What Is Cedar Shake Roofing?
Cedar shake roofing covers a sloped roof in hand-split western red cedar set over an air-spaced deck, the assembly that sheds water at the surface while the underside dries between rain events. Western red cedar carries natural extractives that resist decay.
What Cedar Shake Roofing Do We Provide?

Newark Quality Roofing provides 4 cedar shake roofing services across Essex County: new cedar shake installation, cedar shake repair and shake replacement, the ventilated interlayment deck system, and preservative and cleaning maintenance — for residential and select commercial properties. Cedar shake roofing installs hand-split western red cedar over an air-spaced deck, the assembly that sheds water at the surface while the underside dries between rain events.
Cedar shake roofing lasts 20 to 40 years, per the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau, against the single "Wood" service life of 25 years on the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart, because moisture management, not the cedar itself, sets the lifespan. A cedar shake roof needs at least 1.5 inches of air space beneath the shakes for drying, and north-facing and shaded slopes degrade faster, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau and NRCA guidance, so a Newark Quality Roofing cedar shake installation builds the ventilation path before the first course.
- Cedar shake installation — Cedar shake installation lays hand-split western red cedar that lasts 20 to 40 years, per the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau, over an air-spaced deck with stainless-steel fasteners that match the cedar service life.
- Cedar shake repair and shake replacement — Cedar shake repair replaces individual cupped, split, and cracked shakes, the moisture-cycling failure mode that drives most premature cedar wear, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau guidance, with the NJ cost range named in the cost section.
- Ventilated interlayment deck system — The ventilated interlayment deck system holds at least 1.5 inches of air space beneath the shakes for underside drying, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau guidance, because trapped moisture causes most cedar shake decay.
- Cedar preservative and cleaning maintenance — Cedar preservative and cleaning maintenance clears moss and debris and reapplies treatment, the upkeep that runs roughly $0.15 to $0.60 per square foot every few years, per HomeGuide cost data, and extends cedar shake service life.
How Do You Know If You Need Cedar Shake Roofing?




- Cupped, curled, and split cedar shakes across the roof indicate advanced moisture-cycling degradation, the dominant cedar failure mode, and full replacement favors a roof with cupping or splitting across more than 25 to 30% of the shakes, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau and industry guidance.
- A shake that cracks under light bending fails the flex test, the InterNACHI indicator of advanced cedar degradation regardless of the surface appearance, per the InterNACHI roof inspection guidance.
- Deep moss and lichen growth prying the shake edges apart retains moisture against the wood and accelerates rot, the moisture-driven decay that causes most premature cedar shake failure, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau guidance.
- A cedar shake roof at or past its 20-to-40-year service life signals replacement, because the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau rates cedar shake at 20 to 40 years and the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart lists wood roofing at 25 years.
- Deck or sheathing decay beneath cupped shakes across more than 15% of the roof area crosses the structural threshold that favors replacement over selective shake repair, per industry repair-versus-replace guidance.
- Brown or yellow ceiling and wall stains that spread after rainfall indicate an active roof leak or trapped attic moisture beneath the cedar field, per GAF and This Old House inspection guidance.
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How Do Our Roofing Contractors Perform Cedar Shake Roofing?

Newark Quality Roofing contractors build the ventilation path first, setting the deck and interlayment so at least 1.5 inches of air space sits beneath the cedar shakes for underside drying. Trapped moisture causes most premature cedar shake decay, and north-facing and shaded slopes degrade faster, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau and NRCA guidance, so a Newark Quality Roofing cedar shake assembly spaces the deck and lays a breathable interlayment between courses to dry the underside between rain events. The NRCA and ARMA size attic ventilation at 1 square foot of net-free vent area per 150 square feet of attic floor, and balanced ventilation extends roof service life by up to 25%, per the NRCA.
Newark Quality Roofing hand-grades and installs each cedar shake with stainless-steel fasteners and corrosion-resistant flashing that match the 20-to-40-year cedar service life. Hand-split western red cedar varies in thickness and grain within a single graded bundle, so a Newark Quality Roofing installer sorts the thicker shakes to the eave courses and fastens with stainless-steel nails set to accommodate the wood movement that Essex County humidity and the average January low near 25.5°F drive, per NOAA 1991–2020 normals at Newark Liberty (EWR). Newark Quality Roofing sources cedar shakes graded to Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau standards.
What Residential Cedar Shake Roofing Do We Provide?
Newark Quality Roofing installs and repairs cedar shake roofs across Essex County, re-roofing detached one- and two-family homes with hand-split western red cedar and no construction permit required for the roof covering. A complete tear-off and replacement of the roof covering on a detached one- and two-family dwelling counts as ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 and requires no construction permit, no inspection, and no notice to the construction official, per the NJ Uniform Construction Code, while a structural change to rafters or trusses still triggers a permit.
A Newark Quality Roofing cedar shake replacement strips the existing covering to the deck, because the NJ Rehabilitation Subcode requires complete removal of a wood-shake, slate, or tile covering rather than a recover-over, per N.J.A.C. 5:23-6.4. A Newark Quality Roofing cedar maintenance schedule clears moss and debris and reapplies preservative at roughly $0.15 to $0.60 per square foot every few years, per HomeGuide cost data, and a Newark Quality Roofing crew contains debris and runs a magnet sweep for nails before leaving the property.

