How Much Does It Cost To Install Vinyl Siding?
$3.30 – $6.70 per square foot
The average cost to install vinyl siding on a 1,600 sq. ft. home is $4,800–$5,600, or $3.30 per square foot installed depending on the size of your home, quality of siding, and the number of accent pieces. Higher-quality siding on the same house will cost between $10,200 and $11,100 or $6.70 per square foot. Get free estimates from siding contractors near you.
Vinyl Siding Cost
The average cost to install vinyl siding on a single-story, 1,600 sq. ft. home ranges from $4,850 to $5,600, or $4.80 per square foot installed ($2/sq. ft. plus $2.80/LF for trim and accessories). Higher-quality siding on the same house will set you back by about $10,200 and $11,100 or $8.80 per square foot ($4/sq. ft. plus $4.80/LF for trim and accessories).
| National Average Cost | $7,996 |
| Minimum Cost | $3,030 |
| Maximum Cost | $17,400 |
| Average Range | $4,851 to $11,142 |
Table Of Contents
- Vinyl Siding Cost
- Vinyl Siding Cost Per Square Foot
- Vinyl Siding Cost Calculator
- Vinyl Siding vs. Other Siding Materials
- Vinyl Siding Pros and Cons
- Vinyl Siding Cost Factors
- Vinyl Siding Options & Accessories
- Types of Vinyl Siding
- Hiring Your Vinyl Siding Contractor
- Siding Contractors Near Me
Vinyl Siding Cost Per Square Foot
The average cost to install vinyl siding on a single-story, 1,600 sq. ft. home is $4,800–$5,600, or $4.00 per square foot depending on the size of your home, number of stories, quality of siding, and the number of accent pieces. Higher-quality siding on the same house will cost between $10,200 and $11,100 or $6.70 per square foot.
Standard, builder, or premium-grade siding; choice of insulated or non-insulated siding? Below is a product pricing table featuring good, better, best, and premium vinyl siding using the same installer, with an average labor rate per square foot.
| Vinyl Siding Cost Per Square Foot | Good | Better | Best | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siding Materials | $0.73 | $0.96 | $2.69 | $3.00 |
| Siding Labor | $1.12 | $1.12 | $1.12 | $1.12 |
| Siding Cost | $1.85 | $2.08 | $4.08 | $4.12 |
| Accessories & Trim Per Linear Foot | Good | Better | Best | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accessories | $3 | $4 | $5 | $6 |
| Accessories Labor | $6.68 | $6.68 | $6.68 | $6.68 |
| Accessories & Trim Cost | $2.69 | $2.92 | $4.65 | $4.96 |
Vinyl Siding Cost Calculator
If we apply these calculations to a 1,600 sq. ft. home with a total exterior wall square footage (for the siding) of 1,280 sq. ft. and 160 linear feet of accessories, we get the following prices:
| Good | Better | Best | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siding Subtotal | $934 | $1,228 | $3,443 | $3,840 |
| Siding Labor @$1.12 SF | $1,433 | $1,433 | $1,433 | $1,433 |
| Material Installed Total | $2,368 | $2,662 | $4,877 | $5,274 |
| Accessories Subtotal | $480 | $640 | $800 | $960 |
| Accessories Labor Total | $1,069 | $1,069 | $1,069 | $1,069 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $4,851 | $5,600 | $10,189 | $11,142 |
Cost Calculator By Home Size
With an average cost of materials and labor of $3 to $7 we can calculate the average price of vinyl siding per home size:
| Home Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 1,000 square foot home | $3,030 – $6,960 |
| 1,300 square foot home | $3,939 – $9,048 |
| 1,600 square foot home | $4,851 – $11,142 |
| 2,000 square foot home | $6,060 – $13,920 |
| 2,500 square foot home | $7,575 – $17,400 |
Vinyl Siding Prices by Brand
Siding Compare says of all the main vinyl siding manufacturers, Wolverine (made by CertainTeed) is the best vinyl siding regarding affordability, durability, and color fade.
