The Cost of Vinyl Siding
There are many options to choose from when selecting how to cover your homes exterior. Vinyl siding has always been a very popular choice among exterior siding options since it offers many benefits, such as being low maintenance, durable, and long lasting. But one of the greatest benefits of vinyl siding as an exterior home siding option is that it is relatively inexpensive, despite its many benefits. In most cases, vinyl siding will cost less than other options, such as brick, stone, stucco or wood.
The cost of adding vinyl siding to your home is comprised of a combination of the product price and the installation cost. Typically, vinyl siding products range from about $0.45 to $1.90 per square foot, with installation usually falling in the range of about $1.60 per square foot. This brings the total to $2.05 to $3.50 per square foot to install vinyl siding on your home. Of course, there is a variety of prices based on the brand and type of vinyl siding you choose, the color, any special trim work you may need and the contractor you choose to perform the installation, but the above numbers provide a rough estimate of how much it will cost.
The cost of vinyl siding products will vary, but as with many other products, you often get what you pay for. Here are a few factors to consider when purchasing vinyl siding:
Thickness Vinyl siding products usually range in thickness between .035 to .055 inches. Most premium brands of siding offer products that are between .040 and .048 inches thick. The thickness of the vinyl siding you choose is important because thinner products can sag or crack, or can even be damaged or come off the home with high winds or extreme weather.
Warranties The length of a warranty and what it covers can usually provide a good indication of the quality of a vinyl siding product. Better products typically offer longer and more complete warranty coverage because the manufacturer knows it can stand behind the quality of its product.
Color Most homeowners choose light color vinyl siding for their home, but a wide range of darker colors are also available. If choosing a darker colored siding, make sure that you select a high quality product because darker colors can fade more than lighter colors over time. As an added note of precaution, darker colors will absorb greater amounts of heat from the sun than their lighter counterparts.
Amount It is best to consult a professional contractor or vinyl siding supplier to determine how much siding you need for your home. The amount is determined by the height, width and length of each side of your home and is also determined by any other exterior factors that may be present.
Installation The cost of installing vinyl siding is based on a number of factors, including the size of your home, how intricate the architecture is, the type of siding you are using and the quality of your contractor. Typical installation costs run around $1.60 per square foot, but as with the quality of the product, there is varying quality among contractors and choosing the cheapest option is not always the best choice. Do-it-yourselfers can install siding and save a good deal of money, but using a contractor for installation will ensure that the job is done correctly and that you get the longest lifespan possible from your vinyl siding.
Comparing vinyl siding to other siding options:
Vinyl siding is one of the least expensive options for the exterior of your home. The product itself typically ranges in price from $0.45 to $1.90 per square foot. Other siding options are usually more expensive. For example, wood panels usually cost around $0.67 to $3.46 per square foot, fiber cement usually costs between $0.84 and $2.55 per square foot, and brick or stone masonry can cost as much as $2.46 to more than $10.00 per square foot.
Typically, vinyl siding installation costs about $1.60 per foot, making the cost of installation less expensive than most other forms of siding. The extra labor involved in painting and installing wood clapboard siding or setting bricks or stone makes those installation costs substantially more expensive.
When it comes to maintenance costs, almost nothing beats vinyl siding. The only maintenance required for vinyl siding is an occasional washing to remove any dirt or grime that may build up on the vinyl siding panels. In comparison, natural wood siding, fiber siding and stucco require periodic repainting and maintenance and wood can also be susceptible to damage from water and insects. Brick and stone may need little to no maintenance, similar to vinyl siding, but they are much more expensive options to install in the first place.
Additional factors to consider when siding your home:
Once youve chosen the type of siding you want for your home, determined the color and amount you need to order, and selected a contractor you are well on your way. But before you move forward, here are a few additional considerations to keep in mind:
Zoning Restrictions If you are redoing the siding on an older home, be sure to check if there are any zoning restrictions related to changing any of the historic details of your home.
Existing Siding Removal If you are residing a home, the existing siding will first need to be removed and also disposed of. Depending on the amount to be removed and the type of product it is, this can cost between $1,000 and $3,000 or more, on top of the cost of installing your new siding.
Trim The amount and intricacy of the trim work, crown moldings and soffits needed for your home can add to the overall expense of your siding project. These details are important to the overall look of your home, but be sure to consider the additional expense when you set your budget or receive an estimate.
Vinyl siding is a very popular choice when selecting an exterior siding option and offers many benefits. In addition to being one of the least expensive siding options available, vinyl siding offers benefits such as low maintenance, long-lasting durability, and a wide selection of color options.