How much maintenance are we really talking about?

Keeping it clear of debris and moss, and an inspection on a regular cycle. It is closer to gutter cleaning than to painting a house — but it is not zero, and any roofer who tells you it is has not maintained one.

Is cedar a fire risk?

Untreated cedar is combustible. Pressure-treated fire-retardant shake carries a Class A or B rating depending on the assembly, and we will tell you which one your build needs before you choose the material.

Can I get the cedar look without the maintenance?

Yes — Brava synthetic shake is molded from real shake and carries a Class 4 impact rating with none of the upkeep. We are an authorized Brava representative, so this is a real recommendation rather than a redirect.

Natural split cedar

Cedar Shake Roofing in Nashville

Split wood, with a depth and shadow line no composite reproduces. On the right house it is the roof the architecture was drawn for — and it is the one material here that asks something of you in return.

Call (615) 418-6087 Request a free inspection

The inspection is free, with a plain answer about what the roof needs.

Read our Google reviews GAF Certified · ID 1160390

Material: Natural split cedar, taper-sawn or hand-split
Service life: 30–40 years, maintained
Insulation: Roughly twice the R-value of asphalt shingle
Asks of you: Cleaning and inspection; treatment on a cycle

Choose cedar shake roofing when

The roof is visible architecture — a steep pitch, a prominent gable, a house designed around it.
You are restoring or matching a period house where a shingle would read as wrong immediately.
You want the insulation. Cedar genuinely outperforms asphalt on the attic side.

When it is the wrong answer

You want a roof you never think about. Cedar is a maintained material, and pretending otherwise is how people end up disappointed at year twelve.
The roof sits under heavy tree cover with poor airflow. Shade plus moisture is what shortens cedar, not sun.
You want the look without the upkeep — that is exactly what Brava synthetic shake is for, and we install that too.

How the job runs

Installing cedar shake roofing, step by step.

01
We look at the airflow before the wood
Cedar fails from underneath, from trapped moisture, far more often than it fails from above. Ventilation and a breathable underlayment get decided before anything is ordered.
02
Coursed by hand
Split shake is not uniform, and that is the point. Course spacing and keyway alignment are laid out on the roof rather than assumed from a bundle count.
03
You leave with a maintenance interval
Not a brochure — an actual interval for cleaning and inspection, in writing, because the service life above assumes it.

Questions

What people ask us first.

How much maintenance are we really talking about?: Keeping it clear of debris and moss, and an inspection on a regular cycle. It is closer to gutter cleaning than to painting a house — but it is not zero, and any roofer who tells you it is has not maintained one.
Is cedar a fire risk?: Untreated cedar is combustible. Pressure-treated fire-retardant shake carries a Class A or B rating depending on the assembly, and we will tell you which one your build needs before you choose the material.
Can I get the cedar look without the maintenance?: Yes — Brava synthetic shake is molded from real shake and carries a Class 4 impact rating with none of the upkeep. We are an authorized Brava representative, so this is a real recommendation rather than a redirect.

Talk to us about cedar shake roofing.

A leak, a missing shingle, a roof that has simply reached the end of its life — describe it and we will come look. The inspection is free. If it is urgent, calling is faster.

(615) 418-6087 · 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Other systems we install

Request an inspection

Tell us what the roof is doing. If it is urgent, calling is faster.