How much does siding replacement cost?
Siding is priced by the square, a 100 sq ft unit nobody explains. The material is half the invoice; what is behind it decides the rest.
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The numbers at a glance
- Vinyl
- $4 – $8 / sq ft
- Fiber cement
- $9 – $16 / sq ft
- Engineered wood
- $6.50 – $11 / sq ft
- Cedar or wood lap
- $8 – $15 / sq ft
- Removal of old siding
- $1.50 – $3.50 / sq ft
What siding costs per square foot, by material
Siding is sold and quoted by the square: 100 square feet of wall surface. A typical 1,600 square foot single-story house has 12 to 15 squares of wall once windows and doors are deducted, which is why quotes land between $6,000 and $24,000 for what sounds like the same job.
The material sets the range. Vinyl is the cheapest and, contrary to its reputation, the version sold today is a different product from the thin panels of the 1980s — heavier, with better UV resistance and a colour that goes through the panel rather than sitting on it.
Fiber cement costs roughly twice as much and lasts considerably longer. It is heavy, it needs painting, and it holds that paint far better than wood. Whether the premium pays depends on how long you intend to own the house.
Installed siding cost per square foot, 2026 national ranges
| Material | Installed cost | Paint or finish |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl lap | $4 – $8 | None — colour through the panel |
| Engineered wood | $6.50 – $11 | Factory primed, paint within a year |
| Cedar or wood lap | $8 – $15 | Stain or paint every 5 – 8 years |
| Fiber cement | $9 – $16 | Factory primed, paint every 10 – 15 years |
| Insulated vinyl (foam back) | $6 – $11 | None, and adds a small R-value |
These prices include house wrap and basic trim. They exclude removal of the old siding, which adds $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot, and any sheathing repair.
What sits behind the siding, and why it drives the final price
A wall is five layers, and the siding is only the outermost one. Behind it: the house wrap that drains water that gets past the boards, the sheathing that gives the wall its stiffness, the framed cavity with insulation, and the interior drywall.
A contractor who removes the old siding is the first person to see that wall in thirty years, and what they find changes the quote. Rotten sheathing, missing flashing at windows, a wrap installed backwards or not at all — each of those is a real line item, and none of them is visible from the driveway.
That is the honest reason siding quotes vary so widely: one contractor is pricing the visible layer, the other is pricing what they expect to find behind it. Ask both what they assume.
- House wrap: $0.50 – $1.50 per sq ft, and it is not optional on a re-side.
- Sheathing repair: $2 – $6 per sq ft where the panel has gone soft.
- Window and door flashing: $60 – $150 per opening if it is missing.
- Trim, corners and fascia: 10 – 20 percent of the total on a house with many corners.
- Scaffolding on a two-storey house: add 15 – 20 percent to the labour line.
Squares, waste and how to measure your own house
Measure the perimeter of the house at ground level, multiply by the wall height, then deduct the area of the windows and doors. That is the net wall area. Add 10 percent for waste and divide by 100 to get the squares to order.
Gables are the part most homeowners miss: the triangular wall at each end of a pitched roof adds area that is not captured by perimeter × height. Measure the triangle separately — half the base times the height — and add it.
Waste is not padding. Every corner, every window and every change of plane produces an offcut, and panels cannot be joined invisibly. Ten percent is the normal allowance; a house with many corners needs twelve.
Worked measurement for a 1,600 sq ft single-story house
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Perimeter | Measured at ground level | 160 ft |
| Gross wall area | 160 ft × 9 ft | 1,440 sq ft |
| Deduct openings | Windows and doors | −180 sq ft |
| Add gables | Two ends, 8 ft × 6 ft ÷ 2 each | +48 sq ft |
| Net wall area | 1,308 sq ft | |
| With 10% waste | 1,308 × 1.10 | 1,439 sq ft |
| Squares to order | 1,439 ÷ 100 | 15 squares |
Always round up: siding is ordered in whole squares and a second delivery costs more than the leftover panel.
A worked example: 15 squares of vinyl on a single-story ranch
The house measured above, with original 1970s aluminum siding that has been painted four times and is failing at the corners. The sheathing is sound; two window openings have no flashing.
15 squares of vinyl, old siding removed, two openings flashed
Priced at national averages, single storey, with the wrap replaced at the same time.
- Vinyl siding, installed15 squares at $560 per square
- $8,400
- Removal and disposal1,440 sq ft of old aluminum at $2 per sq ft
- $2,880
- House wrapFull wrap at $0.75 per sq ft
- $1,080
- Flashing at two windowsMissing sill pans, discovered after removal
- $240
- Trim, corners and fasciaNine outside corners and new fascia cap
- $760
- PermitLocal re-side permit
- $150
$13,510 — about $9.40 per square foot, all in
The same job in fiber cement lands near $22,000. The gap buys a material that holds paint for a decade longer, which matters only if you are staying.
Re-side, repair or repaint
Not every tired facade needs new siding. If the panels are sound and the paint is failing, a professional repaint costs $3,000 to $6,000 and buys eight to ten years.
