Metal siding cost
Metal siding costs $900 to $2,800 a square installed. It does not burn, it does not rot, and a good coating carries a forty-year warranty. The finish matters more to the price than the metal.
National average
$1,500
per square
Metal siding costs $900 to $2,800 a square installed, typically around $1,500. On a 2,000 square foot house that is $18,000 to $56,000. Steel sits at the upper end, aluminium in the middle, and the finish system matters more to the price than the metal does.
It has moved from agricultural buildings to houses over the last fifteen years, and the reasons are real: it does not burn, it does not rot, and a good coating carries a forty-year warranty.
What it costs
| Material | Installed, per square |
|---|---|
| Aluminium lap siding | $900 to $1,800 |
| Steel lap siding | $1,200 to $2,400 |
| Standing seam steel panel | $1,500 to $2,800 |
| Corrugated steel panel | $900 to $1,900 |
| Zinc or copper | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Insulated metal panel | $1,600 to $3,200 |
| Extra | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Removing existing siding | $100 to $250 per square |
| Sheathing repair | $3 to $10 per sq ft |
| House wrap | $50 to $120 per square |
| Rainscreen furring | $100 to $250 per square |
| Trim, corners and closures | $10 to $30 per linear foot |
| Custom colour | add 10 to 25% |
| Concealed fastener system | add 15 to 30% |
Where the price actually comes from
The coating. A polyester paint finish is cheap and chalks and fades in ten to fifteen years. A PVDF fluoropolymer finish costs meaningfully more and holds colour for thirty to forty years with a warranty to match. On a house you plan to keep, this is the line item that decides whether the siding still looks good in year twenty.
Fasteners. Exposed-fastener panels are cheapest and fastest, and every screw is a penetration with a rubber washer that will eventually need replacing. Concealed fastener systems cost 15 to 30% more and have nothing to degrade on the face.
Gauge. 26 gauge steel is standard for residential; 24 gauge is thicker, flatter and dents less. Thin panels oil-can, which is the visible waviness in flat metal, and it is the most common complaint.
Fabrication. Long panel runs mean fewer seams and often a roll former on site, which is efficient on a large house and expensive on a small one.
Aluminium or steel
Steel is harder, dents less, and is the better choice almost everywhere inland. It will rust if the coating and the cut edges are compromised, which is why cut edges matter and why coastal installations need care.
Aluminium does not rust, which makes it the sensible choice within a few miles of salt water. It is much softer and it dents from hail, ladders and stray footballs.
Zinc and copper are architectural metals that develop a patina and last a century. They cost three to five times steel and are chosen for appearance.
The things people worry about, answered
Noise in rain. Metal siding on a wall, over sheathing and insulation, is not noticeably louder than any other cladding. Metal roofing over an open deck is where that reputation came from.
Lightning. Metal cladding does not attract lightning. If struck, a grounded metal skin is arguably safer than a combustible one.
Heat. A light-coloured metal wall reflects more solar heat than dark vinyl. Cladding contributes very little to cooling load either way; the insulation behind it does the work.
Dents. Real on aluminium, much less so on 24 gauge steel. Hail is the honest risk and in hail country it is worth asking about impact ratings.
Frequently asked questions
How long does metal siding last?
Forty to sixty years for the panel, with the coating being what ages. A PVDF finish carries a thirty to forty year warranty against fade and chalk; a polyester finish carries ten to fifteen.
Is it fireproof?
Non-combustible, which is not the same thing but is what fire-prone counties in the west increasingly require. Where wildfire code applies, metal and fiber cement are usually the two options left.
Can it go over existing siding?
It should not. Metal needs a flat plane and a drainage path, and over old siding it gets neither. Strip it and replace the house wrap.
Does it dent easily?
Aluminium yes, steel much less. A dent in metal siding is also repairable by replacing one panel, which is easier than matching twenty-year-old vinyl.
Is it noisy in the wind?
Correctly fastened, no. Panels that ripple or ping in wind are underfastened or were installed without allowance for thermal movement, and both are installation faults rather than properties of the material.
Read next
Fiber cement siding cost$1,000 to $2,200per squareFiber cement costs $1,000 to $2,200 per square installed, 40% to 60% above vinyl, and lasts roughly twice as long. Labour is most of the difference, not material.
Vinyl siding cost$500 to $1,300per squareVinyl siding costs $500 to $1,300 per square installed depending on grade. Panel thickness is what stops a wall looking wavy, and it is where the money is best spent.
How long does siding last$500 to $1,000per squareVinyl lasts 30 to 40 years, fiber cement 40 to 60, brick a century. Siding rarely fails all at once: it goes at the details first, at the trim, the caulk and the missing flashing.
Brick veneer cost$12 to $30per sq ftBrick veneer costs $12 to $30 a square foot installed. Among the most expensive claddings to install and the cheapest to own, because it needs essentially nothing for a century.
Siding replacement cost by state$500 to $1,000per squareVinyl siding costs $625 a square in Arkansas and $875 in Illinois. On a 2,000 square foot house that is $12,500 against $17,500 for identical work.