Cedar shingles
Sawn on both faces for a neat, even look. A cedar shingle roof suits a Colonial Revival, a Cape or any house that wants a tidy, uniform surface, and published guides give cedar roofs 30 to 40 years.
Serving Middlesex County
Cedar Shake and Wood Shingle Roofing in Newton
Repair, cleaning and replacement of cedar and wood shingle roofs on historic and period houses around Newton and Lexington.
- Roof repair and full replacement
- Ice dams, leaks and storm damage
- Connected to an independent local roofer
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Cedar Shake
Cedar Shake and Wood Shingle Roofing: what it covers
Quick answer
Cedar shake and wood shingle roofs still cover historic buildings around Greater Boston, and published guides give cedar 30 to 40 years. The damp climate is hard on them, so moss, rot and split shingles are the usual jobs. Newton Roofing connects Middlesex County callers with an independent local roofer who handles wood.
Wood was the first roof of New England, and it has not quite disappeared. In April 2025 a Community Preservation Act project in Lexington was replacing the decaying pine shingle roof on the Hancock-Clarke House with cedar shingles, a reminder that the people who look after the region's oldest buildings still choose wood when the building calls for it.
Most homeowners are not caring for a landmark, but the same questions apply. Is the roof worn out or only dirty? Can a patch of bad shingles be cut out without disturbing the rest? Does a historic commission have a say in what goes back on? A cedar roof that is looked after can go a long time, and one that is ignored can go soft in a handful of winters.
Newton Roofing is a call line that connects you with an independent local roofer. You describe the roof, say what you can see from the ground and give your town, and the line puts you through to someone who serves it. Ring (833) 751-2102 and ask for a roofer who works on cedar, because not every crew does.
- Service area
- Newton & Middlesex County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Why does moss and algae gather on a cedar roof here?
Cedar holds moisture, and around Boston the climate is damp: annual precipitation is roughly 46 inches, spread fairly evenly through the year. Shade from mature trees keeps the surface wet longer. One third-party material guide links moss and algae on cedar to this kind of climate, so treat it as a tendency to watch for.
The numbers behind that are modest. Roughly 46 inches of precipitation a year, with snowfall averaging about 43.8 inches in Boston, means a wood roof here is wet a good part of the year and has to dry between events. Slopes that face north or sit under a canopy dry slowest.
Cleaning helps, but it is not a cure. If the wood is already soft, cleaning removes the growth and leaves the problem. Ask the roofer to press a few shingles and tell you what they find.
How long does a cedar roof last?
Published guides give cedar 30 to 40 years, against 20 to 30 for asphalt and 75 to 100 or more for slate. These are third-party figures, and a wood roof in shade or with poor attic ventilation can fall short of them. A roofer who inspects it can say how much life is left.
A wood roof ages differently from an asphalt one. The surface weathers from honey-brown to silver-grey, and that colour change is normal. What matters is whether the shingle is still thick, flat and dry.
The roof lifespan guide compares cedar, asphalt and slate side by side and explains how freeze-thaw and snow load affect each.
Does a historic commission have a say in my cedar roof?
It can. Lexington has a Historic Districts Commission covering the Battle Green and Hancock-Clarke districts, and Newton Upper Falls, Brookline, Cambridge and Weston have protected areas too. In a local historic district, exterior changes such as re-roofing may need review before work, so check with the commission before you choose a material.
Lexington's example is instructive. The Hancock-Clarke House roof was replaced with cedar shingles as a Community Preservation Act project, in a district with its own commission. Outside the districts, a standard Lexington building permit applies for full replacements.
A homeowner in a historic area should ask three questions: does the commission need to review the work, which materials will it approve, and does it need to see samples. Answers vary by town and by street.
Warning signs
Signs you need cedar shake and wood shingle roofing
Do not pressure-wash a cedar roof or climb on one to scrub it. High-pressure water drives into the wood and splits shingles, and wet or mossy wood is slick underfoot. Do not pull up loose shingles to look underneath. Call and describe what you see from the ground.
