Federal Way and South King County

Cedar Shake Roofing in Federal Way, WA

Cedar shake installation, re-roofing, and moss-driven shake replacement for Federal Way's older housing stock — built around the maintenance cadence this material actually needs in a wet PNW climate.

Typical range: $800–$1,400 roofing square (100 sq ft) installed

Call (253) 652-5284

Cedar Shake Roofing underway on a property in Federal Way, WA

Full tear-off, not a cover-up

Permit pulled on every job

Written price before work starts

Never a damaging pressure wash

Old roofing hauled away

Last updated: 2026-08-26

Federal Way Roofing is a roofing company serving Federal Way and South King County, and cedar shake roofing is one of the services we handle most. This page covers what the work involves here specifically — the climate, the code, and what it costs — rather than what it involves in general.

What we do on the first visit

The first visit is an inspection, not a sales call. We walk the roof with you, check the deck from the attic side where we can, count valleys and penetrations, and note the pitch and how much staging or safety equipment the job needs. We confirm whether any prior layers are on the roof already — code allows a maximum of two before a full tear-off is required — and then you get a written per-square price with tear-off and any deck repair as separate lines.

If we think repair is the better spend than replacement, or a different material suits your situation better, we say so on that visit — including when it means the smaller job for us.

What's included

On-site inspection and a written per-square price before any work starts
Full tear-off to the deck where a re-roof is needed, with sheathing spacing corrected to current shake-installation spec
Premium-grade cedar shakes selected for this region's moisture exposure, not a budget grade prone to early splitting
Breathable underlayment system designed for shake roofs, not a solid membrane that traps moisture against the wood
Proper shake spacing and exposure for drainage and ventilation under the shakes themselves
Flashing, valleys, and ridge detailing installed to manufacturer and code spec
A King County or Federal Way reroofing permit pulled as part of the job
A maintenance schedule recommendation calibrated to this area's moss/algae pressure, not a generic national interval

What this costs in Federal Way

Cedar Shake Roofing runs $800–$1,400 roofing square (100 sq ft) installed in this area. Reconciled from regional contractor-published ranges for cedar shake material and labor in the Puget Sound area — see the cost guide for the full breakdown. The things that move a job up its range are tear-off, how much deck repair is needed, pitch, and how many valleys and penetrations your roof has. If you want a number before you call, the roof cost calculator will get you close.

When it needs doing

Individual shakes cupping, splitting, or curling
Moss visibly lifting shakes or growing between them
Dark streaking or soft, spongy-feeling shakes underfoot
Roof is original to a home built before the 1990s and has had minimal maintenance
HOA covenant requires cedar or wood-look roofing and current roof is failing
Considering a switch away from cedar due to maintenance burden

DIY patch, the cheapest bid, or the job done properly

	DIY weekend	Cheapest bid	Done properly
Moss removal	Pressure washer — strips granules, drives water under tabs	Quick scrape, no treatment applied	Gentle hand/brush removal plus treatment, gutters cleared
Material grade	Bargain shingle off the shelf, no algae resistance	Standard grade, warranty terms rarely disclosed	Algae-resistant or premium-grade material with a real warranty, disclosed in writing
Underlayment	Whatever’s left over, felt paper reused	Minimum-code synthetic underlayment	High-wind-rated synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water membrane at eaves and valleys
Deck check	Not considered	Skipped unless asked	Checked from the attic side where access allows, repaired if moss has reached it
Permit	Often skipped	Sometimes skipped	Pulled and inspected every time
If it fails	Your weekend, again, now with a worse leak	Chasing a phone number that stopped working	We come back and fix it

How it works

How cedar shake roofing runs

01
Free on-site inspection
We walk the roof, check individual shakes for splitting and cupping, and assess how much moss has already gotten under the shake layer.
02
Permit and material order
We pull the permit and order premium-grade cedar shakes suited to this climate's moisture exposure.
03
Tear-off and install (or selective shake replacement)
Full re-roof where warranted, or targeted shake replacement if the roof is still within its useful life — we tell you honestly which applies.
04
Inspection and maintenance plan
Final inspection, cleanup, and a maintenance-interval recommendation so you're not caught off guard by how fast PNW moss works on cedar.

Get a free cedar shake roofing estimate

A real person answers. We walk the roof with you, check the deck, and give you a written per-square price — at no charge and with no pressure.

Call (253) 652-5284

Questions

Cedar Shake Roofing questions

How long does a cedar shake roof actually last in Western Washington?

With routine maintenance — moss treatment every 1-2 years rather than the 3-5 years often recommended in drier climates — a cedar shake roof can reach 30+ years. Left unmaintained, PNW moss can cut that to 15-20 years by trapping moisture against the wood and lifting shakes.

Should I treat the moss or replace the roof?

If the shakes themselves are still structurally sound and the damage is mostly surface moss, treatment and selective shake replacement is usually the better spend. If a large share of shakes are cupped, split, or rotted, a full re-roof stops you from paying for repeated treatments on a roof that's already failing. We'll tell you which situation you're in.

Does my HOA require cedar shake?

Some South King County HOAs, especially in older established neighborhoods, specify wood-look or cedar roofing in their covenants. Worth confirming with your HOA before choosing a different material — we can work with whatever your HOA requires.

Is cedar shake worth the higher cost compared to asphalt shingle?

It depends on your priorities — cedar costs more upfront and needs more frequent moss maintenance, but many older Federal Way homes were designed around its look, and some HOAs require it. See our material comparison guide for the full cost and maintenance tradeoff.

Do you charge for an estimate?

No. Estimates are free across Federal Way and South King County, including the drive. We walk the roof with you, check the deck from the attic side where we can, and hand you a written per-square price with tear-off and any deck repair broken out as their own lines.

Also worth a look

Related services

Asphalt Shingle Roofing

Architectural and composition shingle roof installation and replacement for Federal Way homes — rated for PNW wind and rain, with moss/algae-resistant options and a written per-square price.

Roof Moss & Algae Treatment

Gentle moss removal and algae treatment for Federal Way roofs — the single most common roofing problem in this climate, handled in a way that extends your roof's life instead of damaging it.

Roof Replacement

Full tear-off roof replacement for Federal Way and South King County homes and businesses — asphalt shingle, cedar shake, flat/low-slope, or metal, matched to your roof and budget, with a written price before any work starts.