Siding Replacement Cost Calculator — Cost to Replace Siding

Inputs

Exterior wall area (sq ft)

Wall area is roughly 1.5× your home's footprint — default 1,500 sq ft suits a typical 2,000 sq ft two-story home.

Material

Tear off the old siding

Stories

State (optional)

Uses the latest BEA state price level to suggest a 0.90, 1.00, or 1.10 planning tier. You can override it.

Region

Result

Adjust the inputs to see your result.

How the estimate works

Siding is priced per square foot of exterior wall — material and labor blended together. The calculator takes your wall area (roughly 1.5× your home's footprint, more with gables and extra stories), multiplies by the material's installed cost per square foot, then scales for the number of stories and your region. Tear-off of the old siding is added separately, at about $1–$3 per square foot.

Each material carries a national installed-cost range — from about $4–$12 per sq ft for vinyl up to $10–$25 for brick veneer. The result is an honest low-to-high range, because real siding bids vary that much depending on trim detail, material grade, and access.

The formula

The math behind each estimate is deliberately transparent:

cost = wall area × material $/sq ft × (stories factor × region factor)
+ (tear-off $/sq ft × wall area × same factor, if removing old siding)

The stories factor (1.0 / 1.1 / 1.2 for 1 / 2 / 3+ stories) covers extra work at height. The editable state-price factor (0.90 / 1.00 / 1.10) comes from BEA statewide price levels and shifts the whole planning band. Tear-off is scaled the same way. We round to the nearest $50 because a broad model cannot justify dollar-level precision.

Worked example

Say you have a two-story home with 1,500 sq ft of exterior wall, you're going with fiber-cement, you want a full tear-off, and you're in a national-average region:

Combined factor = 1.1 (two stories) × 1.0 (average region) = 1.1
Material + labor, low: 1,500 × $8 × 1.1 = $13,200
Material + labor, high: 1,500 × $20 × 1.1 = $33,000
Tear-off, low: 1,500 × $1 × 1.1 = $1,650
Tear-off, high: 1,500 × $3 × 1.1 = $4,950
Total low ≈ $13,200 + $1,650 = $14,850; total high ≈ $33,000 + $4,950 = $37,950
Midpoint ≈ $26,400 (rounded to the nearest $50)

Swap fiber-cement for vinyl ($4–$12) on the same house and the range drops to roughly $8,250–$23,800 — that single material choice is a five-figure decision.

Material comparison

The four materials most homeowners actually weigh, side by side. Lifespan and maintenance are broad planning ranges; climate, product line, finish, and installation quality matter.

Material	Installed $/sq ft	Lifespan	Maintenance	Planning fit
Vinyl	$4–$12	20–30 yrs	Low — occasional rinse	Lowest up-front cost
Fiber-cement (Hardie)	$8–$20	30–50 yrs	Repaint every 10–15 yrs	Fire-, rot-, and pest-resistant
Engineered wood (LP SmartSide)	$6–$14	20–30 yrs	Repaint periodically	Lighter alternative with periodic repainting
Brick veneer	$10–$25	50+ yrs	Very low — occasional tuckpointing	Long-life masonry finish

The pattern: vinyl wins on up-front cost; fiber-cement trades a higher price and repainting for fire, rot, and pest resistance; engineered wood is easier to handle than fiber-cement but still needs finish maintenance; brick veneer is durable and low-maintenance but expensive and heavy to install.

What drives the price

Material is the biggest lever — brick veneer or fiber-cement can cost 2–3× a basic vinyl job.
Wall area grows with stories, gables, and dormers — a complex two-story has far more siding than its footprint suggests.
Tear-off and sheathing repair are the wildcards — rotten sheathing or failed house wrap hidden behind old siding is the most common budget-buster.
State price tier shifts the broad model by ±10%; written local bids remain necessary.

Common mistakes

Estimating by footprint, not wall area. A 2,000 sq ft house can have 1,500–2,000+ sq ft of wall once height and gables are counted.
Skipping the weather barrier. New siding over old or missing house wrap traps moisture and shortens its life.
Forgetting tear-off and disposal. Stripping old siding and hauling it off is real labor and dumpster cost.
Taking one bid. Siding bids for the same job routinely vary 30–40%. Always get three.

The four big cost swings

Tear-off and disposal. Stripping old siding and hauling it to the dump adds $1–$3 per sq ft — roughly $1,500–$4,500 on a 1,500 sq ft house. It's almost always worth it: it's the only way to inspect the sheathing and replace the weather barrier. Whatever you budget, add a 10–15% contingency, because tear-off is when crews discover hidden rot.

Stories and access. A second story adds about 10% and a third adds 20% — not because there's that much more wall, but because the crew needs ladders, scaffolding, and fall protection, and work simply goes slower up high. Tight lot lines, steep grades, and overhanging trees push this higher.

Trim, fascia, and house wrap. The "boring" components quietly move the number. A fresh layer of house wrap (Tyvek-style weather-resistant barrier) is cheap insurance and should be standard on any tear-off. New corner boards, window and door trim, and fascia wrap (often aluminum coil stock) can add several thousand on a detailed exterior — and skipping them looks unfinished.

Material grade and color. Within a single material there's a wide range: builder-grade vinyl vs. insulated or premium vinyl, or standard vs. pre-finished ColorPlus fiber-cement. Dark and custom colors, factory finishes, and thicker profiles all sit at the top of each range.

Should you DIY it?

