Siding is one of the few exterior projects where homeowners face a genuine material choice with large cost consequences, and the two options most quotes come down to are vinyl and fiber cement.
What Current Ranges Look Like
Published 2026 figures put vinyl siding installed at roughly six to twelve dollars per square foot in most markets, and fiber cement at roughly five to fourteen dollars per square foot, with project averages for fiber cement frequently landing in the middle teens of thousands of dollars. For a typical two thousand square foot home, quoted totals commonly fall somewhere around eight to sixteen thousand dollars for vinyl and sixteen to twenty eight thousand for fiber cement.
Those bands overlap at the edges because product tiers overlap. Premium vinyl with heavier gauge, better color retention, and stronger wind ratings costs considerably more than entry level vinyl, and it can approach the lower end of fiber cement pricing.
Regional variation is large. Quoted per square foot prices for the same product can differ by fifty percent or more between markets, driven mostly by labor.
The Gap Is Mostly Labor
Fiber cement is heavier, requires specific cutting practices and dust control, and takes longer to install. Reported labor components for fiber cement commonly run several dollars per square foot above vinyl. That is the bulk of the price difference, not the material itself.
It also means the quality of the installation crew matters more with fiber cement than with vinyl. Fastening, joint treatment, clearance at horizontal surfaces, and paint at cut ends are all things that separate an installation that lasts from one that fails early.
What Else Moves the Number
- Tear off and disposal. Removing existing siding is commonly quoted in the low thousands, more where there is damage or older material requiring special handling.
- What is found underneath. Sheathing damage, rot, and previous water intrusion are the most common change orders on a siding job. Ask for a unit rate on sheathing replacement before work starts, a subject covered in budgeting for the parts of a project you cannot see.
- House complexity. Two story homes typically carry a premium over comparable single story homes, and dormers, gables, and complex rooflines add labor.
- Trim and details. Corner treatments, window and door trim, soffit, and fascia are frequently priced separately and are a common source of differences between quotes.
- Prefinished versus field painted. Factory finished products cost more per square foot and reduce site labor and weather dependence.
- Insulation and house wrap. Whether the quote includes a weather resistive barrier, and which one, is worth checking explicitly.
Design Trends Affecting Price
Wider lap profiles and mixed material elevations have become popular, and both affect cost. Wider planks generally carry a higher per square foot price, and mixing materials across an elevation adds transitions, trim, and labor. A homeowner working from photographs should be aware that a look assembled from three materials costs meaningfully more than the same house in one.
Resale and Longevity
Exterior cladding replacement performs well in resale return research, with fiber cement generally reported above vinyl. As with all such figures, they are national averages that vary by market and by what the neighborhood expects.
Longevity depends heavily on installation and exposure. Both materials can last decades when installed correctly, and both can fail early when water gets behind them and cannot get out.
Getting Quotes That Compare
Ask every bidder for the same information:
- The specific product line and thickness or gauge
- Whether the price includes tear off, disposal, and house wrap
- The unit rate for sheathing repair
- What is included for trim, soffit, fascia, and corners
- Warranty terms for the product and for the installation, which are separate
- Whether the crew is employed or subcontracted, and their experience with the specific product
Siding also intersects with fire hardening requirements in some regions, which we covered in home hardening rules are changing.
If you are pricing new siding, tell us about your home and we will connect you with contractors serving your area. It is free to use, with no obligation to hire.