# Cedar Shake: Restore or Replace on an Older Everett Home? | Roofing Everett WA

> How to decide between restoring and fully replacing an original cedar shake roof on a century-old Everett home in Riverside, Bayside, or North Everett.

URL: https://roofingeverettwa.com/guide/cedar-shake-restore-vs-replace-older-homes/

Restoration makes sense when the majority of shakes and the original deck are still structurally sound, with only isolated splitting or cupping. Full replacement is the honest answer when a large share of shakes are compromised, the deck shows rot, or the roof has gone many years without any maintenance.

Century-old cedar shake roofs are common across Riverside, Bayside, and North Everett, and the restore-vs-replace question comes up constantly on these properties — the right answer depends on genuine inspection, not a default assumption either way.

## What favors restoration

- **Most shakes are still flat and intact**, with only isolated splitting, cupping, or missing pieces
- **The original deck (often skip-sheathing) is structurally sound**, confirmed from the attic side
- **The roof has had reasonably regular maintenance** rather than decades of complete neglect
- **You want to preserve the home's original historic character** as closely as possible, which restoration does inherently

## What favors full replacement

- **A large share of shakes are compromised** — splitting, cupping, or missing across most of the roof rather than isolated areas
- **The deck shows rot or structural damage**, which restoration alone won't fix
- **The roof has gone many years without maintenance**, often meaning cumulative damage beyond what spot-restoration addresses
- **The piecemeal cost of restoring enough individual shakes approaches full replacement cost anyway**

## How we make the call

At the inspection, we assess what share of the existing shake is genuinely restorable versus already compromised, and check the deck condition from the attic side where access allows — see our [guide to century-home roof-deck problems](/guide/century-home-roof-deck-problems-riverside/) for what we typically find on homes this age. We give you an honest number for both paths so you can compare, rather than defaulting to whichever is the bigger job.

## If your property is in a Historic Overlay Zone

Properties in Rucker-Grand, Norton-Grand, or Riverside may face design review on material and profile if full replacement is the right call — see our [historic overlay zone guide](/guide/historic-overlay-zone-roof-permit-everett/) for what that involves. Restoration using matching original material generally faces less scrutiny than a full material change.

## The bottom line

Neither restoration nor replacement is automatically the "right" answer for a century-old cedar shake roof — it depends on genuine, attic-side-informed assessment of what's actually still sound. Call for a free inspection and we'll tell you plainly which path makes sense for your specific roof.

## FAQ

**Is restoration always cheaper than replacement?**

Usually, yes, when it's a genuine option — but if enough individual shakes need replacing, the labor cost of piecemeal restoration can approach what a full re-roof would cost, at which point replacement is the more sensible spend.

**Does restoring preserve the home's historic character better than replacing?**

Generally yes, since it keeps the original material rather than introducing new. If replacement becomes necessary, matching material and profile to Historic Overlay Zone guidelines (where applicable) achieves a similar visual result.

**Can the original skip-sheathing deck stay in place either way?**

Usually yes for cedar shake specifically, since it benefits from that ventilation — this is different from switching to a material like asphalt shingle, which typically needs a solid deck added.