| Vinyl Siding Brand | Siding Compare Review | Cost Per Square Foot |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Pacific | 63% recommend | $4 to $6 |
| Alside | 21% recommend | $3 to $8 |
| Alcoa | 72% recommend | $4 to $8 |
| Mastic | 31% recommend | $3.50 to $5.50 |
| Wolverine | 100% recommend | $1.40 to $1.60 |
Labor Cost To Install Vinyl Siding
The labor cost to install vinyl siding is quite high and ranges from 57% to 70% of your total price due to the amount of work involved. In the following examples, we see the following divergence in siding material costs between good, better, best, and premium based on a one-story, 1,600 SF home:
| Materials | Materials % | Labor | Labor % | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | $1,414 | 30 | $3,437 | 70% | $4,851 |
| Better | $1,869 | 33 | $3,731 | 67% | $5,600 |
| Best | $4,243 | 42 | $5,946 | 58% | $10,189 |
| Premium | $4,800 | 43 | $6,342 | 57% | $11,142 |
Vinyl Siding vs. Other Siding Materials
Use our siding cost estimator to get an in-depth comparison of 13 different types of house siding. When vinyl was first introduced to the market, it didn’t earn immediate favor among homeowners because of poor quality production processes that resulted in shifts in the color and overall low-quality. A lot has changed since then, and now homeowners can install vinyl siding with confidence. US Census Bureau statistics show it has been the top exterior finish for homes since 1995.
Vinyl siding will always feature on the lower end of the siding costs spectrum. The most common vinyl panels cost between $0.70 to $3/SF and have a standard length of 12 feet. Different options available for the exterior siding for your home are:
| Siding Material | Cost Per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Vinyl Siding | $0.70 to $3 |
| Aluminum Siding | $4 to $7 |
| Brick Siding | $8 to $18 |
| Engineered Wood Siding | $3 to $8 |
| Fiber Cement Siding | $6 to $13 |
| Stone Siding | $10 to $45 |
| Wood Siding | $3 to $10 SF |
- Aluminum Siding – $4 to $7 SF - Since metal siding is malleable and can be bent on-site, almost any custom work can be done to accommodate for any irregularities on the exterior of the home. It can also be painted.
- Brick veneer siding costs $8 to $18 per square foot installed. Brick veneer is either reclaimed brick which has been cut very thin or ½” and 1” thick panels of clay or concrete molded product.
- Engineered Wood Siding - $3 to $8 SF - An eco-friendly siding material that provides durability, beauty, resistance to insects, low maintenance, and cost-effective installation methods. Some manufacturers even offer 30-year transferable warranties on it.
- Fiber Cement Siding costs $6 to $10 SF – Expensive and almost double the installation cost of vinyl, it can crack easily and will generally need to have the joins re-caulked. It does, however, provide a very durable siding material, and it’s heralded for its fire safety factor and resistance to insects.
- Stone Siding costs $10 to $45 – Available as either a cast product or as thin slices of actual stone. Because of the cost to address the elevated moisture levels between the veneer and the home, a poor installation might require you to replace the veneer siding.
- Wood Siding – $3 to $10 SF - With the right maintenance, wood siding can last a long time, but many times the expense can be more than twice the maintenance costs for vinyl siding. The effort to either paint or stain the wood often jeopardizes its usable life. Wood is not fire resistant, nor can it be applied over existing siding.
Vinyl Siding Pros and Cons
As with any home improvement project, it makes good sense to look at your selected material for the project and make a determination on its suitability based on the pros and cons for that material. To help with that, consider the following advantages and disadvantages of vinyl siding.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Least expensive siding material option✓ Can be installed by professionals, or as one of the easier large-scale DIY projects (for a single-story home)✓ Very effective in reflecting radiant heat✓ Some vinyl products can reduce noise from the outside by as much as 45%✓ Available in a range of relief styles that don’t limit the style only to horizontal lines✓ The number fluctuates yearly, but currently, you can expect around 77% ROI when you sell your home✓ With the colors all the way through the material, and some with additional UV protection, it is very effective against fading, even with dark colors✓ Vinyl can be purchased from some manufacturers with an ability to withstand up to 240 miles per hour winds | ✗ The manufacturing process to make vinyl siding still produces dioxin and nitrogen oxide.✗ Cannot be painted✗ If a plank is damaged, the entire plank, or section of planks, have to be replaced✗ Touted as a recyclable siding material, in practice, it generally isn’t. In a 2005 report by Greenpeace, estimates were that of all post-consumer PVC, less than 1% is recycled.✗ It is water resistant but not waterproof.✗ While rare, repeated extreme changes in temperatures can cause thinner, less-expensive vinyl siding to warp. |
Vinyl Siding Cost Factors
While many overall design similarities will exist in homes, there is still a wide range of differences in prices to include shape, length, and height of walls, number of windows, etc. In the US, a typical single-story, three-bedroom home will have an average of 1,000 square feet of exterior wall space.
