Cedar Shake Roof Replacement in Anchorage & the Mat-Su
When cedar is split, cupped, mossy, or worn thin, we replace it with metal shake, architectural asphalt, or standing seam, on a solid deck with membrane and ventilation built in.
A cedar shake roof is done when the shakes split, cup, go soft, or wear thin, and when moss and missing shakes start letting water through. Replacing it usually means tearing off to the old boards, putting solid sheathing over them, and building a new roof: metal shake if you want to keep the look, architectural asphalt for the lowest price, or standing seam for the cleanest lines.
Signs your cedar shake roof is done
Look from the ground, from a window, or with binoculars from across the street. Don’t climb it: wet, mossy shakes are slick, and in winter there’s no safe way up.
- Splits and cracks running through the shakes
- Cupping and curling, so the shakes no longer lie flat
- Moss, especially on shaded slopes and under trees
- Missing or loose shakes after a wind
- Soft, rotting spots, and shakes worn thin
- Leaks, ceiling stains, or water in the attic during the spring melt
A single loose shake isn’t a verdict. Several of these across the whole roof means it’s time to price a replacement, and the inspection puts that in writing with photos.
Why cedar struggles in Alaska
- Wet and dry. Water soaks into the wood, it swells, then dries and shrinks, over and over from fall through breakup. Add sun and frost, and that’s what splits and cups shakes.
- Shade and moisture. Spruce and birch shade and slow spring drying keep shakes damp, and damp cedar grows moss and rots.
- Fire. Untreated cedar carries no fire rating. On a wooded lot, that matters.
- Upkeep. Cedar needs regular upkeep to last, and an Alaska summer leaves a short window for it.
The best replacement for a cedar shake roof
There are three good answers. The right one depends on the look you want, your budget, and how you want the roof to handle snow.
- Metal shake keeps the look. Stone-coated steel in a shake profile, with the texture and shadow lines of cedar, a Class A fire rating, and a Class 4 impact rating. It suits older timber homes. Metal shake →
- Architectural asphalt costs least. A good roof at the lowest price of the three, lasting fifteen to twenty-five years here depending on the shingle. It won’t look like cedar, but it’s often right for a rental, a sale, or a tight budget. Asphalt shingles →
- Standing seam has the cleanest lines. Smooth panels from eave to ridge with concealed fasteners. Snow slides off it faster than anything else we install, so it gets snow guards over doors and decks. Standing seam →
Is your cedar done?
Text a photo and we’ll tell you what we see.
What’s different about a cedar shake tear-off
It’s heavier and messier than a shingle tear-off. Shakes are thick and there are a lot of them, so plan on more debris hauled away and a longer cleanup, finished with a magnetic sweep of the yard and driveway.
Cedar on skip sheathing
Shakes are often nailed to spaced boards with gaps between them. The old roof probably has no ice and water membrane at the eaves and not much attic ventilation.
A solid deck and a full system
Solid sheathing over the old boards, part of the written price. Then ice and water membrane at the eaves, valleys, and penetrations, underlayment, new flashing, and ridge and intake ventilation sized to the attic.
The ventilation matters as much as the roofing. A new roof over a poorly vented attic still makes ice dams, so we size the vents as part of the job. The rest of the process is on the roof replacement page. Attic ventilation →
Can you put a new roof over cedar shakes?
Usually not. Shingles need a solid deck, cedar often sits on spaced boards with thick, uneven shakes on top, and we put every new roof on a solid deck. Most cedar roofs come off for that reason. Tearing off also lets us see what’s under there, replace rotten boards and photograph them, and start the new roof flat and dry.
Fire rating and insurance
Untreated cedar carries no fire rating. Stone-coated steel is Class A. On a wooded Hillside or Eagle River lot, with spruce close to the house, that’s a real difference.
A new roof can change what you pay for homeowners insurance. Ask your agent what replacing the cedar, and the material you pick, does to your premium before you decide.
We replace cedar roofs on older homes in Anchorage, from the Hillside to Sand Lake and Turnagain, and in Eagle River, Wasilla, and Palmer.
What a cedar roof replacement costs
It depends on the roof’s size and pitch, how much debris comes off, the solid sheathing, which of the three roofs you choose, snow guards if it’s metal, and access. The sheathing is part of the written price, not a surprise after tear-off. We price it after the inspection, in writing, line by line.
Every job starts with a free inspection.
Photo report and a written price within 24 hours, and no pressure after it.
Cedar shake replacement questions
The questions we get most often about replacing cedar roofs in Anchorage and the Valley. Don’t see yours? Text us and a roofer answers.
Text my rooferLook for shakes that are split, cupped, curling, worn thin, or missing, moss across the roof, soft spots, and leaks during the spring melt. One loose shake isn’t a verdict. Several of these across the whole roof means it’s time to price a replacement. We photograph what we find and tell you in writing.
Metal shake if you want to keep the look: stone-coated steel with shake texture, a Class A fire rating, and a Class 4 impact rating. Architectural asphalt if the lowest price matters most. Standing seam if you want clean, modern lines. We install all three, and we’ll tell you which one we’d put on your house.
Usually not. Code allows it in some cases if the shakes are covered with a fire-resistant layer first, but cedar is often laid over spaced boards, and we put new roofs on a solid deck. Most cedar roofs come off, and solid sheathing goes over the old boards before the new roof goes on. That sheathing is part of the written price. Tearing off also makes room for the membrane and ventilation the old roof probably didn’t have.
Untreated cedar carries no fire rating. Stone-coated steel carries a Class A fire rating. On a wooded lot with spruce and birch close to the house, that’s a real difference. If you like the look of cedar and worry about fire, metal shake gives you both: the texture and shadow lines of shakes, with steel underneath.
It can. Ask your agent what replacing a cedar roof, and the material you pick, does to your premium, ideally before you choose. We give you a written scope that names the roofing, underlayment, and sheathing going on, so your agent has the details to work from.
It’s part of the written price from the start, not a surprise after tear-off. Cedar is often on spaced boards, and we put new roofs on a solid deck, so the sheathing is in the scope before we begin. Any rotten boards we find along the way get replaced and photographed so you can see what was under there.
Let’s price the roof that replaces your cedar
Text a photo or book an inspection. You get a photo report and a written price within 24 hours, and no pressure after it.