Synthetic Slate and Shake Roofs: Are They Worth It?
They can be, if you want the look of slate or wood shake without the weight of slate or the fire risk of wood. In the City of Los Angeles, wood shake and wood shingle roofs aren't allowed anywhere, treated or not, so a synthetic shake is one way to keep the look. Synthetic slate and shake are molded tiles of polymer or composite. DaVinci lists its slate and shake at about 200 to 350 pounds per square installed, depending on the profile and how much of each tile is exposed; Brava's evaluation report puts its slate and shake at about 304 to 310. Both makers advertise a Class 4 impact rating. The two things to check are the ones the brochures skip: the fire rating depends on the underlayment beneath the tiles, and the "lifetime" warranty pays in full for far less than a lifetime.
How DaVinci and Brava compare
DaVinci, now part of Westlake Royal Building Products, and Brava publish the documents this comparison is built on.
| DaVinci slate and shake | Brava One slate and shake | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Composite tiles of virgin resins with UV stabilizers | Polymer tiles; Brava says recycled plastics |
| Installed weight per square | Slate 262 to 349 lb (201 lb for Province Slate); shake 294 to 333 lb | Slate 310 lb; shake about 304 lb, at a 10-inch exposure |
| Minimum slope | 3:12; multi- and single-width slate laid with more than 6 inches exposed needs 6:12 | 4:12 |
| Class A fire rating | Over GAF VersaShield or Eco Chief Solarhide fire-resistant underlayment, with the required self-adhered membrane; slate also over No. 30 felt at an exposure of 6 inches or less | Over Eco Chief Solarhide-SRW or ESP Low-E Therma-Sheet 4LMPX underlayment |
| Over ordinary underlayment | Shake rates Class C | Class C, over one layer of No. 30 felt |
| Impact rating the maker advertises | UL 2218 Class 4 | UL 2218 Class 4 |
| Warranty | Lifetime limited (details below) | 50-year limited lifetime, as Brava describes it |
For comparison, a standard concrete tile roof weighs about 900 to 970 pounds per square and an architectural shingle roof about 211 to 225, by the same makers' figures used in clay vs concrete roof tile and shingle brands compared. A square is 100 square feet, so 300 pounds per square is 3 pounds per square foot.
Fire: the underlayment sets the class
As with any roof, the fire class belongs to the whole assembly, not the tile. Brava's ICC-ES evaluation report, issued in November 2025, lists six assemblies on 15/32-inch plywood at a 4:12 slope or steeper: four are Class A, each over one of two named fire-resistant underlayments, and two are Class C, over one layer of No. 30 felt. DaVinci's 2024 installation guides list their Class A methods the same way, over GAF VersaShield or Eco Chief Solarhide, and note that a third shake method, with Fontana VulcaSeal, isn't recognized by ICC-ES; DaVinci shake over another approved underlayment is Class C.
A Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone requires a Class A roof. So the line to read on an estimate is the underlayment, and the question to ask is which listed assembly the roof will be built to. How to read a listing is in the Class A roof rating; how synthetic products compare with tile, metal and shingles for wildfire is in fire-resistant roofing in Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles
- Replacing wood shake. The City of Los Angeles doesn't allow wood shake or wood shingle roof coverings anywhere in the city, fire-retardant-treated included (Los Angeles Building Code 2026, 91.1505.1), so a wood shake roof that's replaced has to become something else; the options and the deck they need are in replacing a wood shake roof in Los Angeles.
- The permit. At about 2 to 3.5 pounds per square foot, these products are under the 6-pound limit of the City of Los Angeles's express re-roof permit, which covers a Class A or B covering; a Class C assembly doesn't qualify. The routes are in do you need a permit to replace a roof in Los Angeles.
- Cool roof. If more than half the roof is replaced, California's cool-roof rule can apply. DaVinci sells "Cool Roof" colors with Cool Roof Rating Council ratings, and Brava lists cool colors for Title 24 and Los Angeles County's Title 31; the rule is in the cool-roof requirement on a re-roof.