Before looking for a vinyl house siding quote, consider the need for the following to eliminate any surprises at any point in the project:
- Removal of old siding – $1,100–$2,600. Disposal fee $450. The process of manufacturing vinyl siding can produce many toxins, including dioxin and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), that makes it resilient as a siding option. However, it also makes it very difficult to recycle, and it will last for generations in a city dump. With these considerations, check with your contractor about the removal process for the siding that is being replaced.
- Total size of siding needed – For the overall square footage of exterior wall space to be covered, multiply your wall width by 8 feet (standard wall height) and add the totals for each of the walls. If your home is a two-story home, then multiply this article’s prices by two—to include any time to transport, erect, and move any platform like scaffolding and safety rigging. Following are sample price ranges of materials for three different sizes of homes:
- 1,600 sq. ft. $3,437 to $6,342
- 2,500 sq. ft. $4,029 to $7,661
- 3,600 sq. ft. $4,621 to $8,979
- Quality of New Siding – Expect to pay double the price of cheap vinyl siding . Thicker vinyl siding stands up better to hail, has a higher wind rating, and is slightly better at exterior noise reduction. Also, it is less likely to sag over time, is better suited to withstand deterioration from extreme temperatures, and allows for deeper surface treatment for the creation of a finish.
- Insulated Vinyl Siding – 50% more than hollow-back siding products. The mid- to high-priced products are usually foam backed. Insulated siding will immediately reduce your heating and cooling energy bill, and it also has benefits in moisture control, home resale value, and noise reduction.
- Vinyl Trim Costs – $3 to $6 per LF – As a rule of thumb, contractors charge $3 to $6 per linear foot for vinyl finish accessories, ranging from $10 to $13 per linear foot installed. The most common vinyl siding accessories include: exterior corner posts, interior corner posts, J-channel, light and or electrical box mounts, water spigot and other wall protrusion mounts (split mounts), soffit, fascia, molding, trim, vents insulation or house wrap (for new construction), and starter and finish strips.
- Siding Contractor Labor – $30–$70/hour - The cost of labor will vary depending on location, but expect to pay between $30–$70/hour. Some contractors bill on an hourly basis, while others bill by the square foot.
- Layover or Replacement of Siding – Typically, the decision to place siding on top of an exterior finish already attached to your outside walls will be cheaper than first removing the existing siding and disposing of it. Your siding contractor will know, but the decision lies in
- The health of the structure under the current siding
- How thin the existing siding is
- The thickness or thinness of the new vinyl siding
Additional Possible Expenses
- Repairs – Siding repair costs $2 to $14 per square foot. Structural repair work might need to be done before the siding is installed. The wood underneath old vinyl siding might be wet and rotten due to trapped moisture, making it a feast for termites. You’ll need to get the exterior checked and treated for termites and have rotting wood replaced before putting on the new siding.
- Exterior Wall Irregularities – If the exterior walls have unusual angles or curves, and include design elements like bay windows, etc., you may factor in extra labor costs compared to an install job on a completely flat wall. Also, factors like wrapping window and door trim or frames, covering eve boards, replacing facia or soffits, etc., will affect the price.
- Insulation – $0.07–$0.25/sq. ft. - Another useful addition to your siding project is the use of a moisture and wind barrier commonly known as housewrap. Housewrap helps in multiple ways, mostly helping to keep the wind and moisture out while still allowing your home to breathe. This option also is known to help prevent drafts in your home.
- Shipping and Installation – Vinyl siding panels are generally sold in standard lengths of 12 feet and are very light compared to other options for residential exterior siding. Being lighter, they are cheaper to ship. The installation process is less time intensive for the install team than when working with heavier siding such as steel or stone.
Vinyl Siding Options & Accessories
The trim and accessories, plus the installation cost, is usually more than the price of the siding because of the extra difficulty involved during installation.
| Options & Accessories | Price |
|---|---|
| Starter strips | $2.75 each |
| Finishing strips | $3.30 each |
| Vents | $18.16 |
| Gable vents | $30.60 |
| Plug-in outlets | $14.12 |
| Light fixtures | $12.74 |
| Inside corners | $5.40 each |
| Outside corners | $9.85 each |
| J-Channels* | $3.60 each |
| Nails | $40.00 (50lbs) |
*Because the J-channel is also used to trim the windows and doors, as well as where the siding meets a roof at an angle or a soffit, it is the most commonly used piece of trim for your project.
