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Brava composite cedar shake installed by Adept Construction on a Homer Glen, IL home

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Adept Construction · Since 1997

Composite Roofing — Brava Synthetic Cedar Shake Installed by Adept Construction

Since 1997family-owned
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Licensed& insured

Licensed & insured · Illinois Roofing License No. 104.011123

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Or call (630) 360-2730 · Mon–Fri 8–6, Sat 8–4:30

Synthetic Cedar Shake: The Look of Cedar Without the Maintenance

Adept Construction, Inc. installs composite roofing across DuPage County, and the composite product we install is Brava Composite Cedar Shake, a synthetic cedar shake molded from recycled plastic to look like natural cedar. It is the replacement for a worn cedar shake roof when you want the same look back without re-sealing, splitting or moss. We work from offices in Naperville, Downers Grove and Villa Park and serve nearby towns including Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Burr Ridge, Lemont and Oak Park.

Brava backs its composite shake with a 50-year limited warranty and a Class 4 impact rating, and every installation also carries Adept’s 10-year workmanship warranty in writing. Illinois roofing license No. 104.011123, Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, family-owned since 1997, and roof inspections are always free. See a finished Brava synthetic shake replacement in Homer Glen, or request an estimate.

Adept Construction truck at a Homer Glen, IL home with new Brava synthetic cedar shakes
Close view of new Brava composite cedar shakes at a corner in Homer Glen, IL

What Composite Cedar Shake Is

Composite cedar shake, also called synthetic shake, is a roofing shake molded from polymer instead of split from wood. Brava makes its shake in the USA from compressed recycled plastics, up to 85% recycled content, cast to show the grain of real cedar. It is not the same thing as a “composite shingle”, a term that usually means an ordinary asphalt shingle.

Brava’s 22-inch cedar shake comes in 5-, 7- and 12-inch widths, 1 inch thick, laid at up to 10 inches of exposure, and weighs 321 pounds per square, according to its spec sheet. Across its shake, slate and tile lines, Brava puts its composite products at 257 to 430 pounds per square, slightly more than a high-quality asphalt shingle, with no additional structural support needed.

Composite Shake Roof Replacement and Repair

Adept Construction replaces worn cedar shake roofs with Brava composite cedar shake and repairs existing roofs, composite included. Brava requires the old roofing to be removed to keep its warranty, so every composite job is a full tear-off: the crew strips the roof to the deck, repairs damaged decking, then installs the underlayment and shake to Brava’s installation guidelines. Brava’s minimum pitch is 4:12, or 3:12 with full ice-and-water underlayment. Every job starts with a free inspection and a written, itemized estimate. See roof replacement and roof repair.

Weathered cedar shakes with moss on a brick home in Homer Glen, IL before replacement
Close view of cupped and split cedar shakes at a corner in Homer Glen, IL

Why Hinsdale and Oak Brook Homeowners Replace Cedar With Synthetic Shake

Natural cedar wears out. Shakes cup and split, and shaded slopes go dark with moss and algae, as on the Homer Glen home in the photo. Brava puts the average life of a natural cedar roof at 15 to 20 years.

Composite shake keeps the cedar profile from the street with none of cedar’s treating or re-sealing. Brava’s spec sheet also marks its shake “Hail Warrantied” and natural shake “No Hail Warranty”. In Hinsdale, switching from cedar to composite is a change of material, which needs a Village roof permit; homes that are local landmarks or in the Robbins Park Historic District also need a Certificate of Appropriateness first. In Oak Brook, the roof permit asks for a homeowners association approval letter, so check your HOA’s material rules before you choose.

Brava Composite Cedar Shake Specs

  • 50-year limited warranty from Brava on its composite roofing products (Brava spec sheet)
  • Class 4 impact rating, the highest rating in the UL 2218 hail test (Brava on UL 2218)
  • Class A fire rating when installed over fire-resistant (FR) underlayment; Class C over standard underlayment
  • Tested to 188 mph winds with nails, 211 mph with a high-wind screw installation (Brava FAQs)
  • 321 lb per square for the 22-inch shake; no added structural support
  • Tear-off required; minimum pitch 4:12 (3:12 with full ice-and-water underlayment)
  • IBC and IRC compliant; Miami-Dade approved

If the fire rating matters to you or your insurer, ask for the Class A assembly with FR underlayment on your estimate. Composite is one of the systems Adept Construction installs. Compare it with cedar shake and architectural shingle on our roofing systems page, read our composite roofing guide, or see our guide to composite roof cost per square foot.

