Modern Exterior Systems serving Orono, MN
Modern Exterior Systems (Modex) is an Orono roofing, siding, and window contractor working Lake Minnetonka's northwest shore — Crystal Bay, Cooks Bay, Brown's Bay, West Arm, North Arm, Stubbs Bay, and the streets north of Highway 12. Based in Eden Prairie, roughly twelve miles southeast of central Orono. Five manufacturer certifications. Lifetime workmanship warranty on residential installs. DaVinci synthetic slate and CeDUR cedar shake are most of our Orono project mix. HOA aesthetic review and shoreland overlay paperwork handled on lake-facing properties.
Updated May 2026 · Reviewed by Joe Dvorak, Owner, Modern Exterior Systems
Orono
Lake Minnetonka's northwest shore is our home court
Modex serves Orono's bay-front neighborhoods — Crystal Bay, Cooks Bay, Brown's Bay, West Arm, North Arm, and Stubbs Bay — plus the older lake-cabin streets along Bracketts Crossing and Cheyenne Trail. Our crews understand the architectural range here: 1920s lake cabins on original framing, mid-century ranches on Old Crystal Bay Road, and the estate-scale custom builds along Shadywood and Watertown Road. HOA review and shoreland-overlay paperwork are built into every Orono estimate.
Crystal Bay
Long water views, deep lots, and private docks define Crystal Bay. Most homes here are HOA-restricted to a shake or slate silhouette — DaVinci Multi-Width Shake and CeDUR Walden are the two products that pass review on the first submission.
Cooks Bay
The early-1900s resort heart of Orono. Cooks Bay homes blend historic restoration with modern lakeside builds — we've worked roofs on both, from 1912 cabin restorations to recent steel-and-glass lake homes. Period-correct material selection matters more here than almost anywhere else on the lake.
Brown's Bay
Brown's Bay shares 3.7 miles of shoreline with Wayzata along the lake's eastern Orono edge. The mix here runs from 1940s ramblers along Brown's Bay Road to recent custom builds. Steep roof pitches and complex dormer details are typical — synthetic slate handles both without the structural reinforcement natural slate would require.
West Arm + North Arm
West Arm and North Arm sit on the lake's quieter western edge, close to the Dakota Rail Trail. The homes here lean toward executive-scale on wooded lots — 45 to 65 squares of roof on most projects, with cedar-shake aesthetics protected by HOA covenants in Fox Hill and the surrounding streets.
Services
Roofing, siding, windows
Lake-home roofs in Orono are typically 45 to 65 squares — three times the standard Twin Cities scope. DaVinci synthetic slate and CeDUR Walden shake are most of what we install here.
Lake-home roof replacement
DaVinci synthetic slate, CeDUR Walden cedar shake, CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL, standing seam metal accents, copper flashing on historic Cooks Bay restorations.
Siding
James Hardie and LP SmartSide
Fiber cement and engineered wood with HOA-approved color pallets. Vinyl available on request — we install it when the scope calls for it, just don't lead with it on Orono lake homes.
Windows
Kolbe Heritage and ProVia custom windows
Solid-wood Kolbe Heritage frames at $2,500-$6,000 per window for historic Cooks Bay cabin restorations. ProVia and Pella for modern lake builds where energy performance and warranty terms matter most.
Gutters and copper details
Half-round copper, oversized 6-inch K-style for lake-corridor rain runoff, standing seam fascia, and the custom flashing that pulls a 65-square roof together.
Storm damage and insurance work
June 2023, August 2023, and June 2024 hail events all hit Orono. We document on-roof, meet adjusters on the property, and write scopes carriers can validate without back-and-forth.
HOA + shoreland
Orono review board coordination
HOA aesthetic-review packets and Lake Minnetonka shoreland overlay setbacks submitted before materials are ordered. Citizenserve portal filings handled.
Materials
Lake homes deserve roofs that look like the architecture
Orono HOA covenants on Lake Minnetonka's northwest shore almost universally call for a shake or slate aesthetic. Our crews default to DaVinci synthetic slate, CeDUR Walden cedar shake, CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL, and stone-coated steel — the four products that hold up over decades on a lake home and pass Crystal Bay, North Arm, and Fox Hill review boards on the first submission.
