How Much Does Vinyl Siding Cost?
Last Updated: January 25, 2022
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To vinyl siding or not: that is the question you've probably asked yourself if your home siding needs replacing. While purists insist on real wood, they might have a change of heart when their house needs to be scraped and painted every 10 years or so. Vinyl, on the other hand, is very low maintenance, and advances in technology have vastly improved the material's overall performance and appearance. To learn more about vinyl siding, including how much it costs to install, continue reading this buying guide.
Vinyl Siding Basics #
When shopping for vinyl siding (PVC siding) and vinyl siding contractors, keep the following considerations in mind:
- Types: The types of vinyl siding can be broken down into its profile and texture. Among the former, choose from horizontal, vertical, shingle/shake, and faux layouts to make your home look accordingly modern, Victorian, European, etc. Popular vinyl siding textures include smooth, matte, and textured (made, for example, to resemble wood grain).
- Quality: Vinyl siding quality, generally measured by its thickness, can mean the difference between siding that sags, gets dislodged by wind, or takes impact damage within a few years of installation and siding that remains like new for decades. Minimum vinyl siding thickness is .035 inches, while premium siding is around .045 to .055 inches.
- Installation: Equally important to the quality of the vinyl siding itself is the quality of the installer. Because vinyl siding has a tendency to shrink in cold weather and expand in hot weather, an experienced contractor is a must. When choosing a contractor, ask for their certifications and to see examples of their past work. Signs of poor craftsmanship include bulging, warping, separation, sags, and ripples.
Reasons to Install Vinyl Siding #
Some of the reasons why more than 30 percent of homeowners choose to install vinyl siding on their homes, and why you should consider it for yours, are described below.
- Durability: Vinyl siding isn't maintenance free, its color can fade a bit over the years and panels can be damaged, as some proponents claim, but its ability to resist insect damage, dry rot, and moisture makes it very low maintenance compared to wood. In general, all that's required to keep vinyl looking like new is a cleaning solution, a soft brush, and a hose.
- Choice: The number of available vinyl siding styles, thicknesses, textures, profiles, layouts, and colors means there are virtually limitless options to choose from.
- Value: In many cases, the cost for vinyl siding installation is less than that of new wood siding. When you additionally consider that vinyl requires less maintenance, its value is even more apparent.
Vinyl Siding Average Costs #
- The average vinyl siding cost is $2 to $12 per square foot installed. For a typical home with 1,500 exterior square feet, that works out to a total cost of $3,000 to $18,000.
- Trim pieces will raise the overall cost a bit because they are more labor-intensive, as will soffit, fascia, and window channels if they are not included in the estimate. You may also want to include installing new gutters ($4 to $10 per linear foot) at the same time as the vinyl siding.
- Removing old siding might cost $1,500 to $3,500.