Roofing project by Adept Construction on a two-story home with a gray shingle roof
Old cedar shakes beside the covered deck of a Homer Glen, IL home before Brava replacement

Recent Brava Job: Synthetic Cedar Shake Replacement in Homer Glen

On a brick contemporary home in Homer Glen, the natural cedar shakes had gone dark and patchy, with moss and algae on the shaded sections and cupped, split shakes at the corners when we photographed them in August 2024. Adept Construction removed the worn shakes, installed Brava Composite Cedar Shake on the shake-covered sections of the home and wrapped the corners and edges with matching composite shake. The job was finished by June 2025.

See the full Homer Glen project with before and after photos.

Class 4 Hail Resistance, and Why It Matters Here

Class 4 is the top rating in the UL 2218 impact test, and DuPage County has had the hail to test it in 2026. The National Weather Service in Chicago logged 4.00-inch hail 1 mile south of Downers Grove on March 10; 1.75-inch hail 1 mile north of Hinsdale and 1 mile west of Oak Brook on March 30; and 2.00-inch hail in Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Downers Grove and Clarendon Hills on July 27.

Brava says Class 4 roofs may be eligible for insurance premium discounts, and tells homeowners to check with their agent or carrier; do that before you choose a product. If your roof took hail this year, our storm damage roof repair team inspects it for free, documents the damage for your insurer and meets your adjuster on site when you ask us to.

How a Composite Shake Roof Replacement Works

  1. Call or book online. Call (630) 360-2730 or book a free roof inspection. We call back to set a time, usually within one business day.
  2. Free roof inspection. We check the existing roof, the deck, the pitch and the flashing, and confirm the roof meets Brava’s 4:12 minimum.
  3. Written estimate. You get the price in writing, with the Brava shake, the underlayment (FR underlayment for the Class A rating) and the tear-off spelled out, before any work starts.
  4. Permit and approvals. Rules vary by town. Hinsdale needs a permit when the roofing material changes, Oak Brook asks for an HOA approval letter, Homer Glen requires a permit for roofing, and unincorporated DuPage County requires one for any tear-off. The permit is in place before work starts.
  5. Tear-off and installation. The crew removes the old roof to the deck, repairs damaged decking and installs the underlayment and Brava shake to Brava’s guidelines.
  6. Cleanup and warranty. The crew cleans up the site. You get Brava’s 50-year limited warranty on the material and Adept’s 10-year workmanship warranty in writing.

What Our Customers Say About Us

✦ What customers say

Customers most often say owner Gerry Michaels comes out himself, explains the problem with photos and gives a fair, competitive quote. Many reviewers describe a full roof replacement finished in one or two days, crews that protect gardens and clean up every nail, and help with hail and storm insurance claims. Homeowners across DuPage County, from Naperville to Downers Grove, Villa Park and Lombard, also mention repeat work over 20 years or more, plus gutters, siding and skylights.

Owner involved Fair, competitive quotes One-day replacements Clean job sites Insurance claim help Gutters & siding Skylights Repeat customers

AI-generated summary of customer reviews, updated October 9, 2026.

Michael Cowden
Oct 2026 · Google
★★★★★

Gerry and the team were great to work with! Everything was done promptly and thoroughly. They remembered every detail!

Russ Swanson
Sep 2026 · Google
★★★★★

Adept construction did an excellent job installing our roof, gutters, and leaf guards. Good communication, and done on time.…

Read more

…Price was competitive with the other quotes received. Would use them again.

Mark Thomas
Aug 2026 · Google
★★★★★

My wife and I could not be more pleased with the work provided by Adept. We had a roof and gutter replacement and both Gerry and…

Read more

…his crews were very professional, with the work performed timely and efficiently. After the roof removal the cleanup process
was also done quickly and completely. I would highly recommend Adept Construction.

George A Concaildi
May 2026 · Google
★★★★★

After the recent hail storm I needed a new roof. I went to the Better Business Bureau and I found Adept Construction Inc. with…

Read more

…an A+ rating. Mr. Michaels, the owner, came out and reviewed the findings of the insurance company and gave me a fair price. I gave him the okay to start and his team was out he next day. They were friendly, polite and professional. They completed my roof in one day and did a complete cleanup. The roof looks great! One last point, the communication on the process was excellent. At every point in the process Mr. Michaels was available to answer my questions. Thank you.

Sandra Krohnert
May 2026 · Google
★★★★★

Adept did a very nice job on my roof. I especially appreciated how well they treated my garden and cleaned up after themselves.

