Are you interested in a synthetic cedar shake roof? Is your biggest concern how much a synthetic cedar shake roof costs?
Synthetic cedar shake shingles are considered a premium roofing material, so they come with a premium price. So, it's understandable that pricing is a concern.
Unfortunately, most cost information revolves around individual prices instead of focusing on an entire roof replacement. Well, you can't truly decide if a synthetic cedar shake roof is right for you without having the full picture.
For over 35 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has given homeowners the tools they need to feel confident when choosing a roofing material. So, let's break down how much a synthetic cedar shake roof currently costs.
By the end of this article, you'll have the answers to:
A new synthetic cedar shake roof will cost around $15.00 to $20.00 per square foot in 2025. For a 3,000 square foot roof with little complexity, this means a synthetic cedar shake roof costs around $45,000 to $60,000.
The synthetic cedar shake materials are very expensive, and metal is required in valleys because the shingles can’t bend to close the areas. However, labor and time play a huge role in the high price.
Synthetic cedar shake shingles are installed one at a time, which makes installation a slow, labor-intensive, and time-consuming project that requires experienced installers. And if you add upgrades, like copper for the metal valleys/flashing, you’ll be a lot closer to or over the higher end of the price range.
Now you have an idea of how much a synthetic cedar shake roof costs. While the materials, brand, and your roofing contractor determine most of the costs, there are other things that must be accounted for.
Below are the main factors a roofer takes into account when estimating the cost of a synthetic cedar shake roof replacement.
Labor costs are factored into every line item on an estimate. So, if anything takes time and labor, it factors into a roof replacement's cost.
Labor costs on a synthetic cedar shake roof are incredibly high because of the complex installation. On top of this, synthetic shingles are unique material that require experienced installers, which cost more to use.
During the tear-off process, your old roof is ripped up and the debris is then loaded into a dump truck or trailer to be taken to a dump of the roofer's choice. The dumpsites charge significant fees, which means disposing of your old roof always has an associated dumping cost.
Like everything else, there's also a labor cost for the crew member who dumps your old roof.
If your roof has more than one layer, it requires more labor to tear off and increases the amount of debris coming off your roof. This not only increases labor costs but also the dump fees.
There will be an initial labor and dump fee for the first layer, plus an added cost for each additional layer.
The synthetic cedar shake shingles determine most of the material costs, but you'll also be paying for the other components that make up a roof system. Certain components play a bigger role in pricing than others, especially high heat ice and water shield as underlayment and metal valley flashing.
Including the synthetic cedar shake shingles, the components you'll pay for are:
While the specific component can be a little different based on the manufacturer, the components listed here must be included in a synthetic cedar shake roof replacement. If just one is missing or left off to save money, I guarantee you’ll have problems.
Roofers use a roof access point for every single piece of the roof replacement process. The harder your roof is to access, the more it can add to a new synthetic cedar shake roof's cost.
Things like landscaping below the roofline, patio area, a fence, and how far away the materials and dump truck are a few examples of what makes a roof hard to access. Simply put, the more obstacles they have to work around to get the job done increases labor and time costs.
The most obvious cost factor is the square footage of your roof. It affects the amount of materials, labor, and time needed to complete the roof replacement.
I say square footage because it’s what homeowners are familiar with. However, you’ll also hear a roofing contractor say “price per roofing square” (100 square feet).
Roof pitch is your roof's slope (angle), which can go from flat to almost completely vertical. The steeper the roof pitch, the more it increases labor costs due to moving slower and safely.
Pitch plays a huge role in how much a synthetic cedar shake roof costs, especially the labor costs. However, steep pitches can also create more square footage, which also increases material prices.
Complexity is how your roof is cut up with different facets, hips, valleys, and stories off the ground. Your roof’s complexity has a huge impact on the cost based on how it’s cut up with different facets, hips, valleys, and stories off the ground.
Just like with pitch, a roof with a high number of facets at multiple angles, hips, valleys, and two or more stories off the ground is more difficult and takes a lot longer to roof than a ranch-style home’s roof. And because synthetic cedar shake shingles are installed one at a time and can't bend, complexity can make the cost skyrocket.
A roof penetration is anything that comes through your roof, like plumbing vents, gas vents, kitchen/bathroom vents, skylights, and chimneys. The more penetrations your roof has, the more the cost of synthetic cedar shake roof increases.
Smaller pipes or vents won’t add much, but skylights and chimneys add more to a new roof’s cost because they take longer to flash and work around.
Now you have an idea of how much a new synthetic cedar shake roof costs and the main factors that impact the price. A synthetic cedar shake roof is considered premium for a reason, and the cost reflects that.
Keep in mind that you won't get 100% accurate pricing until after an estimate from a roofer. But before reaching out to one, it's important to understand how synthetic shingles compare to the natural version.
After all, there's a reason why synthetic shingles were created as an alternative to the natural material it mimics. That’s why I wrote another article comparing a natural cedar shake roof to a synthetic cedar shake roof.
Check out Natural Cedar Shake vs. Synthetic Cedar Shake: Which is Right for You? to learn how the two types of roofing materials match up to determine which one is right for you.