Cedar Shake Roofing in Sonoma, Marin & Napa Counties
Cedar shake is part of the architectural vocabulary of the North Bay — on ranch homes in Sonoma Valley, on hillside houses in Marin, and on the rustic properties that give west county and Mendocino their character. Rea Roofing Inc. works on cedar roofs across all four counties, whether that means maintaining one, replacing one, or moving a home to a modern material that keeps the look.
Cedar, fire rating, and the honest alternatives
It is also the roof type where an honest contractor has to raise fire rating early in the conversation. Untreated wood shakes are combustible, and in California's wildland-urban interface areas — which cover a great deal of the hills across Sonoma, Napa, Marin and Mendocino — the building code requires a Class A fire-rated roof assembly. That constrains what can go back on many of the properties where cedar looks most at home.
Where cedar is permitted and appropriate, the installation details are what determine whether it lasts. Cedar needs to breathe: shakes over an appropriate interlayment or batten system, correct exposure and spacing, stainless or hot-dipped fasteners, and generous metal in the valleys. Trapped moisture is what rots a cedar roof, and it is usually a detailing failure rather than a material one.
Cedar also demands maintenance in this climate. Under the redwood and oak canopy common in west Sonoma County and inland Mendocino, shakes hold debris and grow moss, both of which keep the wood wet long after the rain stops. Keeping valleys and the field clear is the difference between a cedar roof that ages gracefully and one that goes soft in a decade.
Where a Class A assembly is required or simply wise, there are materials that read as cedar from the ground and carry the fire rating — and we would rather walk you through those options than install something that will not pass inspection or that puts your house at avoidable risk. Standing seam metal and modern composite profiles are both worth looking at on a wooded property.
How we approach a cedar roof
- 01
Assessment and code check
We look at the existing roof and confirm what the fire-rating requirements are for your address and jurisdiction before anything is specified.
- 02
Options, side by side
Where cedar is viable you get that quoted. Where it is not, or where you would rather not take the risk, you get fire-rated alternatives that hold the same look.
- 03
Tear-off and deck work
Old shakes removed, sheathing inspected and repaired, and the deck prepared for the system going on.
- 04
Install with the right details
Correct underlayment or interlayment, spacing and exposure, corrosion-resistant fasteners, and full metal at valleys and terminations.
- 05
Maintenance plan
We tell you plainly what the roof will need — debris clearing, moss management, and when to look at it again.
What we bring to a cedar project
Straight talk about fire rating
We raise the WUI and Class A question at the estimate, not after the permit is refused.
Detailing that lets cedar dry
Ventilation and drainage behind the shakes are what keep a wood roof from rotting from the back side.
Look-alike options
If a fire-rated assembly is the right call, we will show you what keeps the character of the house intact.
One crew for mixed roofs
Many cedar-era homes have added flat sections or metal accents. We handle all of it rather than sub out half the roof.
Rea Roofing project photos
Our own photographs of real jobs. Captions describe only what is visible in the frame.
Standing seam metal roof on a hillside estate — continuous panels run ridge to eave with a matching ridge cap and hemmed edges.
Cedar Shake questions
Can I put a new cedar shake roof on my house?
It depends on where the house is. Properties inside a designated wildland-urban interface area must have a Class A fire-rated roof assembly under the California Building Code, which rules out untreated wood shakes. We check the requirements for your address before quoting.
How long does a cedar roof last in the North Bay?
Far longer on an open, sunny lot than under a redwood canopy. Debris and moss hold moisture against the wood, so shade and maintenance matter more to a cedar roof's life than almost anything else.
What looks like cedar but carries a Class A rating?
Standing seam metal in a dark or bronze finish, and modern composite shake profiles, both work well on the kind of homes that were originally shaked. We will show you options on the estimate rather than push one product.
Free estimate — Cedar Shake Roofing
Tell us what the roof is doing and where it is. We will come and look at it, and the inspection costs you nothing.
More from Rea Roofing
Cedar Shake Roofing — free estimate, no obligation
Call or text (707) 332-0081, or send the details through the form. We cover Sonoma, Marin, Napa & Mendocino counties.