Mark Matras
Apr 2026 · Google
★★★★★

I have to say Gerald and his team did a phenomenal job The roof Was…

Read more

…finished in one day And the gutters, the next day
I personally like the fact that Gerald took the time to explain to me How the process worked And help me match up the colors For both the roof and gutters
I would highly recommend this company to anyone who’s looking for a quality top-notch affordable job

Photo from Mark Matras's reviewPhoto from Mark Matras's reviewPhoto from Mark Matras's review
Show more reviews
Daniel Kaczmarek
Mar 2026 · Google
★★★★★

You and your crew were fantastic. Good work, cleanup and speed. Your guy that put the trim around the skylight did a great job.…

Read more

…I’m glad my daughter Karyn Hudec recommended you. I will do the same if anyone asks!
Thanks

william howe
Mar 2026 · Google
★★★★★

Adept construction & Roofing ,Excellent working experience completed a flat roof repair ,tear off 3 old layers replaced with new roofing .1 day completed with excellent cleanup

Mark Pawlowski
Mar 2026 · Google
★★★★★

Adept replaced our roof over 20 years ago and serviced us well over that time. We were so happy with the service we contracted…

Read more

…them again to do another roof. I would highly recommend Gerry and his team!

Steve Behrends
Sep 2025 · Google
★★★★★

From the time Gerry came out to provide an estimate through the completion of my roof replacement, I found working with Gerry to…

Read more

…be a pleasure. He came prepared, answered questions directly, showed up when scheduled and completed the job on time. When I received the invoice it was exactly as quoted. I would recommend Gerry and Adept Construction with zero reservations.

Michael Skowronski
Sep 2025 · Google
★★★★★

Great Company, Great workmanship and very clean work.

Lisa Degen
Aug 2025 · Google
★★★★★

They were recommended by our neighbor when we needed help replacing our old flat roof on our home. They were fairly priced, honest, knowledgeable and did a clean job.

David Wong
Jul 2025 · Google
★★★★★

Gerry was great to work with and did a fantastic job in replacing and repairing the copper roof over the living room area of our…

Read more

…house. We would happily work with Gerry and Adept Construction on future roofing projects.

Dan Billish
Jul 2025 · Google
★★★★★

Incredibly efficient from consultation to completion. Highly recommend

Mark Schmidt
Apr 2025 · Google
★★★★★

Great Job looked like alot of work but they handled it Great

Brian Fagan
Mar 2025 · Google
★★★★★

Replaced my roof. Great price. No problems at all. Would not hesitate to recommend.

Joan Crotty
Aug 2024 · Google
★★★★★

I am so pleased with how these professionals fixed my roof vent problem. I will certainly contact them again if I need something!

Gregory Bates
Aug 2024 · Google
★★★★★

Adept Construction installed a new roof on my home along with additional soffit vents. The work was excellent and they cleaned…

Read more

…up the area after completion of the job in an exceptional manner/ The job was well planned with minimal impact on us while the job was being done.

Arlene Bettin
Aug 2024 · Google
★★★★★

Adept was very responsive and provided excellent service from first contact to completion of our new roof. We were so pleased we recommended Adept to our neighbors.

Nester
Jul 2024 · Google
★★★★★

Review for Gutters and leaf guards installation.

My gutters were old and needs repairs or replacing. Some fasteners were failing…

Read more

…affecting drainage flow. Some gutters overflowed.

Gerry addressed all my questions and concerns. He also suggested downspout changes to optimize drainage. I'm happy with the quality work and improvements.

Quick turn around: After accepting the quote Friday, I was surprised all work was completed by Tuesday.

Gary Stroner
Dec 2023 · Google
★★★★★

Adept Roofing

We highly recommend Adept Roofing Company to anyone considering re-shingling or repairing their roof. The owner,…

Read more

…Gerry Michaels, knows the roofing business inside and out and was extremely helpful in providing options and different price points to us so to make the best-informed decision for our roofing needs. His team completed the two-day job on time, as promised. As the roof was only recently installed, we can only attest to its beauty at this point. As this is a long-term proposition, we will know over time how well the roof performs. We have no reason to doubt Adept and are very pleased so far with the performance of the roof. The pricing was competitive, as well. Another very important factor: Gerry is always available to answer questions and check on the roof if we ever have any concerns.

Nikki Larson
Dec 2023 · Google
★★★★★

Adept Construction was wonderful to work with. The owner took time to answer any and all questions I had and was always…

Read more

…responsive. He went above and beyond on this project. The work was done in a timely manner and I would highly recommend Adept Construction for any roofing needs.

Kurt blank
Nov 2023 · Google
★★★★★

Gerry and his crew did an excellent job with the replacement of my roof, siding, gutters, soffit and fascia. They were very…

Read more

…professional and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this company.

Drew Sabo
Oct 2023 · Google
★★★★★

Adept provided a fair quote for the work and completed with a skilled team in a timely fashion. Gerry went out of his way to…

Read more

…match original details of our house while replacing some of the wood used for the eaves. Would recommend.