Re-siding makes sense when the material itself has failed: cracked vinyl, aluminum that dents and chalks, wood that is soft at the bottom edge, or a facade that has been patched in three different materials. It is also the moment to fix what is behind the wall, which is the real argument for doing it once and properly.
The in-between case is a partial re-side — one elevation. It is cheaper but visible: new panels on one wall against twenty-year-old panels on the others rarely match, even in the same colour.
Repair, repaint or re-side
| What you see | Usual decision | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chalking, fading, peeling paint on sound panels | Repaint | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Cracked or loose vinyl panels in places | Patch that elevation | $1,500 – $4,000 |
| Soft wood at the bottom edge, recurring | Re-side | $9,000 – $22,000 |
| Aluminum dented and chalked all over | Re-side | $10,000 – $18,000 |
| Water stains inside after driving rain | Investigate the wall first | Diagnostic before pricing |
Stains on the inside of an exterior wall mean water is getting past the siding and the wrap. Re-siding without finding the entry point repeats the problem with new panels.
- Repaint buys eight to ten years for a third of the price of a re-side.
- Re-side when the panels have failed, not when the colour has.
- Ask for the sheathing inspection to be photographed before the new panels go up.
- Wrap the whole wall, not just the area behind the new siding.
- On a two-storey house, scaffolding is 15 to 20 percent of the labour line.
How long a siding replacement takes
The panels go up quickly. The inspection behind them is what takes the time.
Measurement and order
1 – 3 days
Squares calculated, colour and profile chosen, panels and trim ordered.
Material lead time
1 – 4 weeks
Stock colours are days; special orders run to four weeks.
Removal and inspection
2 – 4 days
Old siding off, sheathing probed, wrap and flashing assessed.
Installation and trim
3 – 6 days
Wrap, panels, corners, fascia and caulk. A 15-square house is about a week.
Total: two to four weeks from approval, with one to two weeks of it on site. Weather stops the work; siding cannot go up wet.
The six most expensive siding mistakes
Most of the cost hides behind the panels.
Siding over the old layer
It is legal in some places and always a bad idea: it hides rotten sheathing, traps moisture and makes the trim sit proud of the wall.
Skipping the house wrap
Siding sheds most water, not all of it. The wrap is what drains what gets through. A quote without it is not a full job.
Not flashing the openings
Windows and doors are where water enters a wall. New siding over missing flashing seals the water in.
Ordering the exact square count
Panels are cut at corners and openings. Ten percent waste is normal and rounding up costs less than a second delivery.
Choosing fibre cement for a house being sold
The premium is 60 to 80 percent and the buyer will not pay it back within a year. Vinyl photographs the same.
Ignoring the bottom edge
Siding must stop above the ground and above the roof line, with a kick-out flashing at roofs that meet a wall. That detail is where rot starts.
Before you sign a siding quote
The scope is decided by what is behind the wall, so make that explicit in writing.
- Confirm the quote is per square and states how many squares.
- Ask whether removal of the old siding is included.
- Confirm house wrap is included and covers the whole wall.
- Ask how sheathing damage will be priced if found.
- Confirm flashing at windows, doors and roof-wall junctions.
- Check that trim, corners and fascia are line items.
- Ask for photographs of the wall before the new panels go up.
- Confirm the workmanship warranty in years, separately from the product warranty.
Put a number on your project
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Planning estimate only — confirm quantities with your supplier or contractor before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to side a 1,600 square foot house?
A 1,600 square foot single-story house has roughly 15 squares of wall. In vinyl that is $9,000 to $13,500 installed with removal; in fiber cement, $18,000 to $24,000. Sheathing repairs and extra trim push both figures up.
How much does siding cost per square?
A square covers 100 square feet. Vinyl runs $400 to $800 per square installed, engineered wood $650 to $1,100, cedar $800 to $1,500 and fiber cement $900 to $1,600.
Can I put new siding over the old siding?
It is allowed in some jurisdictions, but it hides the sheathing, traps moisture between the layers and pushes trim out from the wall. On a house older than about 1980, removal is also the only way to find rot before it spreads.
Is fiber cement worth twice the price of vinyl?
It is worth it if you intend to stay long enough to benefit: it holds paint far longer and resists impact and moisture better. For a house being prepared for sale, vinyl delivers the same appearance for about half the cost.
Does new siding increase home value?
Siding replacement is one of the stronger exterior returns because it changes the whole facade, but the percentage depends on matching the neighbourhood. A premium material on a modest house recovers less than the same money spent on a mid-range one.
How often does siding need to be replaced?
Vinyl lasts 20 to 30 years, fiber cement 30 to 50, and cedar 20 to 30 with regular staining. Aluminum can last 40 years but dents and chalks. Paint failure alone is not a reason to replace — it is a reason to repaint.
Where these numbers come from
Ranges are installed national averages for 2026, including wrap and basic trim, excluding sheathing repair. Coastal labour rates add 15 to 25 percent.
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