Western red cedar is the default cedar, the species most Ferris shake and shingle roofs are made of, prized for its grain, workability, and natural weather resistance.
When someone says cedar roof in Ferris, they usually mean western red: hand-split shakes for texture or sawn shingles for a tailored line. Grade matters enormously (premium heartwood grades earn their price in service life), and so does the air beneath: cedar breathes, and roofs that trap moisture under it age in fast-forward.
We install and service western red cedar shake across Ferris and the surrounding DFW communities. The work comes with free written estimates, documented inspections, and honest guidance on whether this system actually fits your home and budget.
On the ground in Ferris
In Ferris, the Western Red Cedar Shake conversation usually starts with the roof that is already up there. Housing this far out is less uniform than the inner suburbs: age, pitch, and construction quality vary house to house, so the material fit does too. That stock wears cedar handsomely when it is maintained and expensively when it is not; the difference is a treatment cycle most owners have never been told about.
Like the rest of Ellis County, Ferris wants roofing work documented: permits where required, inspections passed. That paperwork is included, not extra. North Texas sits in the country’s most active hail belt, and shakes split on impact and every carrier knows it, so documentation before and after storms is a cedar owner’s best friend. Crews rotate through Waxahachie, Ennis, and Midlothian on the same routes, which keeps Ferris scheduling flexible. Everything above gets specific, in writing, once we have looked at the actual roof.
THE SYSTEM
Western Red Cedar Shake, up close.
Cedar shake. Hand-split shakes across a complex roofline, with character that earns its maintenance.
PUBLIC RECORD
The local record behind Western Red Cedar Shake in Ferris
How a roof system holds up in Ferris depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
5
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
0
Golf-ball-size hail days
1.5 in.
Largest stone on record
1985
Median year homes built
Hail near Ferris
Reported hail is less frequent around Ferris: NOAA lists 5 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 4 miles. Fewer reports can also reflect fewer storm spotters in smaller communities, so a quiet record is not a guarantee. Hail that size was reported in 5 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 1.5 inches (walnut size) on March 24, 2021. The most recent report: 1-inch hail on March 29, 2025.
March 24, 2021: 1.5-inch hail (walnut size)
June 13, 2023: 1.25-inch hail (half dollar size)
March 28, 2014: 1.25-inch hail (half dollar size)
March 29, 2025: 1-inch hail (quarter size)
February 27, 2011: 1-inch hail (quarter size)
How old Ferris homes are
The median home in Ferris was built in 1985, and 42% of the city's 1,102 housing units predate 1980. Many of these houses are likely on their second roof or nearing the point where they need one.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 4 miles of Ferris); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about western red cedar shake in Ferris
Shake or shingle: what is the difference?
Shakes are split, thicker, and textured; shingles are sawn, thinner, and tailored. Same species, different character: shakes read rustic, shingles read refined.
What cedar grade should I buy in Ferris?
Premium heartwood grades. The price difference buys decay resistance and service life. Economy cedar grades in a DFW climate are a false saving.
Do you install this on shops and outbuildings near Ferris?
Yes. Barns, workshops, and outbuildings are first-class projects out here, not afterthoughts, and the material conversation (usually metal-forward) covers them alongside the house.
How often does hail hit Ferris?
NOAA lists 5 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 4 miles of Ferris. Smaller communities have fewer storm spotters, so reports tend to undercount what actually falls. The most recent report was 1-inch hail on March 29, 2025.
How old are most homes in Ferris?
The median home in Ferris was built in 1985, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 42% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 20% were built in 2010 or later. Most homes here are well past the life of their original roof.
