Home Siding Types & Installation Costs 2023

Siding installation cost is one of the more expensive home projects. There are many types of siding available and selecting a siding can get stressful. However, a well-planned home improvement project can dramatically increase your home’s curb appeal and market value.

It also makes the house’s aesthetic appeal become something much more eye-catching than it previously was!

One of the most significant issues with rehab typically comes down to costs. Keeping those costs to a minimum or getting the most value out of your dollar is something just about every investor can relate to. So, how much does siding cost?

For example, new vinyl siding will cost between $6,150 to $15,900 for 1500 to 2500 square footage.

House siding cost depends largely on the size of your home and the type of siding you choose. Many people have different preferences and budgets which can also factor into what house siding you choose.

Below we will go over the average cost to install some of the most popular sidings to improve your home’s curb appeal. Our discussion also shows how much it costs for the materials, labor, and some pros and cons of utilizing specific sidings on your home.

How Much is Siding for an Entire House?

Your average home is anywhere between 1,500 and 2,500 feet. Considering this is the case, most of our average cost values will stem from that specific bracket. 

If you want to upscale, or even downscale depending, you will have the cost per square foot values to guide you in that endeavor.

We have put together a chart down below for a single-family home ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 square feet.

As you can gather from the guide above, both wood and aluminum are some of the cheapest base siding types you can go with, while natural stone is more expensive by quite a bit. 

One of the biggest reasons for that price disparity comes from how difficult it is to not only obtain the material itself but shape it into something that can be adequately adhered onto your home.

On average, you can expect a siding project cost breakdown for professional installation to be about 40% material cost and 60% labor cost. These will vary with the type of siding and the complexity of the installation.

If you replace old siding, you’ll have additional costs for removing the current siding materials and repairing any concealed water damage.

Wood, Vinyl & Aluminum Siding

Wood, vinyl, and aluminum are easy to cut into shape and quickly apply to your home. 

Because they are so easy to work with, it makes sense that they are cheaper; however, the stone is a different beast entirely. Keep in mind that with some species of wood siding, you’ll have the additional cost of staining and sealing or painting. Whereas vinyl and aluminum siding often come in various colors ready to install.

Stone Siding

The stone itself is not only burdensome but requires some truly skilled work to install it and make it look right. 

Your home will also need to evaluation to ensure that it can withstand the weight of the stone itself before you are even allowed to install it to avoid damaging the structural integrity of your home.

Most Common Types of Exterior Siding and Their Costs

While aesthetics do carry a certain weight (looking at you, stone), there is something to be said of going for a more tactical approach and making sure your siding not only makes your home the apple of you and your neighbor’s eye. 

However, it stands the test of time. It doesn’t become a constant battle of upkeep and regular maintenance.

Below we will go over some of the most popular kinds of siding. We’ll also discuss what environments allow you to get the most out of your siding, protect from insect, water, and moisture damage, and come together for something that isn’t too costly or labor-intensive.

Vinyl Siding Types and Costs

Vinyl siding cost is affordable, weather-resistant, and most customizable of all the options listed here. 

You can expect vinyl siding materials to cost $1.30 to $10 per square foot. With professional installation, a 2000 square foot house can cost $4,500 to $26,000, with a US national average of $9,000 for most home siding projects.

The primary differences are that some of the hollow vinyl sidings cost $1.30 to $4 per square foot, and your most premium or insulated vinyl siding materials come in around $2.50 to $10.00 per square foot those qualities are texture and durability.

Because vinyl siding costs less, it’s earned global recognition as the most popular siding material. Other exterior siding options are more upscale and last longer. 

The positive attributes boil down to vinyl being easy to install, which will save you money on the cost of labor, and the material is affordable. 

Styles of vinyl house siding can almost seamlessly replicate both the texture and look, albeit at a distance from other kinds of siding on this list. High-quality vinyl is thicker and more color fading resistant compared to standard vinyl materials. The following table shows the styles of vinyl siding and their approximate material cost.

Still, traditionally speaking, the value from the mimicry would come from imitating natural wood.

In terms of its installation, it’s almost a fire and forget job with the vinyl. That is because you can apply it to virtually any other pre-existing material, like some other options mentioned in this article.

Another feather in vinyl’s cap comes from its broad color customization. 

If you don’t want to emulate wood, the pure variety it can offer is staggering, but seeing as vinyl isn’t considered high-end, it may look nice, but you shouldn’t exactly expect it to raise your home’s value. A poor vinyl siding installation could negatively affect the value.

Vinyl siding doesn’t require nearly the amount of prep work or maintenance needed by most of the other sidings on this list. 

A simple cleaning every year or so (more often if dirt, grime, and other build-up occur from lawn care or other factors) makes it an attractive option. 

Uninsulated vs. Insulated Vinyl Siding Explained

The thickness of the vinyl material and insulated are two key factors to consider when selecting vinyl siding. The term “hollow back” is generally used to describe uninsulated vinyl siding.