- Weight on the framing. Both are far lighter than tile, so going from tile to synthetic takes load off the framing; going from asphalt shingles to synthetic can add a little.
What the warranty actually covers
"Lifetime" on a roofing warranty almost always means a shorter period of full coverage. DaVinci's lifetime limited warranty for the United States and Canada, effective March 1, 2019, is a clear example:
- What it covers: manufacturing defects that cause leaks, for as long as the original owner lives in the house; 50 years for a company or other organization.
- The first 10 years: DaVinci either supplies replacement tiles and pays installation costs, capped at $350 per square, or refunds what was paid for the tiles.
- After 10 years: a refund of part of the tile price only, shrinking over time and never less than 10%, with no installation costs.
- Wind: no coverage for winds over 90 mph, or for any wind after the first 10 years. A roof installed to DaVinci's high-wind instructions is covered to 110 mph, but only for the first five years and only as a refund of the tile price.
- Fading: covered only beyond a set amount of color change, measured against what's normal for the area, and only if reported within 10 years; the remedy is a refund of the tile price.
- Transfer: up to two times within the first 10 years, with notice within 60 days of the sale.
DaVinci's marketing cites a 110 mph wind rating; the warranty's numbers are the ones that apply to a claim. Brava advertises a 50-year limited lifetime warranty; ask for the full document before you sign. How manufacturer and workmanship warranties fit together is in roofing warranties explained.
Is it worth it for your house?
- It fits when a wood shake roof has to be replaced and you want to keep the look, when you want slate's look on framing that wasn't built for slate's weight, or when you're coming off heavy tile and want a lighter roof that still looks like something other than shingles.
- Check first that the estimate names the product, the exposure and the underlayment, and that the assembly is Class A if the house is in a fire hazard severity zone; that the slope meets the product's minimum; and whether the re-roof needs a cool color.
- Compare it with the other lightweight ways to get a tile or shake look, such as stone-coated steel, and with the other roofing materials for Southern California.
Frequently asked
How much does a synthetic slate roof weigh?
Is synthetic slate Class A fire rated?
Can I replace a wood shake roof in Los Angeles with synthetic shake?
How long does a synthetic roof warranty really last?
Does synthetic slate fade?
Related reading
Sources & methodology
Code sections, rules and figures on this page come from the primary sources below. Codes, local requirements and product terms change; each was verified October 7, 2026.
- Westlake Royal Building Products, DaVinci Roofscapes composite slate and shake
- DaVinci Roofscapes, Tech Sheet (effective September 29, 2025)
- DaVinci Roofscapes, Slate Installation Guide and Shake Installation Guide (2024)
- DaVinci Roofscapes, Lifetime Limited Warranty, United States and Canada (effective March 1, 2019)
- DaVinci and Inspire Cool Roof Colors (CRRC ratings)
- ICC Evaluation Service, ESR-4756, Brava One Cedar Shake and Brava One Slate Roofing Tiles (issued November 2025)
- Brava Roof Tile, Old World Slate
- Los Angeles Building Code 2026, Chapter 15, 91.1505.1 (UpCodes)
We'll check whether a synthetic slate or shake roof fits your house
Call (323) 844-7777. We check the slope and framing and whether the house is in a fire hazard severity zone, and spell out in the estimate the product, its exposure and the underlayment that sets its fire class. Have ready the address and a few photos of the roof.
Prepared by Cali Energy, October 7, 2026. This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, financial, engineering, or utility advice. Rates, incentives, codes, permit requirements, equipment specifications, prices, and program terms may change; figures and timelines are estimates, not guarantees. Confirm current requirements with the applicable utility, AHJ, program administrator, manufacturer, or a licensed professional. See our Content Disclaimer. Cali Energy · 19201 Parthenia St, Unit E, Northridge, CA 91324 · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39)