Siding replacement cost

Re-siding a house costs $8,000 to $38,000 depending on size and material. A 1,500 square foot single-story house is about $10,250 in vinyl and $19,000 in fiber cement. Siding is priced by the square, which is 100 square feet of wall, the same unit roofers use.

The first surprise is that a two-story house has more siding than a single-story house of the same floor area, not less. A 2,000 square foot ranch has about 16 squares of wall. A 2,000 square foot two-story house sits on half the footprint but stacks the walls, and has about 22. This is the opposite of how roofing works, and it catches people who have just priced a roof.

Cost by material

Installed, per square, including tear-off of the existing siding and new house wrap:

Fiber cement runs 40% to 60% above vinyl installed and lasts roughly twice as long. Over a fifty year horizon it is cheaper. Over a ten year one it is not, which is why the right answer depends on how long you plan to own the house.

Working out your wall area

Measure the perimeter of the house at ground level and multiply by the wall height, which is about 9 feet per story for most houses. Subtract roughly 15% for windows and doors. Divide by 100 for squares.

Gables add area that this method misses. A gable is a triangle: half the base times the height. Two gable ends on a typical house add 2 to 4 squares.

What is under the old siding matters most

Siding is a rain screen, not a waterproof layer. Water gets behind it and is meant to drain out. The layers that actually keep the house dry are the house wrap and the flashing, and both are hidden until the old siding comes off.

That is where the budget risk sits:

• Rotten sheathing: $70 to $150 per 4x8 sheet installed
• Water damage in the wall framing: $500 to $5,000 depending on extent
• Missing or failed house wrap, which is common on houses built before the 1980s
• Flashing that was never installed correctly at windows, doors and roof junctions

Ask for a per-sheet sheathing rate in the contract before work starts. A contractor who will not give one before the wall is open is asking you to accept whatever number appears later.

What a fair quote includes

• Tear-off and disposal of the existing siding
• New house wrap or weather-resistive barrier, named by product
• New flashing at every window, door and penetration
• Trim, corners, soffit and fascia, priced explicitly
• Caulking and paint where the material requires it
• The manufacturer's warranty and the workmanship warranty, stated separately

The trim is where quotes diverge most. Corner posts, window surrounds, frieze boards and soffit can be a quarter of the job, and a quote that says "siding" and lists no trim is not comparable to one that itemizes it.

Going over the old siding

Vinyl can legally be installed over existing siding in many jurisdictions, and it saves the tear-off line, roughly $150 to $300 a square. It is almost always a bad trade. It hides rot, it hides whether there is any weather barrier at all, it adds thickness that windows and doors then sit recessed behind, and it makes the next replacement harder.

The one reasonable case is over sound, flat, original wood siding on a house you know is dry, where furring strips create a drainage plane. Anything else, take the old material off.

Go deeper

By material

• Vinyl siding cost by grade, and why thickness matters
• Fiber cement siding cost, and whether the premium is worth it
• Wood siding cost, and the maintenance that is the real cost
• Metal siding cost, where the coating decides the price
• Stucco cost, and the drainage details that decide whether it lasts
• Brick veneer cost, and why the air gap is the system

By place

• Siding replacement cost by state, built from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data

Behind the cladding

• House wrap cost, the layer that decides whether the wall stays dry
• Exterior trim replacement cost, the first thing to rot
• Siding repair cost, and what is usually behind the damage

Windows and doors

• Window replacement cost per opening
• Window repair cost, and the foggy pane that does not need a new window
• Bay window installation cost
• Entry door replacement cost
• Patio door replacement cost
• Storm door installation cost
• Garage door replacement cost, the best return on this list

Finish and appearance

• Exterior house painting cost, the cheaper alternative when the siding is sound
• Exterior shutters cost, and the sizing rule that matters
• Front porch cost
• Curb appeal improvements cost, ranked by what they change per dollar

Upkeep

• Pressure washing cost, and why soft washing is the right method for most surfaces
• Gutter guard cost, and what guards do not fix
• How long does siding last, by material

Frequently asked questions

How long does re-siding take?

Five to fifteen working days for a typical house, longer for fiber cement because it is heavier, cut with specialist blades, and painted or touched up after installation. Weather stops work more than on interior jobs.

Does new siding pay for itself?

Siding is consistently among the better returning exterior projects, recovering roughly 60% to 80% of its cost at resale, and fiber cement tends to return more than vinyl. It also stops the deterioration underneath, which is the part that gets expensive if left.

Do I need a permit?

Usually yes for a full re-side, because it involves the weather barrier and sometimes the sheathing. Requirements vary widely, and a contractor who works in your town will know. Insist the permit is pulled.

Will new siding make the house warmer?

Slightly. Insulated vinyl adds an R-value of roughly 2 to 3, which is real but small next to attic insulation. The bigger gain usually comes from the air sealing and the new house wrap that go on at the same time.

Can I re-side just one wall?

Yes, and it is common after damage, but matching existing siding that has been weathering for fifteen years is close to impossible. Vinyl colors are discontinued and everything fades. Expect a visible difference or plan to do adjacent walls.