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What new siding costs in 2026, how much is material versus labor, and why vinyl and fiber cement quotes for the same house can differ by $20,000.
House siding costs $4 to $13 per sq ft installed, or $10,000 to $32,500 for a 2,500 sq ft home, with $20,000 typical. Vinyl sits at the low end; fiber cement, cedar and stone run higher.
Siding replacement runs about $8,000 to $30,000 for most homes, and a 2,500 sq ft house sits at $10,000 to $32,500 with $20,000 typical. That number covers removing the old siding, house wrap, flashing, trim and installation. Forbes Home puts the average 2,500 sq ft project at $14,910, and This Old House puts a 2,000 sq ft vinyl job at $12,252.
Material drives most of the spread. Vinyl is the cheapest at $3 to $12 per square foot installed, fiber cement and cedar cost more, and stone veneer can top $20. Labor runs $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot on top of materials, and old siding removal adds $1,000 to $2,500. Rot, mold or missing house wrap found under the old siding can add thousands.
Installed price at the national range of $4 to $13 per sq ft of home, the same rate as our live price row. Bars assume removal of the old siding, house wrap and standard trim on a one to two story house.
Calculated from the national per-square-foot range and checked against This Old House and Forbes Home in Oct 2026. A 2,500 sq ft home at the $8 midpoint lands on the $20,000 typical price of our live row, before premium materials and rot repair.
National ranges, installed. Your city can run 10 to 20 percent either way, so check the local pages before you compare quotes.
Live prices for a 2,500 sq ft home, compared with This Old House and Forbes Home in Oct 2026.
Six things move a siding quote more than anything else. Ask for each one as a line item, so the numbers you compare describe the same walls.
Siding is priced per square foot of wall area, so a 1,000 sq ft house costs $4,000 to $13,000 and a 3,000 sq ft house $12,000 to $39,000. Gables, dormers and multiple stories add material and labor.
Vinyl installs for $3 to $12 per sq ft, fiber cement $5 to $10, wood $5 to $15 and stucco $8 to $13, per Forbes Home. Stone veneer costs $28 to $51 per square foot, according to This Old House.
Labor adds $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot on top of materials. Tall walls, elaborate rooflines and lots of windows slow the crew, and fiber cement is heavier and slower to hang than vinyl.
Tear-off and disposal run $1,000 to $2,500, and some materials can go over existing siding while others cannot. Rot, mold or missing house wrap found underneath turns a simple job into a repair project.
New trim averages $1,800 for a house, and soffit, fascia, house wrap and window flashing are often bid separately. These details keep water out, so cutting them to save money is a false economy.
Permits and inspections vary by city, and most municipalities require one for a full re-side. Coastal labor rates and storm season push prices up, while early fall tends to be a slower, cheaper window.
Materials and labor split roughly in half on a standard re-side, though the ratio moves with the material. Fiber cement and cedar are material-heavy, while vinyl is a faster install with less waste on site.
This Old House siding replacement guide and Forbes Home, material and labor tables, Oct 2026.
A small shed or a single wall is a reasonable DIY project for someone comfortable on a ladder, and vinyl goes up fast with the right tools. A whole house is a different job: scaffolding, flashing details, window trim and heights that need fall protection are where the savings disappear.
Siding is the house's rain screen. A wrong lap, a missing kick-out flashing or a nail driven too tight lets water in behind the wall, and repairs run into the thousands. A permit and inspection record also helps when you sell the house.
Installed prices per square foot for the five most common choices, from This Old House and Forbes Home. Lifespans assume a proper install with flashing and normal maintenance.
This Old House siding replacement material table and Forbes Home, compared Oct 2026.
Three ways to deal with tired walls. The right answer depends on whether the siding is sound, how much of the wall is damaged, and how long you plan to stay in the house.
Paint when the siding is sound, repair when the damage is local, and replace when rot, drafts or repeat repairs pile up. Price the job with our quote checker and compare a repair against a full re-side with repair or replace.
A re-side is a sequence of small waterproofing decisions. Every step below should be in the scope, because the flashing and wrap matter as much as the boards you see.
The crew checks for rot, mold and loose flashing, measures wall area and counts windows and corners, then orders material.
Siding, trim, house wrap, flashing and fasteners are ordered, and the permit is filed if the city requires one.
The old material comes off, nails are pulled or cut, and the sheathing is checked for rot and water damage.
Soft sheathing is replaced, windows and doors are flashed, and kick-out flashing goes where rooflines meet walls.
House wrap covers the walls, corner and starter strips go on, and every seam in the wrap is taped.
Panels or boards go up from the bottom, lapped and nailed loosely enough to allow movement and stay level.
The crew caulks joints, touches up cuts, cleans the site and walks the walls with you before final payment.
Detailed cost guides for each job are being written; the tools above price every one of them today.
Checked against the official source on Oct 28, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Siding work is regulated by permit, and by state license for some trades.
House siding costs $4 to $13 per sq ft installed in 2026, or $10,000 to $32,500 for a 2,500 sq ft home, with $20,000 typical. Vinyl sits at the low end and fiber cement, cedar and stone veneer run higher. Forbes Home puts the average 2,500 sq ft job at $14,910.
A 1,500 sq ft house costs $6,000 to $19,500 at $4 to $13 per sq ft, before premium materials or rot repair. A basic vinyl job lands near the low end. This Old House puts a 2,000 sq ft vinyl re-side at $12,252, which fits that per-square-foot range.
Yes. Vinyl installs for $3 to $12 per sq ft and fiber cement for $5 to $10 before upgrades, though fiber cement lasts 50 years or more against 20 to 40 for vinyl. Over decades the gap narrows, but vinyl still wins on day one.
Vinyl runs 20 to 40 years, fiber cement 50 years or more, cedar 20 to 40 with maintenance and stone veneer 100 years or more. Sun exposure, moisture and installation quality decide how close to the top of the range a house gets.
Removal and disposal run $1,000 to $2,500 for most houses. Some materials can be installed over old siding, which saves that line, but many materials and most inspectors require a clean sheathing base that can be checked for rot.
Sometimes. Vinyl and aluminum can go over existing siding when the old layer is sound, flat and dry. Fiber cement and stucco usually need the old siding off so the sheathing and flashing can be checked and repaired before anything goes back on.
New siding improves curb appeal and can cut drafts when house wrap and insulation are added, but the return depends on the material and the local market. Treat it as a maintenance and appearance upgrade rather than an investment with a fixed payback.
Most houses take one to two weeks from tear-off to final caulk, depending on size, weather and material. Fiber cement and detailed trim take longer than vinyl. Ask how many days the crew will be on site and who handles surprises under the old siding.
Most cities require a permit for a full re-side, and This Old House lists fees around $100 to $500. Repairs may not need one. Ask the contractor who pulls the permit and who meets the inspector, because the inspection protects you when you sell.