DaVinci synthetic slate
Multi-Width Shake and Bellaforté Slate deliver the look and texture of natural slate at 235-280 lbs per square — light enough for 1920s Cooks Bay framing, durable enough for a 65-square Crystal Bay project. $2,500-$3,500 per square installed in 2026.
CeDUR synthetic cedar shake
The cedar-shake look without the rot, moss, or 18-year replacement cycle. CeDUR Walden and Shiloh pass Orono HOA aesthetic review on the first submission and carry a Class A fire rating that natural cedar can't.
CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL
For Orono homes where the HOA permits a heavy-shadow asphalt, Presidential Shake TL is the industry's best-looking three-tab replacement. Triple-laminated, 530-pound bundles, 50-year material warranty.
Stone-coated steel
The premium aesthetic of slate or shake on a 50-year steel substrate — Class 4 impact-rated, lake-wind tested, and HOA approvable in most Orono associations. The right choice when the lake exposure is severe and the budget allows.
Why choose
Why Orono homeowners choose Modex
Lake-corridor scale experience, owner-led oversight on every project above $40K, and a lifetime workmanship warranty backing every Orono install.
Lake-corridor scale experience
45-65 square lake-home roofs are our default scope
The standard Twin Cities roof is 25 squares; an Orono lake home is two to three times that. Our crews are staffed for the longer commitment, the multiple dormers, and the copper-flashing details that come with a Crystal Bay or Brown's Bay project. We don't squeeze a lake home into a suburban-roof timeline.
Owner-led on premium projects
The owner walks every Orono project above $40K
HOA aesthetic review, shoreland setback paperwork, permit coordination through the Citizenserve portal, and final inspection — handled at the ownership level. That isn't a pitch line; on a $150K Crystal Bay roof, it's how the work actually runs.
Lifetime workmanship — for as long as you own the home
Industry standard is 5-10 years
Modex backs every Orono residential install with a lifetime workmanship warranty for as long as you own the home. Manufacturer material warranties — DaVinci 50-year, CeDUR 50-year, Presidential Shake TL 50-year — are separate and follow each brand's transfer rules.
Recent projects
Crystal Bay, Cooks Bay, Brown's Bay, and West Arm roofing and exterior work. Each project showcases the premium materials and HOA aesthetic review coordination that define Modex work on Lake Minnetonka's northwest shore.
What Orono homeowners say
Crystal Bay, Cooks Bay, Brown's Bay, and West Arm homeowners trust Modex with their most valuable exterior investments.
"Our HOA review board never approves anything on the first try. Modex brought sample boards in three DaVinci profiles and got Crystal Bay sign-off in one meeting. The Multi-Width Shake looks like our neighbors' cedar from the lake."
Catherine
Crystal Bay, DaVinci synthetic slate
"Our Cooks Bay cabin was built in 1922. We had three bids that wanted to add 8,000 pounds of natural slate to a framing system that nobody knew the condition of. Modex walked us through DaVinci synthetic at a third of the weight and the same look. Professional from inspection through final."
Edward
Cooks Bay 1922 cabin, DaVinci slate
"June 2024 hail tore through our Brown's Bay roof. Modex met the State Farm adjuster on the property, walked the damage with him, and the scope got approved without a single supplement fight. Six weeks later we had a new CeDUR Walden roof."
Margaret
Brown's Bay, hail insurance + CeDUR
"Our West Arm home is 5,200 square feet. The roof is fifty-eight squares. Modex was the only contractor who quoted realistic crew time — six days, not three. The lifetime workmanship warranty mattered when we're spending six figures."
Thomas
West Arm, CeDUR Live Oak shake
"Joe walked our North Arm shoreland setback through the Citizenserve portal before we even signed. No surprises, no permit delay, no last-minute material substitutions. The Kolbe Heritage windows are everything we wanted on a historic home."
Patricia
North Arm, Kolbe Heritage windows
Pricing
Orono lake-home project costs
Orono lake homes are typically 45 to 65 squares of roof — three times the standard Twin Cities scope. Premium materials, HOA review coordination, and shoreland-overlay paperwork are reflected in these ranges. Exact pricing depends on roof size, material selection, and permit complexity.
