Siding research and data
Key sourced siding figures for 2026: installed cost runs about $6.13 per square foot for vinyl up to $20 for brick veneer (This Old House); the national average fiber cement project is $14,674 (This Old House); labor is 30% to 50% of a vinyl job and vinyl replacement returns about 97% at resale (Fixr); and NAHB lists vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood, brick and stone as lasting the life of the house.
Two datasets do most of the work in this category. Cost guides - This Old House and Fixr among them - publish per-square-foot installed rates that are useful for sizing a budget but reflect national averages, not your local labor market. The NAHB Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components publishes manufacturer-sourced life expectancies that are useful for planning replacement cycles but assume competent installation.
Where the two disagree is instructive. NAHB lists vinyl siding as lasting the life of the house; This Old House's field-oriented guide gives 20 to 40 years. Both are defensible: the material may not degrade, but color, profile availability, and installation details fail long before the polymer does. When you plan, use the shorter number.
Resale ROI figures deserve the most skepticism. Fixr cites about 97% return for vinyl siding replacement. These figures come from national surveys of agent-estimated resale value at a point in time; they are not returns you can bank on, and they vary hugely by market and by what condition your old siding was in.
Choosing siding what the data says
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
- Installed cost per square foot Vinyl $6.13, aluminum $7.32, fiber cement $9.00, stucco $9.66, cedar $11.70, stone veneer $14.16, brick veneer $20.00, per This Old House's 2026 data.
- Whole-house totals $8,000-$30,000 with an average near $19,000 on a 2,000-square-foot home (This Old House); fiber cement national project average $14,674.
- Published life expectancies NAHB: brick, vinyl, engineered wood, stone and fiber cement listed as lifetime; stucco 50-100 years; exterior trim 25 years; fiber-cement fascia 50 years.
- Labor share Labor is 30% to 50% of a vinyl siding project, roughly $2-$5 per square foot, per Fixr. Fiber cement labor is $2-$8 per square foot per This Old House.
- Resale return Fixr cites roughly 97% ROI for vinyl siding replacement. Treat as a national average, not a forecast for your home.
- Use local quotes to calibrate National data sets the expected range. Three local quotes on an identical scope tell you your actual market.
All siding research
Siding Cost Index
Siding Durability by Climate Report
Curb Appeal ROI Report
Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- This Old House - Siding Replacement Cost (2026) · retrieved 2026-07-25
- This Old House - Fiber Cement Siding Cost (2026) · retrieved 2026-07-25
- Fixr - Vinyl Siding Cost · retrieved 2026-07-25
- NAHB - Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components · retrieved 2026-07-25
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