutes without a phone call.
