Wood siding cost
Wood siding costs $700 to $2,500 a square installed. It is the most beautiful cladding and the most demanding: everything about the price follows from needing refinishing every five to ten years, forever.
National average
$1,300
per square
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Wood siding costs $700 to $2,500 a square installed, typically around $1,300. On a 2,000 square foot house that is $14,000 to $50,000, and the range is wide because "wood siding" covers cedar shingles at one end and pine lap boards at the other.
It is the most beautiful cladding and the most demanding. Everything about the price follows from the fact that it needs refinishing every five to ten years, forever.
What it costs
| Material | Installed, per square |
|---|---|
| Pine or spruce lap siding | $700 to $1,300 |
| Cedar bevel or lap siding | $900 to $1,800 |
| Cedar shingles | $1,200 to $2,500 |
| Redwood | $1,400 to $2,800 |
| Board and batten, pine | $800 to $1,600 |
| Board and batten, cedar | $1,100 to $2,200 |
| Shiplap or tongue and groove | $1,000 to $2,000 |
| Engineered wood | $800 to $1,700 |
| Reclaimed or specialty wood | $1,800 to $4,000 |
| 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 |
| Prime and paint, factory finished | add $150 to $400 per square |
| Field painting after installation | $200 to $500 per square |
| Stain instead of paint | $150 to $400 per square |
| Trim and corner boards | $8 to $25 per linear foot |
The maintenance is the real cost
A wood-clad house needs refinishing. That is not a flaw; it is the deal.
| Finish | Recycle | Cost per cycle, 2,000 sq ft house |
|---|---|---|
| Paint | 7 to 10 years | $4,000 to $12,000 |
| Solid stain | 5 to 8 years | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Semi-transparent stain | 3 to 5 years | $2,500 to $7,000 |
| Clear or natural finish | 2 to 4 years | $2,500 to $7,000 |
| Left to weather grey | never | $0, and it must be cedar or redwood |
Over thirty years, a painted wood house costs $16,000 to $48,000 in repainting on top of the installation. Vinyl over the same period costs nothing beyond washing. That is the honest comparison and it is why wood is a choice rather than a default.
The exception is cedar or redwood left to weather. Both have natural decay resistance and both silver attractively. It is the lowest-maintenance version of wood and the one people either love or cannot live with.
Factory finished, every time
Wood siding finished before it arrives, on all six sides including the cut ends, lasts dramatically longer than wood painted on the wall after installation.
The reason is the back. Unsealed rear faces absorb moisture from the wall cavity, which pushes the paint off the front from behind. That is what causes the peeling people blame on the paint.
Factory finishing adds $150 to $400 a square and it is the single best money in a wood siding job. If it is being field-finished, insist that every cut end is primed before it is nailed up, and expect the crew to find that tedious.
The rainscreen question
A rainscreen is a gap between the siding and the house wrap, created by vertical furring strips, that lets the back of the siding dry and lets any water that gets behind run out.
It adds $100 to $250 a square. On a wood-clad house in a wet climate it roughly doubles the life of the finish and largely eliminates the rot that ends wood siding early.
If the budget is tight and you are choosing between a nicer wood and a rainscreen, choose the rainscreen.
Frequently asked questions
How long does wood siding last?
Twenty to forty years for pine, forty to eighty for cedar and redwood, and the variable is entirely maintenance. Wood that is kept finished and can dry outlasts almost anything. Wood that is neglected fails in fifteen.
Is engineered wood a reasonable substitute?
Yes, and it is the sensible compromise for most people. It is wood fibre and resin, comes factory primed, holds paint well, costs less than cedar and needs repainting on roughly the same cycle. It does not weather naturally and it does not look like real cedar close up.
Can I put wood siding over existing siding?
Not sensibly. Wood needs a proper drainage plane and a flat nailing surface, and it needs to dry. Over old siding it does neither.
What is the lowest-maintenance wood option?
Cedar shingles left to weather, in a climate that suits them, over a rainscreen. Nothing to repaint, sixty years of life, and a look that improves. The trade is that you do not get to choose the colour.
Does it insulate?
Barely. Wood siding is about R-1. Insulation belongs in the wall, and a re-side is the natural moment to add exterior rigid foam if the budget allows.
Read next
Exterior house painting cost$200 to $500per sq ftPainting a house exterior costs $2.00 to $5.00 per square foot of wall. A two-storey house costs up to 50% more per foot, and the reason is staging rather than paint.
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.
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.
Exterior trim replacement cost$8 to $25per linear ftExterior trim costs $8 to $25 a linear foot installed. It is the first thing on a house to rot and the last thing anyone budgets for, and it always fails at the end grain nobody looks at.
Siding repair cost$300 to $2,500per projectRepairing siding costs $300 to $2,500, typically $800. Replacing a few vinyl panels is a two-hour job. Opening a wall because the panels were hiding rot is a different project.