Siding guides
Planning a siding project has five steps: measure your wall area, decide on tear-off versus going over existing, choose a material within budget, get three quotes on an identical written scope, and verify licensing, insurance, and - on pre-1978 homes - EPA lead-safe certification before work begins.
Start with measurement, because it sets your budget. Measure wall area, not floor area: multiply each wall's height by width, add gables, and subtract large openings. Contractors quote in squares of 100 square feet. At roughly $6 to $20 per square foot installed depending on material, per This Old House, you can size the job before anyone visits.
Then decide the scope. Tear-off costs more (about $1,000 to $2,500 on a vinyl job, per Fixr) but it is the only way to see and fix the sheathing, water-resistive barrier, and flashing. If your reason for re-siding is a leak, tear-off is not optional.
Vetting is the part homeowners skip. Ask for the license number where your state requires one, a current certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer, references from jobs completed two-plus years ago (not last month), and the EPA lead-safe firm certification if the house predates 1978. Skipping this is how people end up paying twice.
Choosing siding an approach
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
- Measure before you call Wall area in squares. Knowing your own number stops you from being talked into a much larger measured area.
- Write the scope yourself One page: tear-off, barrier, flashing, trim, product and profile, rot allowance rate, permit responsibility, cleanup. Hand the same page to every bidder.
- Verify insurance directly Ask the insurer to send the certificate to you. A PDF forwarded by the contractor proves nothing about current coverage.
- Check old references, not new ones Anyone can look good a week after the job. Ask for customers from two or three years ago and ask them specifically about leaks and callbacks.
- Pay on milestones Avoid large upfront deposits. Tie payments to defined stages and hold a final amount until punch list items are done.
- Pre-1978 house Confirm EPA lead-safe firm certification before any painted surface is disturbed. This is a federal requirement for paid work, not a nicety.
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Curb Appeal Siding Colors
Siding and Insulation Together
Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- This Old House - Siding Replacement Cost (2026) · retrieved 2026-07-25
- Fixr - Vinyl Siding Cost · retrieved 2026-07-25
- EPA - Renovation, Repair and Painting Program · retrieved 2026-07-25
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