Siding Replacement Cost: What to Pay by Material
Most homeowners pay between $5,559 and $17,710 to replace siding, with an average of about $11,579. Installed cost runs roughly $4 to $13 per square foot depending on material, and removing the old siding adds $0.70 to $2.00 per square foot.
What siding replacement costs
HomeAdvisor puts the cost to replace siding at $5,559 to $17,710 with an average of $11,579. This Old House reports a range of $8,000 to $30,000 and an average of $12,252 for a typical 2,000 square foot home in vinyl. HomeGuide lands in the same territory at $4 to $13 per square foot installed, or $10,000 to $32,500 for a 2,500 square foot house.
The spread is wide because siding is priced by surface area, and two houses with the same floor plan can have very different exterior square footage. A simple box shaped home is cheaper to side than one with eaves, turrets, dormers, or multiple stories. Height matters too: two or more stories typically carries a 10 to 20 percent premium because of staging and access.
Cost per square foot by material
| Material | Installed cost per sq ft | 2,500 sq ft house | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $4 – $12 | $10,000 – $30,000 | 30 – 40 years |
| Board and batten | $5 – $13 | $12,500 – $32,500 | 20 – 100 years |
| Wood | $5 – $15 | $8,500 – $31,500 | varies by species |
| Aluminum | $6 – $10 | $15,000 – $25,000 | 25 – 40 years |
| Cedar | $6 – $16 | varies by grade | needs regular sealing |
| Engineered wood | $7 – $12 | varies by profile | 20 – 30 years |
| Fiber cement | $7 – $18 | $6,591 – $23,200 typical | long, low maintenance |
| Brick | $8 – $18 | $20,000 – $45,000 | 75 – 100+ years |
Vinyl is the volume choice and the cheapest professional option. HomeAdvisor puts vinyl replacement at $6,366 to $18,369, averaging $12,293. Within vinyl the grade matters: traditional lap runs $2 to $7 per square foot in materials, while insulated vinyl is around $8. Fiber cement, often called Hardie board, averages about $14,895 installed and is the common upgrade when a homeowner wants to stop repainting wood.
The costs that are not in the headline number
| Line item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Labor | $2 – $6 per sq ft, or $40 – $80 per hour |
| Old siding removal and disposal | $0.70 – $2.00 per sq ft |
| Full house removal and disposal | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| House wrap, weather barrier | $0.50 – $1.30 per sq ft |
| Trim and accessories | around $1,000 on a 2,000 sq ft home |
| Soffit and fascia to match | $9 – $34 per linear foot |
| Building permit | $500 – $2,000 |
Materials account for roughly 50 to 55 percent of a siding project and labor the remaining 45 to 50 percent. That split is worth knowing, because a quote that looks material heavy or labor heavy compared with it deserves a question.
The asbestos question on older homes
If your house was built before 1978, the existing siding may contain asbestos, and that changes the arithmetic completely. Asbestos siding removal runs $7 to $10 per square foot, which works out to roughly $14,000 to $20,000 on a 2,000 square foot home, before any new siding goes on. HomeAdvisor reports an average asbestos siding removal of $3,202 with most homeowners paying $708 to $5,696, the lower figures reflecting partial rather than whole house removal. A test costs about $483, typically $231 to $776. Some states allow encapsulation, sealing the material in place, which is cheaper than removal when the siding is intact. Get the test before you sign a siding contract, not after the crew finds a surprise.
Is your quote reasonable?
Work from square footage, not from the total. For a 2,000 square foot exterior in vinyl, a quote of $6,400–$18,400 is normal, with about $12,300 as the common landing point. Fiber cement on the same house typically runs $10,500–$27,000. Divide the bid by your exterior square footage and check the result against the material table above.
Three things to confirm in writing. First, whether removal and disposal of the old siding are included or billed separately, since that alone is $1,000 to $3,000 on an average home. Second, whether house wrap is included, because skipping the weather barrier is a common way to shave a bid and a bad place to save money. Third, what happens if rot is found in the sheathing once the old siding comes off; a good contractor quotes a per sheet repair rate up front rather than improvising a change order mid job. If you are already handling water problems elsewhere on the house, it is worth reading up on gutter replacement cost, since siding and drainage failures often turn up together.
Last updated: October 2026