Vinyl siding is one of the more DIY-friendly exterior jobs for a confident homeowner — a coil siding nailer and a weekend or two can re-side a small, simple, single-story wall and save the labor portion of the cost. But be honest about the caveats. Fiber-cement is heavy, requires special blades and dust control (the silica dust is a respiratory hazard), and usually takes two people. Anything above one story brings real fall risk and the staging that pros price in. Cut corners on the weather barrier or window flashing and you can trap moisture that rots the wall behind brand-new siding — an expensive lesson. If there's any sign of rot, structural issues, or you're not comfortable on a ladder, hire it out and use this estimate to vet the bids.

When this calculator is the wrong tool

Use a pro inspection for: structural or sheathing repairs, full stucco re-application over lath, masonry restoration, insurance-claim scope, or homes with extensive rot. This tool estimates a standard residential re-side.

Sources & how we keep this current

The per-square-foot ranges in this calculator are planning inputs cross-checked against public consumer and manufacturer guidance:

James Hardie published guidance — used for manufacturer project-scope and installation context.
Angi's public cost guide — installed-cost context used as a reasonableness check, not a local quote.

We re-check these ranges against the latest published guides periodically (data last verified June 2026). Material prices have been volatile in recent years, so treat the output as a current-as-of planning range and confirm with local bids — a written quote from a licensed contractor always beats any national average.

Recommended gear

Recommended for this job

This block contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are set by the vendor.

House wrap (Tyvek)

A continuous weather-resistant barrier behind new siding — the cheapest insurance against wind-driven rain and rot.

View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Related guides

FAQ

Questions, answered

How much does it cost to replace siding?

For a typical 2,000 sq ft, two-story home (about 1,500 sq ft of exterior wall) most homeowners pay roughly $6,000–$18,000 to re-side in vinyl, with the national midpoint around $12,000. Fiber-cement, wood, metal, brick, and stucco cost more — fiber-cement (Hardie) commonly runs $12,000–$30,000 on the same house. Your final price depends on wall area, material, tear-off, stories, and local labor rates.

How do I figure out my exterior wall square footage?

Wall area is roughly 1.5× your home's footprint — so a 2,000 sq ft floor plan has around 1,500–2,000 sq ft of siding, more if you have gables, dormers, or extra stories. For a tighter number, measure each wall (length × height), add them up, and subtract large windows and doors. This calculator takes wall area directly and defaults to 1,500 sq ft.

Is fiber-cement (Hardie) worth the extra cost?

It can be when fire, rot, pests, and a longer service life matter enough to justify the higher installed cost and repainting requirements. It is heavier and slower to install than vinyl, so compare product-specific warranties and written local bids rather than assuming the premium will be recovered at resale.

Should I tear off the old siding?

Usually. Removing the old siding lets the crew inspect the sheathing and house wrap, find and fix hidden rot, and install a proper weather barrier. Tear-off adds roughly $1–$3 per square foot, but siding over damaged or uneven walls hides problems that get expensive later. Budget a 10–15% contingency in case the crew finds rot underneath.

Is this an exact quote?

No — it's a planning estimate built from national average cost ranges. Siding prices swing widely by region, material grade, trim detail, and crew. Always get 3 written bids from licensed local siding contractors before budgeting.

What's actually included in a per-square-foot siding price?

An installed price bundles the siding panels, fasteners, starter strips, J-channel and corner trim, a weather-resistant barrier (house wrap), flashing around windows and doors, labor, and the contractor's overhead and profit. It usually does NOT include tear-off and disposal of the old siding, sheathing repair, new trim or fascia, painting (for materials like fiber-cement that ship primed but unpainted), permits, or scaffolding for tall walls. This calculator adds tear-off separately and scales for stories so those big swing items aren't buried.

How much does vinyl vs. fiber-cement actually cost on a real house?

On a typical 1,500 sq ft of exterior wall, single story, national-average region: vinyl runs about $6,000 low to $18,000 high (midpoint near $12,000), while fiber-cement runs about $12,000 to $30,000 (midpoint near $21,000). The gap is roughly 1.7–2× because fiber-cement panels cost more, are heavier and slower to hang, and often need painting after installation.

Does new siding actually pay you back when you sell?

It may protect marketability when existing siding is visibly failed or allowing water intrusion, but the resale effect depends on condition, material, neighborhood, and recent comparable sales. Do not assume the sale price will increase by the project cost; ask a local agent or appraiser for property-specific evidence.

How long does each siding material last, and what upkeep does it need?

Vinyl lasts 20–30 years and basically just needs an occasional hose-down. Fiber-cement (Hardie) lasts 30–50 years and needs repainting roughly every 10–15 years. Engineered wood (LP SmartSide) lasts 20–30 years with periodic repainting. Real wood lasts 20–40 years but demands repaint or restain every 3–7 years — the highest maintenance of the group. Aluminum and steel last 30–40+ years; steel resists dents better than aluminum. Brick veneer lasts 50+ years with almost no maintenance beyond occasional mortar tuckpointing.

Can I side over my old siding instead of tearing it off?

Sometimes, but it's usually a false economy. Siding over the old layer (common with vinyl) saves $1–$3 per sq ft in tear-off and disposal, but it hides whatever is failing underneath — rotten sheathing, missing or torn house wrap, insect damage — and that moisture stays trapped against your structure. It also adds thickness that complicates trim, windows, and doors. Most pros recommend a full tear-off so they can inspect the sheathing and install a fresh continuous weather barrier. Tear off when in doubt.