$112,500 - $227,500
DaVinci synthetic slate on a 45-65 square Orono lake home
DaVinci Multi-Width Shake or Bellaforté Slate at $2,500-$3,500 per square installed
CeDUR Walden or Live Oak synthetic cedar shake at $2,000-$2,800 per square
CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL premium asphalt at $625-$900 per square — smaller Orono ranches at $20K-$30K
Stone-coated steel premium aesthetic at $1,400-$2,200 per square
Half-round copper gutters, custom flashing, standing seam accents priced separately
Orono roofing, siding, and window questions
Answers to the questions Crystal Bay, Cooks Bay, Brown's Bay, and West Arm homeowners ask before signing a contract.
Ready to talk about your Orono project?
Call 952-206-6339 or request a free written quote online — we typically inspect within 24 to 48 hours.
A lake-home roof done right is a thirty-year investment
Modex installs DaVinci synthetic slate and CeDUR cedar shake on most of our Orono lake homes — products that match the architectural character of Crystal Bay, Cooks Bay, Brown's Bay, and West Arm without the 18-year cedar replacement cycle. Five manufacturer certifications. Lifetime workmanship warranty. Owner-led on every project above $40K. Call 952-206-6339 or request a free written quote.
About
Modern Exterior Systems serves Orono with lake-corridor expertise
Modex is a women-owned roofing, siding, and window contractor headquartered in Eden Prairie, serving Orono's Lake Minnetonka neighborhoods on the northwest shore. We specialize in DaVinci synthetic slate and CeDUR cedar shake on 45-65 square lake homes, HOA aesthetic review coordination, shoreland-overlay paperwork, and owner-led craftsmanship on every project above $40K. Twin Cities exterior work, written down and warrantied.
Reviewed by Joe Dvorak, Owner, Modern Exterior Systems. Modex also serves Wayzata, Minnetonka, and Excelsior along the Lake Minnetonka corridor.
Modex credentials and manufacturer certifications
Modern Exterior Systems holds manufacturer certifications from the industry's most trusted brands. Our crews are trained and certified on every material we install — DaVinci synthetic slate, CeDUR synthetic cedar shake, CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL, James Hardie ColorPlus, LP SmartSide, and the premium window lines. That expertise shows on every Orono project.
CertainTeed ShingleMaster
Certified installer
Roofing and shingles
James Hardie Preferred
Certified installer
Fiber cement siding
BBB A+ rating
Accredited business
Trust and accountability
Further reading for Orono homeowners
Lake-corridor roofing, synthetic slate decisions, cedar tradeoffs, and storm-claim playbooks — written for homeowners by a Twin Cities installer.
May 31, 2026
Is DaVinci Synthetic Slate Worth the Premium? A Twin Cities Contractor's Honest Math
I install DaVinci synthetic slate across the Twin Cities. Honest pricing ($2,500-$3,500/square), payback math vs premium asphalt, and when it's actually worth it. 952-206-6339.
May 31, 2026
Cedar Roofing Alternatives: 5 Modern Materials That Look Like Cedar But Outperform It
MN contractor on 5 cedar shake roof alternatives — CeDUR, DaVinci, Brava, stone-coated steel, CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL. Real pricing, lifespan, insurance fit. 952-206-6339.
April 26, 2026
CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL: Is the Industry's Best-Looking Shingle Worth the Premium?
Minnesota contractor reviews CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL: the industry's best-looking shingle. Weight, specs, cost, who it's for.
March 21, 2026
What Are the Disadvantages of Cedar Siding? 7 Real Problems
Minnesota contractor reveals 7 real disadvantages of cedar siding after 20+ years replacing it. Cost, maintenance, rot, and better alternatives for MN homes.
April 14, 2026
First 48 Hours After a Hailstorm: Twin Cities Playbook
Hour-by-hour homeowner action plan for the 48 hours after a Twin Cities hailstorm. What to document, who to call, what NOT to sign.
April 7, 2026
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Roof Replacement? What Minnesota Homeowners Need to Know
Will homeowners insurance pay for a new roof? Minnesota contractor explains what's covered, depreciation vs replacement cost, claim mistakes.