Susan Kroeger
Aug 2023 · Google
★★★★★

My recent experience with Adept Construction for a porch roof repair was phenomenal. They responded quickly, came out to…

Read more

…thoroughly evaluate the problem and provided recommendations. Upon acceptance of their proposal, they arrived at my house the following morning to begin repairs. Most importantly, all work was absolutely top-notch, and Gerry, the owner, was incredibly helpful and a pleasure to work with. Overall, a great experience from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

Bob Frazee
Jul 2023 · Google
★★★★★

I've been using Jerry and Adept construction for the over 30 years I've been in my house. That includes two roofs, new siding,…

Read more

…gutters, sky lights and some miscellaneous stuff. Great service and quality. Jerry knows his stuff and runs "tight ship"

Edith Gao
Jul 2023 · Google
★★★★★

Adept replaced our old leaking Skylight and chimney housing (also old…

Read more

…and leaking) for furnace vent, installed new vents on the roof for bathroom and Kitchen range hood, and enlarged soffit vents to fix poor attic ventilation.
Gerry came out and did an estimate the next day after I called. Among all the roofers we talked to, he was our favorite. He understood our concerns about each item we wanted to work on and the solutions he provided chimed in with the way we preferred to resolve the problems. His quote was not the lowest nor the highest, but had a reasonable price that we felt comfortable to pay and believed the project could be done well at. Also his quote was detailed, showing the process they were gonna perform and materials they were gonna use, as well as the price for each item. So we could decide what item we wanted do this time and easily figured out the total cost of them (The quote suggested to replace the gutter which was really old. But we decided to do it next time when replacing the roof). He and his office were responsive to my emails when I had questions about the quote. After I signed the contract, Gerry and two of his guys came out within a week. The two contractors worked the whole day and finished everything! It has been 1.5 months since then. We went through several storms. We don't see any leak so far. They did a good job!

Photo from Edith Gao's reviewPhoto from Edith Gao's reviewPhoto from Edith Gao's reviewPhoto from Edith Gao's review

Composite Roofing FAQs

How much does a composite roof cost?

The price of a composite shake roof depends on the roof’s size and pitch, the shake widths and the tear-off, which Brava requires on every job. Adept Construction quotes in writing after a free inspection; typical ranges are in our composite roof cost guide.

How long does a composite roof last?

Brava backs its composite cedar shake with a 50-year limited warranty, and the material does not split, rot or need re-sealing the way wood does. Brava puts the average life of a natural cedar roof at 15 to 20 years.

What is a synthetic shake roof?

A synthetic shake roof uses shakes molded from polymer instead of split from wood. Brava’s are made in the USA from compressed recycled plastics, cast from real cedar so the grain matches, and weigh 321 pounds per square for the 22-inch shake.

Can you replace a cedar shake roof with composite?

Yes. Adept Construction removes the cedar to the deck, repairs damaged decking and installs Brava composite cedar shake. Brava needs no added structural support and a pitch of at least 4:12 (3:12 with full ice-and-water underlayment).

Can composite shake go over my existing roof?

No. To keep its warranty, Brava requires the removal of previous roofing materials, so every composite shake roof starts with a full tear-off.

What do Hinsdale and Oak Brook require for a composite roof?

In Hinsdale, a roof permit is required when the new material is different from the existing, so cedar to composite needs one, and local landmarks and homes in the Robbins Park Historic District need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before the permit is issued. In Oak Brook, the roof permit asks for the contract, the roofer’s Illinois license and a homeowners association approval letter, so check your HOA’s rules on materials first.

Does composite roofing hold up to hail?

Yes. Brava composite cedar shake carries a Class 4 impact rating, the highest rating in the UL 2218 hail test, and Brava warranties it against hail. Brava says Class 4 roofs may qualify for insurance discounts; ask your agent or carrier before choosing a product.

Do you repair composite roofs?

Yes. Adept Construction repairs roofs across DuPage County, composite included. Every repair starts with a free inspection, and we tell you in writing whether a repair or a replacement is the better buy.

Does a composite roof need a permit?

It depends on the town. Hinsdale requires one when the material changes, Homer Glen requires one for roofing, and unincorporated DuPage County requires one for any tear-off, which every composite job is. Naperville and Downers Grove publish rules for asphalt shingles but don’t name composite shake, so we confirm with the village before work starts.

Are you a Brava certified installer?

Brava does not mandate certified installers; it provides a valid warranty as long as its installation guidelines are followed. Adept Construction installs Brava composite cedar shake to those guidelines and is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor.

Is Adept Construction licensed to install composite roofing in Illinois?

Yes. Adept Construction holds Illinois roofing contractor license No. 104.011123 from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Verify any Illinois roofer on the IDFPR roofing page.

Replacing a Cedar Shake Roof?
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