- Green or black growth spreading across the shaded slopes, especially under trees or on the north side of a roof
- Shingles that are split down the grain, curled at the butt or lifting at the corners
- Soft or spongy patches where you can see dark, crumbling wood from the ground
- A roof with an uneven, patchy surface where some courses look new and silver while others are dark
- Daylight or damp showing on the underside of the roof boards in the attic
- A silvery-grey weathered look that has turned to a rough, fuzzy surface and thin edges
- Nails rusting and staining the shingles with orange streaks, or flashing at a chimney or dormer that has pulled away
- Gutters full of small wood fragments or tar-coloured grit after a storm
Our process
How our cedar shake and wood shingle roofing visit works
Look at the surface and the underside
The roofer checks the exposed face of the shingles, then looks at the underside of the roof boards from the attic. Wood that is dry underneath and only dirty on top is a very different job from wood that is damp all the way through.
Clean and treat where the wood is sound
Moss and algae are removed by hand and by treatment, avoiding anything that would drive water into the wood. One third-party material guide ties moss and algae on cedar to the damp climate, so treat that as a general tendency rather than a rule.
Replace damaged shingles
Split, curled or rotted shingles are lifted out and new ones are slid in and fastened. Mixing in new cedar leaves a visible patchwork for a season or two, then it weathers in.
Redo the flashing and the valleys
Copper or other metal flashing at chimneys, dormers and valleys is checked and replaced where it has failed. On a wood roof it is the metal, as much as the shingles, that keeps water out.
Strip and re-roof when the field is spent
When the wood has gone soft across the whole slope, the roof comes down to the boards, the boards are repaired and a new cedar or approved alternative is laid over breathable underlayment.
Options
Types and options for cedar shake and wood shingle roofing
Cedar shakes
Split rather than sawn, so each piece is thicker and rougher. Shakes give a heavier, more textured look and are often chosen for Craftsman and rustic houses. The same published figure of 30 to 40 years is used for cedar generally.
Wood-look and alternative roofs
Where a house is in a local historic district, a commission may allow something other than wood. Brookline's guidelines allow wood roofs to be replaced with asphalt, and Cambridge approved architectural shingles for a historic house in one case. Ask first, because the rule differs by district.
Cost
How much does cedar shake and wood shingle roofing cost in Newton?
Cedar is priced by the area of the roof, the pitch, whether the old wood is cleaned and kept or taken off, and the species and grade of the new shingles. Published cost guides do not give a reliable local figure for wood, so the written quote after an inspection is the only number to rely on.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Moss and algae cleaning and treatment | Quoted by roof area | Depends on how much of the roof is covered and how easily it can be reached |
| Replacement of damaged shingles | Quoted per area of repair | Matching age and colour to the surrounding wood affects the work |
| Flashing replacement at chimneys, dormers and valleys | Quoted per detail | Copper and other metals are priced differently |
| Full strip and re-roof in cedar | Quoted after inspection | Deck repairs found once the old wood is off are priced separately |
| Building permit for a full replacement | Set by the town or city | Check your own building department's fee schedule |
These are cost drivers, not prices. Your exact price is set in a written quote and confirmed on site before any work starts.
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If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent cedar shake and wood shingle roofing, send the form and we'll call you back.
Middlesex County
Why cedar shake and wood shingle roofing is different in Greater Boston
Lexington's historic centre is the best-known place in the area where wood shingle roofs survive. Beyond the districts, most roofs in town are likely asphalt shingle, which is a general pattern rather than a count, so an owner with cedar on a house in Lexington is looking after something less common than it used to be.
Weston has one Local Historic District, ten National Register districts, 26 historic areas and seven houses on the National Register of Historic Places, and larger houses on bigger lots often have complex roofs with many valleys, dormers and chimneys. That raises the flashing work on any wood roof there.
