Asphalt vs Cedar — The Real Cost Comparison for BC
Cedar is beautiful and asphalt is practical, but the honest comparison is not just the install price. It is the maintenance, the lifespan, and the cost per year of service in our wet climate. Here is how the numbers really stack up, and the option many homeowners land on instead. From Paragon Roofing BC, family owned since 2010.
When homeowners ask us whether to go asphalt or cedar, they usually start by comparing the install price. That is the wrong number to fixate on. The real comparison is total cost over the life of the roof, which means install cost plus maintenance over the years divided by how long the roof actually lasts. In our wet Lower Mainland climate that calculation looks very different from a dry region, because cedar demands real ongoing care here. Let us walk through it honestly, including the option a lot of homeowners choose once they see the full picture.
Asphalt: lower cost, predictable, practical
Asphalt shingles are the most affordable roof to install and the most common on Lower Mainland homes. A quality architectural asphalt shingle gives a good looking, durable roof with a sensible lifespan and very little ongoing maintenance beyond keeping it clean and the gutters clear. The cost is predictable, the install is straightforward for an experienced crew, and the product range runs from basic to premium so you can match budget to expectations. For most homeowners, asphalt is the practical baseline that everything else gets compared against.
Cedar: beautiful, but high maintenance here
A real cedar roof is genuinely beautiful and suits character and heritage homes in a way nothing else quite matches. The honest problem is our climate. Cedar costs more to install than asphalt to begin with, and in the wet, shaded conditions common across the Lower Mainland it grows moss, holds moisture, and needs regular maintenance, cleaning and treatment, to reach its potential lifespan. Skip the maintenance and cedar fails early. Keep up the maintenance and you are spending money every few years on top of the higher install cost. That ongoing spend is what most homeowners do not factor in when they look only at the install quote.
The real cost comparison
| Factor | Asphalt Shingle | Real Cedar Shake |
|---|---|---|
| Install cost | Lower | Higher |
| Ongoing maintenance | Minimal | Regular cleaning and treatment |
| Moss in our climate | Resists, easy to clean | Prone, feeds growth |
| Lifespan factor | Predictable | Shorter here without upkeep |
| Look | Good to premium | Beautiful, natural character |
| Cost per year of service | Low and predictable | Higher once upkeep is counted |
| Best fit | Most homes, value focused | Heritage and character homes, willing to maintain |
The option many homeowners choose instead
Once homeowners see the full cost of real cedar over time, a lot of them pivot to a third option: synthetic cedar shake. Products like Enviroshake, DaVinci, and Brava give you the cedar look without the cedar maintenance. They do not feed moss, they will not rot, and they carry long warranties, so you get the character of cedar with a cost per year of service that often beats real wood once you account for the upkeep cedar demands here. It is a premium roof up front, more than asphalt, but for homeowners who love the cedar look and plan to keep the home, it frequently makes the most sense in our climate.
Which one is right for you
The honest summary is this. Compare cost per year of service, not the install quote, and remember that in our climate real cedar carries real ongoing costs that asphalt and synthetic do not. For most homeowners we recommend either a quality architectural asphalt shingle for value, or synthetic cedar shake if you want the cedar look without the maintenance. We install all of these with our own in house crew and will give you the real numbers for your roof so you can decide. See our asphalt shingle, cedar shake, and composite roofing pages, or our cedar conversion service.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on maintenance. Asphalt is cheaper to install and needs very little upkeep, so its cost per year of service is low and predictable. Real cedar costs more up front and, in our wet climate, needs regular cleaning and treatment to reach its lifespan. Once you count that ongoing spend, asphalt is usually cheaper over time, and synthetic cedar often beats real cedar on cost per year while keeping the look.
Our wet, shaded conditions are hard on real wood. Cedar holds moisture and feeds moss and growth, which shortens its life if left alone. Keeping cedar healthy here means regular cleaning and treatment, which is a real recurring cost. This is the single biggest reason many Lower Mainland homeowners move away from real cedar.
For most homeowners, a quality architectural asphalt shingle is the best blend of cost, durability, and low maintenance. If you specifically want the cedar look, synthetic cedar shake is usually the better long term value than real wood in our climate, because it avoids the maintenance while keeping the appearance and carrying long warranties.
Yes. Synthetic cedar shake products such as Enviroshake, DaVinci, and Brava are engineered to look like cedar while resisting moss and rot and needing virtually no upkeep. They cost more up front than asphalt, but for homeowners who love the cedar look and plan to keep the home, they often make the most sense here.
Real world cedar lifespan here depends heavily on maintenance and exposure. Well maintained cedar in a sunny, well ventilated spot does far better than neglected cedar in a damp, shaded location, where it can fail well short of expectations. Because that variability is so cost driven, we always frame cedar as cost per year rather than a single lifespan number.
Yes, we install all three with our own in house crew. Because we are not tied to one material, the recommendation you get is based on your home, your budget, and how long you plan to keep the property, not on what we prefer to sell. We give you the real numbers for each so you can compare honestly.
Comparing Roof Options? Get the Real Numbers.
We walk your roof and give you honest pricing on asphalt, cedar, and synthetic cedar so you can compare cost per year, not just the install quote. Installed by our own crew. 20 year workmanship warranty.
Book Free Estimate Cedar Conversion Call us any time: 604‑358‑343615+ years of Lower Mainland roofing experience. Harman leads project teams across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley with a focus on institutional quality work for residential, strata, and commercial properties. Direct line: 604‑358‑3436.
Paragon Roofing BC
— Trusted Lower Mainland roofing contractor
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