Siding replacement runs about $3 to $12 per square foot installed for vinyl, $5 to $30 for wood, and $11 to $57 for fiber cement. A full fiber cement job on a 2,000 sq ft home often lands near $25,000 to $27,000. Material, wall area, stories, and old-siding removal drive the spread.
Cost and lifespan by material
Siding pricing comes down to the material first, then how much wall you're covering and how hard the house is to work on. The installed costs below come from This Old House, and they fold in both the product and the labor to put it up. A taller house with lots of corners and trim costs more per square foot than a simple one-story box, so treat these as ranges, not quotes.
| Material | Installed cost / sq ft | Typical lifespan | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $3 to $12 | 15 to 25 years | Wash yearly, recaulk joints |
| Engineered wood | Mid-range (between vinyl and fiber cement) | 20 to 30 years | Repaint on schedule, seal cut edges |
| Wood | $5 to $30 | 20 to 40 years | Repaint or restain every 3 to 7 years |
| Fiber cement | $11 to $57 | 30 to 50 years | Recaulk joints, repaint finish coats |
| Stucco (for comparison) | $7 to $12 | 30 to 50 years | Patch cracks, watch for moisture |
Fiber cement, the James Hardie style of board, sits at the top of the price range for good reason. It resists rot, fire, and pests, and James Hardie backs it with a 30-year non-prorated substrate warranty plus a 15-year ColorPlus finish warranty. On a 2,000 sq ft home it can range widely, roughly $22,000 to $114,000, but most homeowners land around $25,000 to $27,000. Wall area changes with the number of stories and the footprint, so a two-story home with the same floor area has more siding to cover than a one-story ranch.
What pushes the price up or down
- Material choice, which sets the baseline per square foot.
- Total wall square footage, not floor square footage.
- Number of stories, since taller walls mean scaffolding and slower labor.
- Trim, corners, gables, and other complexity that adds cut time.
- Removal and disposal of the old siding before the new goes on.
- Finish type. Factory-applied color lasts longer than paint brushed on in the field.
Signs your siding needs replacing
Most siding fails slowly, then all at once when trapped moisture finally shows up inside. Walk the perimeter a couple of times a year and look for these:
- Widespread cracking, rot, or soft spots you can press into with a thumb.
- Warped or buckled panels pulling away from the wall. Once a panel warps, you can't re-secure it, and the gap behind it traps water.
- Peeling paint on the inside of an exterior wall, which usually means water is getting in behind the siding.
- Needing to repaint far more often than normal, a sign the surface is no longer shedding water.
A few of these in one spot often means a section repair. The same signs spread across multiple walls usually mean the system is done. If you're also seeing roof staining or drips at the eaves, check that first, since roof problems you can spot from the ground often feed water down into the siding below.
Make your siding last
The gap between a 15-year vinyl job and a 25-year one is mostly maintenance. The same goes for wood, where the repaint cycle is the whole ballgame. None of this is hard, but it only works if it happens on a schedule instead of when you remember.
Keep water out of the joints
Siding sheds water, but the seams, cut edges, and penetrations around lights, faucets, and vents are where it sneaks in. Caulk and seal those joints on a yearly check, and re-do any that have cracked or pulled loose. This is the same logic behind sealing exterior gaps elsewhere on the house. While you're at it, refresh the weatherstripping on exterior doors, since the same wind-driven rain hits both.
Repaint and restain on the wood cycle
Wood and engineered wood live or die by their finish. Repaint or restain every 3 to 7 years, before the old coat fails, not after. A coat applied on schedule protects the board. A coat applied late is fighting rot that's already started.
Catch moisture early
The worst siding failures are the ones hiding behind the panel. Keep mulch, soil, and plants pulled back off the siding so the bottom edge can dry. Look for bubbling paint, musty smells, or staining that signals water is sitting where it shouldn't. Moisture behind siding is the same enemy you fight indoors, so the habits in our mold and moisture prevention checklist apply outside too.
Repair a section or replace it all?
Spot damage from a stray ball, a fallen branch, or one rotted board near a downspout is a section repair. Matching old siding can be tricky, especially on faded vinyl, but replacing a wall's worth of panels is far cheaper than residing the house. Go to full replacement when rot or warping shows up on multiple walls, when you're repainting constantly to keep water out, or when interior paint is peeling because the system is no longer keeping moisture out. One bad patch is a repair. A pattern across the house is a replacement.
Common questions
Which siding lasts the longest?
Fiber cement leads at 30 to 50 years and resists rot, fire, and pests. Wood can reach 20 to 40 years but only if you repaint or restain it every 3 to 7 years. Vinyl lasts 15 to 25 years with minimal upkeep.
Can I replace just part of my siding?
Yes, and you should when the damage is localized. A section repair costs a fraction of a full job. The catch is color matching, since older panels fade. If rot or warping appears on several walls at once, full replacement is usually the smarter spend.
Why is fiber cement so much more expensive?
It's heavier and slower to cut and install, which raises labor. In return you get 30 to 50 years of life, fire and pest resistance, and a long manufacturer warranty. Over decades the cost per year often beats cheaper materials you'd replace sooner.
Does new siding need painting?
It depends on the finish. Factory-applied or ColorPlus finishes hold color far longer than paint brushed on in the field. Wood and engineered wood always need a repaint or restain cycle. Vinyl is colored through and never needs paint.
Good maintenance rhythm
- Monthly: glance at the siding when you mow or take out trash, watching for new cracks, warping, or stains.
- Yearly: wash the siding, inspect and recaulk joints and penetrations, and pull mulch and plants back off the bottom edge.
- Every 3 to 7 years: repaint or restain wood and engineered wood before the old coat fails.
- Ongoing: fix one damaged section promptly so trapped moisture doesn't spread the problem to the wall behind it.