Wooded lots in Weston, Lincoln and Wellesley shade roofs and drop leaves and needles that hold moisture against wood. If the gutters are overflowing, see gutter installation and repair, and if the question is whether to move to a different material, the asphalt shingle page covers the alternatives a commission is more likely to accept.
Related
Related services
Slate Roof Repair and Replacement
Repair of cracked and slipped slates, copper valleys and flashing on historic Newton, Brookline and Chestnut Hill houses.
Roof Repair
Targeted shingle, valley and flashing repairs on older Newton houses where a full replacement is not yet the answer.
Roof Flashing Repair
Repairing the metal that seals wall-to-roof joints, dormers, valleys and pipe penetrations on older Newton-area houses.
Roof Inspection and Condition Report
A roofer's written look at decking, flashing, ventilation and remaining life, for buyers of older houses and owners weighing repair against replacement.
Where we work
Cedar Shake and Wood Shingle Roofing across Middlesex County
- Cedar Shake in West Newton & Newtonville
- Cedar Shake in Waban & Newton Highlands
- Cedar Shake in Newton Corner & Nonantum
- Cedar Shake in Newton Upper Falls
- Cedar Shake in Newton Centre & Chestnut Hill
- Cedar Shake in Auburndale & Newton Lower Falls
- Cedar Shake in Watertown
- Cedar Shake in Waltham
- Cedar Shake in Brighton & Allston
- Cedar Shake in Needham (incl. Needham Heights)
- Cedar Shake in Belmont (incl. Waverley)
- Cedar Shake in Wellesley (incl. Wellesley Hills & Babson Park)
- Cedar Shake in Brookline
- Cedar Shake in West Roxbury (Boston)
- Cedar Shake in Weston
- Cedar Shake in Jamaica Plain (Boston)
- Cedar Shake in Roslindale (Boston)
- Cedar Shake in Cambridge
- Cedar Shake in Arlington
- Cedar Shake in Somerville
- Cedar Shake in Lexington
- Cedar Shake in Lincoln
- Cedar Shake in Natick
- Cedar Shake in Dedham
- Cedar Shake in Framingham
- Cedar Shake in Walpole
- Cedar Shake in Billerica
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
How Long Does a Roof Last in Massachusetts?
Published guides give asphalt shingles 20 to 30 years, cedar 30 to 40 and slate 75 to 100 or more.
FAQ
Cedar Shake and Wood Shingle Roofing FAQs
Is cedar shake roofing still used around Boston?
Yes, mainly on historic and period houses. A Community Preservation Act project in Lexington in April 2025 replaced the decaying pine shingle roof on the Hancock-Clarke House with cedar shingles. Many other roofs in the area are asphalt, but wood remains an option where the house calls for it.
How can I tell whether my cedar roof needs cleaning or replacing?
Look at whether the shingles are still flat, thick and firm. Moss and green growth on sound wood is a cleaning job; split, curled or soft wood is not. A roofer should press a sample of shingles and check the underside from the attic before saying which you have.
Can I put asphalt over a cedar roof?
That is a question for a roofer and, in a historic district, for the commission. Brookline's guidelines allow wood roofs to be replaced with asphalt, but every district differs. The old wood usually has to be inspected and often removed first, so ask for the plan in writing.
Does a cedar roof need regular treatment?
Wood in a damp climate benefits from checking for moss, algae and splitting, and the roofer can say what treatment suits your roof. Do not use harsh chemicals or high-pressure washing without advice, since either can damage the wood or the metal flashing around it.
Do I need a permit to replace cedar shingles?
A full roof replacement needs a building permit in Newton, and other towns publish their own rules. In a local historic district the commission may also want to review the work. Repair of a few shingles is treated differently, so ask your building department before you start.
Who looks at the roof and how soon?
An independent local roofer, when one is free. The season and storm calls decide how soon. No arrival time can be promised. Tell the call line the roof is cedar so you are matched with a roofer who works on wood.