Types of Vinyl Siding
There are three main types of vinyl siding concerning its visual appearance—vertical, horizontal, and shake. Within these categories you’ll find beaded, board and batten, clapboard, Dutch lap, traditional lap, log, scallops, and shingle styles, among others, each creating a different look for your home.
- Beaded Seam – One of the most popular styles, it has a beaded seam between the flat panels creating a traditional look and fits best with traditional colors.
- Smooth – As the name implies, there is no texture applied to the vinyl during the manufacturing, which creates a clean finish.
- Board and Batten – More often produced as siding with a vertical detail, and typically featuring a rustic texture like cedar wood grain, it is suitable for whole property applications as well as just being used to highlight certain features with a different finish style used for the rest of the home.
- Vinyl shingle and shake siding – Designed to look like real cedar shingle or shake, it can be installed in a traditional linear fashion or in a staggered style. Scallops have an overlapping design similar to shingles with the addition of a rounded lower edge; this style is most often found as an accent treatment, than covering an entire wall.
- Clapboard - Known for its distinctive look from overlapping boards, this is now made from vinyl and finished to look like wood, which adds a heritage look to a home. And a style of clapboard, Dutch Lap, is engineered to have the look of wood siding hand carved by craftsmen, creating an old-world look for your home.
Vinyl Siding Colors and Styles
Vinyl is an excellent choice for your siding material because it is really diverse and allows homeowners to create the look that best suits their home.
Number of Visible Seams
Seams will always be visible when vinyl is the siding material used. The most common vinyl siding panels have a standard length of 12 feet, and they will always overlap because of this. Longer panels show fewer visible seams but are generally 25% to 30% more expensive than the standard-sized siding panels.
Vinyl Siding Colors
While historically vinyl siding was available in smooth or slightly textured panels, an extensive range of colors has opened up to homeowners in recent years. Painting vinyl siding is no longer required unless you have some particular requirements for the color of siding you want.
The other bonus with picking siding panels of a particular color is that the color in higher-quality siding is not just on the panel’s surface—it’s ingrained—which means that you are less likely to see damage to the siding and likely won’t need to do touch up paint jobs.
Manufacturers can also provide a finish on the panels that will give the appearance of stone or wood grain, which many homeowners prefer over the plain finish. Most manufacturers start with a minimum of 20 colors of siding on offer.
DIY Vinyl Siding Installation
To give you an idea of the work ahead of you, check out the following steps and google “how to install vinyl siding” to find videos that fully explain the process. The trickiest parts of installing siding are working with the seams and installing around windows and doors. Also, if you hammer nails in as deep as possible, you are likely to split the vinyl. Some pointers:
- When installing siding, a piece of trim called the starter strip is placed at the bottom of the wall. You start at the bottom and work your way up the wall, and each piece of siding locks into the section below it.
- Corners must be mitered and fit together overlapping so water gets channeled away from the trim or the siding at house corners, windows, and doors.
- The siding materials usually come in planks that are 12 feet long and 10 to 12 inches tall. The rows generally overlap by about 1 inch over the row underneath. For a piece of siding that needs to install under a window, you will need a tool called a snap lock punch to cut little tabs along where the siding is cut horizontally. These tabs lock into the trim you have installed around the window.
How to Clean Vinyl Siding
In most cases, the need to clean vinyl siding is because of the growth of mold or mildew on the surface of the vinyl. It’s very possible to create affordable, homemade vinyl siding cleaners out of varying mixes of water and vinegar, bleach, or laundry detergent. No matter which option you select to work on your siding, remember to rinse off any residual solution before it dries.
It is possible to use power washers as part of your cleaning regime, and some of the commercial options available for cleaning your vinyl siding are designed for use with power washers, but it is important to use caution when looking to fast-track the task of cleaning your siding. Check with the manufacturer of the siding if it is okay to use a power washer.
Hiring Your Vinyl Siding Contractor
To hire a professional vinyl siding contractor for your siding project, browse the contractors that we list here on Home Guide to get the work done, and use the following criteria to help create your shortlist:
- Can show examples of similar work they have done in the area
- Been in business for at least five years
- Have the necessary certifications or licenses
- Are insured and bonded
- Offer warranties on materials and labor
- Include removal and disposal fees of old siding in the proposal
- Are A/A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau
- Have good reviews
Vinyl is a popular choice across the country once again. Take advantage of modern techniques and give your house an affordable, easy facelift!
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