Composite shake sits at the upper end of residential roofing, and most homeowners asking about it are weighing it against a cedar replacement rather than against asphalt. This is what actually drives the number, and how to read a quote.
One thing first: we are not going to publish a price per square foot and call it your price. Roof pricing that ignores your roof is marketing, not a quote. What follows is the range the market sits in and the factors that move you within it.
The range
Published industry figures for composite tile put installed cost in the region of $12 to $20 per square foot depending on the profile specified. Composite shake products across the category as a whole are quoted more broadly, roughly $6 to $18 per square foot installed, which reflects a wide spread of brands and qualities.
For a Lower Mainland home that generally lands composite in the same territory as a good cedar roof, and meaningfully above architectural asphalt. Where it separates from cedar is over time rather than at installation.
What moves your number
Roughly in order of how much difference they make:
- Roof area and complexity. Not square footage alone. Hips, valleys, dormers and multiple planes all add cut waste and labour. Two roofs of identical area can differ substantially if one is a simple gable and the other has six dormers.
- Pitch and access. A steep roof needs staging and slows everything down. A house set back behind mature trees, or on a lane with no room for a truck, costs more to work on than one with a flat driveway.
- Tear-off. Removing and disposing of the existing roof is real cost, and heavier existing material costs more to take away. Cedar tear-off generates a lot of waste volume.
- Deck condition. The one genuine unknown until the old roof comes off. Rotten or delaminated sheathing has to be replaced for the new system to perform.
- The rest of the assembly. Underlayment, ventilation, flashing, ridge and starter. This is where cheap quotes get cheap, and it is also part of what determines the fire rating of the finished assembly.
Comparing quotes without getting caught out
If you collect three quotes for a composite roof, they will not be directly comparable unless you make them so. Ask each contractor to state:
- The exact product and profile, not just "composite shake"
- The full assembly — underlayment, ventilation, flashing detail — and the fire rating it achieves
- Whether tear-off and disposal are included
- How deck replacement is priced, and whether it is a fixed rate per sheet agreed in advance
- The manufacturer warranty and the workmanship warranty, separately, in writing
That last one catches people out constantly. A "50-year warranty" on a quote usually refers to the manufacturer's material warranty, which covers the tile and is granted by the manufacturer, not the roofer. The workmanship warranty on the installation is a different document with a different term. Ours is 10 years on shingle, metal and shake, set out on our warranty page.
Whole-life cost
Composite is expensive to install and cheap to own. Cedar is expensive to install and carries a recurring maintenance cost — cleaning, moss control, treatment — across a service life that in this climate is often 20 to 30 years rather than the 40 people hope for.
Over a long enough horizon the comparison changes shape. If you plan to sell in three years, the up-front number is what matters and asphalt is hard to argue with. If this is the house you intend to stay in, a 50-year limited manufacturer warranty and no maintenance cycle is a different proposition.
It is worth being honest that this argument only works if you actually stay. Whole-life cost is a real consideration, not a closing technique.
Is it worth it?
Composite makes sense when at least one of these is true:
- The house was designed for cedar and you want to keep that character
- You need or want a Class A rated assembly — see our piece on BC fire rules and cedar
- You are staying long enough for the maintenance saving to accumulate
- You have had a cedar roof before and do not want to manage another one
If none of those apply, a well-installed architectural asphalt roof is the sensible answer and we will tell you so. We would rather quote you the right roof than the expensive one.
Getting an actual number
Our instant estimate tool gives you a ballpark from your address in about a minute. A real number requires someone on the roof: we inspect, photograph what we find, and issue a fixed-price written quote, with any deck replacement priced per sheet in advance so there is no surprise after tear-off.
More on the product itself is on our Brava composite shake page, including the colour range and the project we completed in West Vancouver.
Common questions
How much does a Brava composite shake roof cost?
Published industry figures put installed composite tile in the region of $12 to $20 per square foot depending on the profile, with composite shake across the category quoted more broadly at roughly $6 to $18 per square foot installed. For a Lower Mainland home that is generally comparable to a good cedar roof and above architectural asphalt. Your actual price depends on roof area and complexity, pitch, access, tear-off, deck condition and the assembly specified, so it needs an on-site inspection.
Is composite shake cheaper than cedar?
Installed cost is broadly comparable. The difference shows up over time: cedar carries a recurring maintenance cost for cleaning, moss control and treatment, and in the coastal BC climate often lasts 20 to 30 years. Composite requires no treatment and carries a 50-year limited manufacturer warranty.
Does the 50-year warranty come from the roofer?
No. The 50-year limited warranty is the manufacturer's and covers the material on its own terms, including registration and transfer conditions. The workmanship warranty covering the installation is separate and comes from the contractor. Stonnex provides 10 years on shingle, metal and shake, and 5 years on torch-on and flat systems.
What makes one composite roof quote higher than another?
Usually the assembly rather than the tile. Underlayment, ventilation, flashing detail, whether tear-off and disposal are included, and how deck replacement is priced all vary between quotes. Ask each contractor to state the full assembly and the fire rating it achieves, otherwise you are comparing different roofs.
What happens if you find rotten sheathing after tear-off?
Roof decks are hidden until the old roof comes off. We price deck replacement in the quote in advance at a fixed rate per sheet, photograph what we find, and get written approval before installing any of it. Nothing else on the quote changes.
Thinking about a composite or cedar roof?
We inspect the roof, photograph what we find, and give you a written fixed-price quote. No cost, no obligation. Call 604-935-6976 or see our Brava composite shake page.