As homeowners ourselves, we understand how intimidating the cost of siding replacement can be. After all, it’s a major investment. Not only is fresh siding among the best sources of extra curb appeal, but it’s also important for managing temperatures within your home.
Ultimately, there’s no definitive cost. There’s only a range, and it’s a wide one.
The cheapest options can cost as low as $3,000, while renovations that endure the longest can cost as much as $14,000. The average cost to replace siding is about $10,000.
No matter the size and shape of a house, you ought to prepare for quite an expense if you’re due for new siding. But investing in effective siding is the best way to feel like you’re in an unrecognizably new home without buying a new home.
By outlining all factors that determine price, we hope to provide the tools you need to estimate siding replacement costs and move forward with your inevitable siding replacement before prices rise.
What Factors Determine House Siding Replacement Cost?
No part of a home is as front-and-center as siding. Fading and warping will be highly noticeable to passersby.
Especially on the outside, homeowners may want to keep their homes as pleasing to the eye as possible, but external parts also bear the brunt of the elements. Constant exposure to extreme temperatures and all sorts of precipitation can cause roofs, siding and gutters to take a beating.
When damage becomes severe enough, homeowners will have little choice but to renovate. How can something range in price from $3,000 to $14,000? Well, it’s something that’s decided by a lot of factors.
From house size to siding material, we’ll show you everything that goes into the cost of a full siding replacement.
House Size
A popular question: “How much does it cost to replace siding on a 2,000 sq. ft. house?”
House size is the most important factor. The bigger the house, the more surface area there is. The more surface area there is, the greater the cost to replace vinyl siding among other forms of siding.
Large homes will elevate labor costs as well as material costs, as more labor will be necessary to complete the renovation. For the largest houses, contractors need either extra sets of hands or extra time to work.
Little is achievable in the interest of lowering the cost caused by the surface area. Even the cost of a permit may affect this immediate, baseline cost.
House Shape
House shape is as important as size. The simpler the house, the fewer the individual pieces and the less complex the work. A one-story home is easy to cover, but a two-story structure with turrets, cupolas, dormers and unconventional roof angles can take a lot more work.
A 10-year-old ranch is a lot easier to cover than a 19th-century mansion. The latter actually requires more material per square foot because all the cuts into the siding that renovators would have to make would leave a lot of unusable waste material behind. Fitting a piece of siding into a regular rectangle is much easier.
Having such ornate embellishments, old mansions are difficult to cover with siding.
Siding Material
The material of the siding itself is also among the most important factors. Per square foot, the average cost of siding is about $12, but the cost of wood siding replacement can be as little as $2, and stone siding can reach $50 per square foot. There’s quite a variation.
Multiplying these values by the hundreds of square feet along the façade of your home, you’ll quickly see how much of a difference your siding material can make. The benefit of there being so many different materials is that most homeowners find a good option that resonates with budget and style.
Thickness
You might say that you can distinguish siding based on objective quality. The “quality” of siding often reflects the thickness of each panel. Thick siding will provide the most protection from the elements for the most time. Customers can ask contractors for recommendations, but thick siding isn’t always necessary in mild-to-temperate climates.
Labor Price
Market rates inform the price of labor, so it tends to remain static. But know that low labor prices beget poor work, and high labor prices beget excellent work.
Many charge by the hour, but there may also be a single flat rate for the job itself. Some materials take more time to install, while complex home shapes can require more equipment and work.
You may benefit from asking your contractors how they itemize everything they have to do. Labor charges usually manifest themselves as $1-$4 per square foot.
Removal
Contractors can install some materials directly on top of old siding, but for the most part, someone must remove the old siding first. Depending on the complexity of the removal process, removing current siding will incur further costs on top of everything the renovation already outlines. Many siding installations require a pristinely empty base for the most years of high performance.
Building Codes
Local rules regarding building codes and payment may further impact the cost of a siding installation. Typically, siding repairs don’t require permits, but when they do, associated costs are unavoidable. Either comply with permits by paying for them, or face more significant fines.
Because a siding replacement may require the removal of electrical connections and significantly change the exterior of a local home, a permit can be an essential part of siding installation costs. Check with state government websites to see if you need a permit for a siding installation.
Season
Because siding installers have busy seasons, time of year also influences costs. Contractors charge more during the busy season than they do during the off season. So, if you don’t care when the siding installation is complete, ask contractors when they’re in the middle of busy seasons, and plan your renovation for the off season to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Not every schedule is the same, but early fall is usually the best “off season” choice before the ice and snow arrive.
Extra Customization
Finally, we emphasize that further customization to your siding order will inevitably cost more. If you want composite siding that looks indistinguishable from real wood, you’ll have to pay significantly for it.
Pick fancy colors, trims and styles all you want. Only note that fussier siding is going to be expensive.
Maintain Siding with Power Washing
If you’re not ready for new siding, don’t neglect maintenance. You can’t depend on rain to keep the sides of your home clean.
Each type of siding is maintainable, and maintenance makes it last longer. All that’s necessary is a good power wash with water. You can do it yourself, but don’t get on a ladder without someone else present, especially if you haven’t used one in a long time.
If you have a ranch, you can easily maintain it without assistance. In particular, note that algae and mold like to grow on sides that don’t receive a lot of sun, so give the dark sides a little more love during your annual wash.
And don’t use anything beside water. You have no idea how your cleaning solution will react with the material.
Power washing with water is the best way to maintain siding.
What Are the Symptoms of Worn-Out Siding?
A siding replacement isn’t the first thing homeowners consider, even if it looks necessary. A siding installation is a big, expensive project that many are understandably reluctant to consider. Certainly, there is the issue of convenience: For as much as a full week, several workers will be running around your home, making tons of noise and turning the place upside-down.
However, if your siding is fading, warping or chalking (a process by which the sun’s rays cause siding to decay), you are unfortunately due for new siding. At worst, you might even see some damage from local wildlife or rotting along the shadiest parts of your home’s perimeter.
Replace Siding Before Prices Increase
The bottom line is that prices continue to rise across all industries in the shadow of the pandemic. That siding replacement you’re dreading is only going to become more expensive, so we encourage you to contact professional renovators as soon as possible.
In spite of widespread price increases, Your Window Solutions continues to do great work on windows, doors and siding all over McHenry County and Chicagoland. As we drive past our complete projects every day, we can’t wait to put you and your home first! Please call us, email us or fill our online form to get that siding replacement out of the way.