There are many things to consider when you look at a siding price comparison. You have to consider all aspects of the siding remodel, including the material costs, labor, and maintenance, or else your siding cost comparisons will be completely inaccurate.
Siding Price Comparison | Material Only
Vinyl: Vinyl generally costs around $2-3 per square foot and has many positive qualities such as durability and easy maintenance.
Fiber Cement: Reasonably priced at $3-4 per square foot.
Hardwood (Cedar): Cedar is one of the more expensive materials, costing $3.5-6.5 per square foot.
Plywood (Paint Grade Wood): Costs around $2-4 per square foot, but requires much more maintenance than vinyl and has a much shorter lifespan.
Aluminum: Durable but more costly than vinyl at $3-5 per foot.
Brick: Brick or stone veneers cost between $6-12 per square foot. Due to the intensity of the labor, replacing brick actually has a much higher cost, at around $18 per square foot.
Natural Stone: One of the most expensive options, starting between $15-30 and easily going much higher.
Vinyl Wins The Siding Price Comparison For Materials Alone
When you do all the price comparisons, vinyl almost always wins out. Given all the economic factors, vinyl tends to be the cheapest. The only reason not to choose it is if you do not like the overall look of it. But even then you have to consider the new technologies that allow for more appealing and varied textures of vinyl siding. Vinyl is easy to install, cost effective, low maintenance, and has long warranties. You get a product that will last a lifetime, without breaking the bank, which is why the cost comparisons for vinyl are so strong.
Additional Factors
The cost of materials vary widely, but that isn’t the only factor to consider. You also have to take into account how long a product will last. For example, cedar is a beautiful product, but it is both costly and less durable than vinyl. This means that you will have do either pay more or do more work to maintain it, and it might not last as long as fiber cement or vinyl PVCu. Of course, cedar is a much better insulating material which can save you money on your energy costs. While this won’t offset the cost to maintain cedar, it does provide a significant long term value.
Lifetime Of The Product
You have to estimate the cost based on the total cost over the lifetime of the product; products and materials, labor, energy benefits, maintenance costs. Then once you know how much the total cost is, weigh that against the lifetime of the siding product, and you will have much more accurate price comparisons. Remember one thing when you do your price comparisons: no two products are exactly alike, so you have to make sure that you are comparing apples to apples, and not apples to oranges.
Talk To A Professional Contractor
The best and most accurate estimates come from local siding contractors. You can likely get a number of free estimates from contractors in your area if you call and ask. Make sure that you check into their qualifications, so you don’t waste your time on contractors that can’t handle your job.
One Final Note On Return On Investment
Certain options are extremely cost effective, but have poor resale value. For example, if you install hot pink siding, no matter how cheap it is, you probably will not see a good return on the investment because it will not appeal to most buyers. If you are thinking of selling your home any time in the near future, you can’t afford to ignore the potential impacts on resale value when you do the siding cost comparisons.
Related Topics
Cost Comparisons
Vinyl Siding Costs
Brick Veneer Cost
Fiber Cement Cost