What Commercial Cedar Shake Roofing Do We Provide?
Newark Quality Roofing installs cedar shake roofing on commercial sloped roofs across Essex County, applying fire-treated cedar shakes graded to Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau standards where occupancy fire ratings apply. Untreated cedar shakes are nonclassified for fire under UL 790 and ASTM E108, while pressure-impregnated fire-retardant cedar shakes carry a Class B or Class C rating, and a Class A wood roof is reached only as a component assembly of Class B fire-retardant shakes over a fire-retardant cap sheet, per the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau Certi-Guard program and the NJ Uniform Construction Code.
On a commercial building, repairing more than 25% of the total roof area in a 12-month period requires a permit under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, per the NJ Uniform Construction Code, and a cedar-shake covering triggers complete removal rather than a recover-over under N.J.A.C. 5:23-6.4. A Newark Quality Roofing commercial cedar maintenance schedule clears moss and debris and reapplies preservative on the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau drying-driven cadence, because moisture against the wood causes most cedar shake decay.

What Are the Steps in Our Cedar Shake Roofing Process?

- Inspection and Cedar Assessment
A Newark Quality Roofing technician inspects the cedar field and the deck, applies the flex test for advanced degradation per InterNACHI guidance, and sizes the cupped-and-split share against the 25-to-30% replacement threshold, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau guidance.
- Written Estimate and Cedar Grade Selection
A Newark Quality Roofing written estimate sets the scope, labor, materials, and timeline and selects hand-split western red cedar graded to Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau standards before any work begins, per Integrity Home Exteriors documentation guidance.
- Tear-Off and Deck Repair
A Newark Quality Roofing crew strips the existing covering to the bare deck and replaces deteriorated sheathing, with complete removal of a wood-shake, slate, or tile covering required by N.J.A.C. 5:23-6.4 rather than a recover-over.
- Ventilated Interlayment and Shake Installation
A Newark Quality Roofing crew lays the breathable interlayment for at least 1.5 inches of underside air space, then hand-grades and fastens each cedar shake with stainless-steel nails at the spacing that accommodates wood movement, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau guidance.
- Flashing, Ridge, and Hip Detailing
A Newark Quality Roofing crew integrates corrosion-resistant flashing at valleys, penetrations, and transitions and woven ridge and hip caps during the shake coursing, matching the flashing service life to the 20-to-40-year cedar, per Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau guidance.
- Verification, Cleanup, and Preservative Treatment
A Newark Quality Roofing lead verifies watertight execution, runs a magnet sweep for nails at cleanup, and applies the initial preservative and UV treatment that opens the maintenance cadence, per Integrity Home Exteriors verification and Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau maintenance guidance.
How Much Does Cedar Shake Roofing Cost?
Cedar Shake Roofing cost in Essex County, NJ runs $10–$20+ per square foot installed for cedar shake, with the cost factors below setting where a given job lands in that range.
Typical Price Range
$10–$20+ per square foot installed for cedar shake
Cost Factors:
- Premium cedar shake installs at $10–$20 or more per square foot in New Jersey, per NHI Contractors NJ pricing.
- Cedar shake repair costs $400–$1,800, with small repairs $100–$400 and larger repairs $1,000 or more, per Angi and HomeGuide cost data.
- Cedar preservative and cleaning maintenance runs $0.15–$0.60 per square foot every few years, per HomeGuide cost data.
- Tear-off adds cost, because N.J.A.C. 5:23-6.4 requires complete removal of a wood-shake covering rather than a recover-over, per the NJ Rehabilitation Subcode.
- NJ ranges sit 10–40% above national figures because of higher labor and stricter NJ code, per regional cost guidance.
A free written estimate confirms the exact figure for a specific roof before any work begins.

Why Choose Our Roofing Company for Cedar Shake Roofing?
Newark Quality Roofing holds New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor registration, the credential the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs requires of every NJ roofing contractor.
Newark Quality Roofing carries liability coverage, the insurance the Contractors Registration Act requires of a registered New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor.
Newark Quality Roofing sources cedar shakes graded to Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau standards and builds the ventilated deck assembly that holds at least 1.5 inches of underside air space for drying.
Newark Quality Roofing installs and repairs cedar shake roofs across Essex County, covering Newark, East Orange, Bloomfield, Montclair, Belleville, and Irvington, Monday–Friday 7:00 AM–6:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM–2:00 PM.
What Questions Do Customers Ask About Cedar Shake Roofing?
How long does a cedar shake roof last in New Jersey?
What is the difference between cedar shakes and regular wood shakes?
How much does cedar shake roofing cost in Essex County, NJ?
Do you need a permit for a cedar shake roof in Newark, NJ?
Can individual cedar shakes be repaired without replacing the whole roof?
How do you maintain a cedar shake roof in the New Jersey climate?
Does a cedar shake roof meet New Jersey fire code?
What Knowledge Base Articles Explain This Service?
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