Cedar Shake Roof Cost in Salt Lake: Walking a Bid From Tear-Off to Final Number
The homeowner in the Avenues ran a hand across a curled, silver-gray shake, and a corner of it snapped off clean in her fingers. Fifty years of dry mountain sun had cooked the oils right out of it. She wanted the same look back, real cedar, not a composite lookalike, and the first question out of her mouth was the honest one: what does a cedar shake roof cost around here, and why do the bids swing so far apart?
Fair question. Cedar shake roof cost is one of the hardest numbers to pin down in Salt Lake because the material is only part of it. Let’s walk a real bid the way we’d build one, stage by stage, so the total at the bottom stops being a mystery.
Step 1: Measure the roof and count the waste
Every estimate starts with squares. One square equals 100 square feet of roof surface. A typical Salt Lake home runs 22 to 30 squares, but cedar changes how much material you actually order.
Shakes are hand-split and irregular, so a crew builds in more waste than they would for asphalt, often 12 to 18 percent on a cut-up roof with valleys and dormers. On a 26-square home, that means ordering closer to 30 squares of cedar. Steeper pitches on the east benches add labor time and safety rigging, and both push the number up before a single bundle lands on the roof.
This is why two bids on the same house differ: one crew measured every plane and hip, the other eyeballed it from the driveway. Ask which you’re getting.
Step 2: Price the tear-off and deck inspection
Old cedar is heavy and it comes off in pieces. Tear-off on a shake roof usually runs a little higher than on asphalt because of disposal volume and the care needed around the original skip sheathing.
Speaking of that sheathing: older Salt Lake cedar roofs were nailed to spaced boards, not solid plywood. If your new shakes also go on spaced boards, fine. If code or your installer calls for solid decking, that’s added material and labor. Budget for a few sheets of replacement plywood regardless, because freeze-thaw and old leaks tend to rot the deck at valleys and eaves. On most homes we see 2 to 6 sheets need swapping, and honest bids list that as a per-sheet allowance instead of hiding it.
Step 3: Add the underlayment and the details that keep cedar alive
Cedar breathes, and that’s the whole point. Underneath the shakes, many Salt Lake installs use an interlayment or a breather product between courses so the wood can dry after our spring melt and summer monsoon rains. Trapped moisture is what rots a cedar roof early.
Then come the details that quietly move cedar shake roof cost:
- Metal flashing at chimneys, valleys, and sidewalls
- Starter courses and ridge caps cut from matching cedar
- Stainless or hot-dipped nails, because cheap fasteners bleed rust streaks
None of these are optional if you want the roof to last. A bid that leaves them vague is a bid that’ll grow on you later. If you’re weighing cedar against a lower-maintenance option, our look at metal roofs versus shingles cost lines up the tradeoffs.
Step 4: Factor in grade and treatment
Not all cedar is the same, and this is where the total really moves. Number 1 blue-label shakes are thicker, all-heartwood, and cost more than lower grades. Thickness matters too, a heavy “handsplit and resawn” shake carries a different price than a thinner tapersawn one.
Then there’s fire and rot treatment. Pressure-treated, fire-retardant cedar costs more up front but is worth a hard look given our dry, high-UV summers. On a 26-square roof, stepping from a mid grade to premium treated cedar can shift material cost by several thousand dollars on its own. Ask your installer to spell out the grade and treatment in writing so you’re comparing the same wood between bids.
Step 5: Read the labor line honestly
Cedar is slow to install. Each shake is placed and spaced by hand, and a good crew won’t rush it. That labor premium is real, and it’s why cedar shake roof cost sits well above a standard asphalt replacement.
Put rough brackets on it: a mid-range asphalt replacement on a valley home might land in one range, while the same home in real cedar can run two to three times that once grade, treatment, and hand labor stack up. We won’t quote an exact figure sight unseen, because pitch, access, and deck condition swing it too much. That’s what the free inspection is for, an actual measure and a written breakdown.
Step 6: Add the long game to the math
A cedar roof isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it product here. Our climate asks for periodic cleaning and re-oiling to keep the wood from drying and splitting, plus the occasional shake swap. Factor a modest upkeep budget every few years into your decision, the same way you’d think about maintenance on any premium finish.
If cedar starts feeling like more than you want to babysit, that’s a legitimate reason to compare it against asphalt or metal before you commit. A full roof replacement in another material may fit your plans better, and there’s no shame in landing there once you see the numbers side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t cedar just too expensive to justify in Salt Lake?
It’s a premium roof, no argument. But if the look and character matter to you, and many Avenues and Federal Heights homeowners feel strongly about it, cedar can be worth it. The key is going in with eyes open on both the install cost and the upkeep, not being surprised by either. We’ll give you the full picture before you decide.
Won’t cedar just rot or catch fire in our dry summers?
Properly installed cedar breathes and sheds water, and fire-retardant treated shakes address the wildfire concern that comes up along the foothills. The failures we see usually trace back to trapped moisture from a missing interlayment or skipped maintenance, not the wood itself. Install details matter more than the material’s reputation.
Why does one cedar bid come in thousands under another?
Almost always because they’re not quoting the same roof. Different grade, thinner shakes, cheaper nails, no interlayment, or a lowball on deck repair. Before you assume the cheaper crew is a bargain, put the two bids next to each other line by line. If one is vague where the other is specific, that gap is your answer.
Thinking cedar for your next roof, or just want an honest read on whether it fits your home and budget? Call us for a free inspection and a written breakdown. If you’re weighing repairs on your current cedar first, our notes on repairs Utah homes need are a good place to start.