A premium cedar-look roof built for the Front Range: Class 4 hail protection, a 50-year warranty, and zero maintenance.
A Brava synthetic shake roof gives a Cherry Hills home the hand-split look of natural cedar with the strength of advanced composite. It carries a Class 4 impact rating, a Class A or Class C fire rating, and a 50-year limited warranty, so it stands up to Colorado hail far better than wood or standard asphalt shingles. Excel Roofing recently tore off an aging asphalt roof on a Cherry Hills property and replaced it with Brava synthetic shake, and the project below shows exactly how the system goes together.
Brava synthetic shake is a composite roofing tile molded directly from hand-split cedar to capture its texture and depth, then manufactured from recycled polymers for a durability real wood cannot match. The tiles vary in thickness from roughly one-half inch to seven-eighths of an inch and come in 5-inch, 7-inch, and 12-inch widths, which creates the natural shadow lines of a true cedar roof. Unlike natural wood, Brava will not rot, curl, split, attract pests, or feed a fire, and it needs virtually no maintenance over its life. The result is the warm, high-end look of cedar with the toughness of modern engineered materials.
Cherry Hills Village sits squarely in the Front Range hail corridor, and many of its neighborhoods favor the timeless look of a cedar-shake roof. Brava lets homeowners keep that high-end aesthetic while solving the two biggest problems with real wood in Colorado: hail damage and fire risk. The blended-color, staggered installation reads as authentic cedar from the street, supports the architectural character valued in Cherry Hills, and protects long-term resale value, all without the staining, sealing, and repairs that natural shake demands.
Brava carries a Class 4 impact rating, the top result on the UL 2218 impact test. In that test, a 2-inch steel ball is dropped from 20 feet onto the roofing material to check for damage. On the Cherry Hills job, our team demonstrated this on camera by throwing a 2-inch rock hard at an installed Brava tile, and the tile shrugged it off. An asphalt shingle in the same spot would have been damaged.
Just as important are the hip and ridge lines, which run along the diagonal peaks and typically take the worst of any hailstorm because of their exposed angle. On a Brava roof, these are finished with matching Brava hip and ridge units, so the most vulnerable part of the roof is also among the most protected. For most homeowners, that means a Brava roof will never be totaled by hail again.
A premium tile is only as strong as what goes underneath it, so this Brava roof we installed is built on a layered, double-protection system:
This is the install specification our crew followed on this Brava project, and it is what turns a great tile into a complete, weather-tight roofing system.
Installed Brava synthetic shake roofing typically runs about $12 to $20 per square foot in the Colorado market. The table below compares it with two common alternatives so you can see where it fits.
|
Roofing material |
Typical installed cost (per sq ft)* |
Expected lifespan |
Hail rating (UL 2218) |
|
Brava synthetic shake |
$12 to $20 |
About 50 years |
Class 4 (highest) |
|
Natural cedar shake |
$25 to $30 |
15 to 30 years |
Not rated |
|
Architectural asphalt |
$4.50 to $7 |
15 to 25 years |
Varies, Class 4 options |
*Figures are typical installed ranges in the Colorado market and are provided for comparison. Your exact price depends on roof size, pitch, complexity, and tear-off. The best way to get an accurate number is a free, no-obligation Excel Roofing estimate.
A Brava roof is a long-term investment, and Excel Roofing offers financing options to fit a range of budgets.
|
Term |
APR |
Best for |
|
12 months |
0% APR |
Paying off quickly with no interest |
|
60 months |
7.99% APR |
A moderate monthly payment |
|
120 months |
7.99% APR |
The lowest monthly payment |
Ask your Excel Roofing Project Manager which option fits your project best.
Most Brava synthetic shake roofs take about one to two weeks to install, depending on the size and complexity of the home. On the Cherry Hills project, our crew was on site for roughly a week, with another three to four days to complete the remaining sections, including a smaller structure on the property.
A Brava synthetic shake roof has an expected lifespan of about 50 years and is backed by a 50-year limited, transferable warranty. Because the tiles are molded from recycled polymer rather than wood, they do not rot, curl, or split the way natural cedar does, so they hold their look and performance for decades with virtually no maintenance.
Yes. Brava carries a Class 4 impact rating, the highest result on the UL 2218 impact test, in which a 2-inch steel ball is dropped from 20 feet onto the material. That makes it one of the most hail-resistant roofing options available, which matters on Colorado's Front Range where large hail is common. Most homeowners will never have a Brava roof totaled by hail.
It does. Brava shake is molded directly from hand-split cedar, so it captures the same texture, depth, and shadow lines. Installed in a staggered layout with a blended color, it reads as a high-end natural wood roof from the street, without the maintenance, fire risk, or short lifespan of real cedar.
Yes. Brava shake is available with a Class A or Class C fire rating, the strongest fire classifications for roofing. This is a meaningful advantage over natural cedar shake, which is highly combustible and banned in many wildfire-prone areas.
Installed Brava synthetic shake roofing typically runs about $12 to $20 per square foot in the Colorado market. Your exact price depends on roof size, pitch, complexity, and tear-off. Excel Roofing provides free, no-obligation estimates, and you do not pay a cent until you are content.
It may. Because Brava holds a Class 4 impact rating, many insurers offer an impact-resistant roofing discount, and a hail-rated roof is far less likely to generate claims. Discounts and terms vary by carrier and policy, so confirm the details with your insurance provider.
Most Brava synthetic shake roofs take about one to two weeks to install, depending on the size and complexity of the home. The Cherry Hills project shown in our video ran roughly a week, with another three to four days to finish the remaining sections.
Excel Roofing is a family-owned, Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor serving Colorado and Wyoming since 1993. From our Cherry Hills and Denver-metro work to projects across the Front Range, our team installs Brava synthetic shake to a complete, double-protection specification built for our climate. If you are considering a roof that can take Colorado hail and last about 50 years, a Brava synthetic shake roof is worth a serious look.
Request your free, no-obligation estimate today. You don't pay a cent until you're content, and we're on top of it.
Brava Roof Tile product specifications (impact, fire, warranty, dimensions); Carlisle WIP Products WIP 300HT high-temperature ice and water protector data sheet; UL 2218 impact-resistance standard. Cost figures reflect 2026 Colorado-market ranges.