Cedar Shake Siding Contractors on Long Island

With proper maintenance (re-staining every 5-7 years), cedar siding lasts 30-50 years on Long Island. Neglected cedar can fail in 15-20 years, especially on south-facing walls exposed to salt air.

Higher than vinyl or Hardie, yes. Plan on re-staining every 5-7 years ($2,000-$4,000 for a typical home). But many homeowners love how cedar weathers to a silver-gray patina if left natural.

For a typical 2,000 sq ft home, expect $22,000-$42,000 installed. That's $11-$21 per square foot. Cedar is the premium option — you're paying for natural beauty and craftsmanship.

Cedar shake is the traditional siding material for Long Island's coastal and waterfront properties — particularly in communities like Lloyd Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor, Centre Island, and the Hamptons-adjacent areas of Suffolk. The texture reads as natural in a landscape dominated by mature oaks and salt marshes. Western Red Cedar also has natural oils that resist moisture and insects without chemical treatment, which matters in termite-active Nassau and Suffolk County. The risk is that those oils deplete over time without maintenance — a cedar house neglected for 10 years in Long Island's coastal environment will start showing rot at the bottom courses and on any elevation where runoff contacts the wood.

Yes, full siding replacement including cedar is a permitted project in most Nassau and Suffolk County municipalities. Town of Hempstead, Town of Oyster Bay, Town of Islip, Town of Smithtown, and Town of Huntington all require building permits — and in some villages (like Lloyd Harbor and Centre Island), architectural review board approval is required before a permit is issued. Our contractors handle the full permit application and approval process, including any HOA or architectural review submissions.

Technically yes, but our contractors rarely recommend it. Cedar shake over existing siding traps moisture against the original cladding, creating conditions for rot and mold behind the cedar in Long Island's humid coastal climate. The right approach is full tear-off, inspection of the sheathing and house wrap, replacement of any damaged substrate, and then fresh cedar installation with a proper rainscreen gap. The extra cost of tear-off typically pays for itself in avoiding a remediation job 5-10 years later.

A rainscreen is a ventilated air gap between the back of the siding and the weather-resistant barrier on the sheathing. It allows moisture that gets behind the cedar to drain and dry rather than sitting against the substrate. On Long Island, where summer humidity is consistently high and south-shore properties see salt spray, a rainscreen system is essential for cedar longevity. Without one, cedar siding moisture-traps and the bottom courses and north elevations begin rotting within 10-15 years. Our cedar contractors install 3/8-inch furring strips over house wrap as a standard part of every cedar shake job.