Uninsulated siding has an R-value of less than 1.0, so by itself provides no insulating value.

Vinyl that is thicker with a foam backing describes insulated vinyl siding. It improves the R-value from 3 to 10 times higher than uninsulated vinyl siding and significantly adds to the expense.

The R-value of insulated siding ranges from 2.0 to 5.0, which can make a difference in colder climates where you need to add insulating value to the home’s exterior.

Wood Siding Types and Costs

Ah yes, natural wood siding is a timeless classic and a common choice among homeowners, but it has a natural beauty that you can find when going with something eco-friendly. If cared for, wood siding can last forever, but the typical lifespan is 30 to 80 years.

You can expect wood siding material costs from $1 per square foot for basic plywood to $20 per square foot for Garapa.

On average, natural wood siding costs $8 to $12 per square foot. Full professional installation costs $16,000 to $24,000 for a typical one-story 2000 square foot home. Wood siding costs vary by species and type. Horizontal lap siding installation costs less than the more labor-intensive wood shingle siding.

The most common trees cut into wood siding are pine, oak, spruce, cypress, cedar, redwood.

Natural wood has some fantastic perks up its sleeve. Whether it has extreme durability to a natural resistance to certain pests, especially if you go with redwood, you can expect to get quite a bit of time out of your wood siding if you invest in it.

Investing in your wood siding, for all its perks and boons, you have to display some rather extreme diligence in the maintenance department to keep those benefits.

You can expect quite a battle if you live somewhere where it frequently rains.

Wood rot, mildew, and termites are something that should come as no surprise when you go with wood siding. Forming a barrier between those elements can become costly over time and lead to unexpected repairs if you cut corners or forget.

Thankfully it isn’t all bad, as wood siding is one of the most accessible kinds of repair, right behind vinyl siding.

If you want to avoid these situations, you will want to paint, or at the very least stain your wood siding and apply mildew and fungicide deterrents in increments of about three to four years per application to keep those threats to a minimum.

If siding removal is needed, expect costs to rise to 20% of the total siding project cost.

Grades of Wood and Cost

All wood products, including dimensional lumber and siding, have a grade based on surface appearance.

Low-grade boards have knots or other flaws visible, mid-grade has fewer flaws, and premium grades and nearly flawless. Costs increase the better the lumber grade.

• Low-grade lumber is $1 to $3 per square foot
• Mid-grade lumber is $2 to $12 per square foot (most common)
• Premium-grade lumber is $3 to $30 per square foot

The most popular wood siding styles are:

• Wood shingles and shakes: saw-cut (shingles) and hand-cut (shakes) wood pieces, most labor intensive to install.
• Bevel horizontal siding: horizontal clapboard siding with a beveled edge to allow for overlapping boards.
• Board and batten: vertical wood panels with wood strips covering the seams.
• Split-log: cut from logs with rounded edges to look like true log construction.

Let’s examine each.

Wood Shingles and Shakes

There are two distinct types of wood planks, each with its characteristics. However, they are frequently confused because of their similar rectangular appearance. The distinction between the two is in the thickness and how their cut.

Wood shakes are ax-cut, while shingles are saw cut. Shingles are most prevalent today as they can be cut faster. Ax-cut shakes are generally thicker than saw-cut shingles.

Most shakes and shingles are either white or red cedar wood. You can also find redwood or pine shingles and shakes, but pine has a much shorter lifespan because it is softer. Cedar shakes are naturally more insect resistant than pine.

Shakes are relatively unique and can vary in size, creating a natural staggered appearance.

Shingles are often uniform in size but can still be staggered by altering the shingle or mixing in different size shingles. You can also round off wood shingles to create a scalloped appearance.

Bevel Horizontal Siding

Bevel wood siding, often called “clapboard,” are angled horizontal wood siding to allow thicker bottom edges to overlap thinner top edges. Siding is nailed across the thinner edge, and the next row lays over the edge, hiding the nail heads.

Clapboard is often cedar, oak, pine, and spruce, but most wood species can be lap siding. These form long, horizontal planks of wood on exterior house walls. Boards are generally 1 inch thick at the bottom and beveled to about 1/4 inch thick at the top. Boards can be 10 feet or longer.

Recommended Overlap on Wood Siding:

Board and Batten

Sometimes used interchangeably with barn-style siding, vertical wood panels are aligned side by side and covered with a batten strip to hide seams and prevent water intrusion.

The vertical batten strips create a 3-dimensional look that is appealing.

You can achieve a rustic look with plywood, pine, or fir wood. However, all types of wood are acceptable. Board and batten siding can be left natural or painted.

Board and batten siding are the easiest wood sidings to install and maintain. Some builders will intentionally use lower wood grades with visible knots to give a more rustic look.

Split Log Siding

Many people dream of having a log home. Split log siding offers modern energy efficiency with the beauty of a log cabin at a fraction of the cost of genuine log-built homes.

Split log costs $8 and $20 a square foot. Split logs are between 6 and 12 inches wide, 3 inches thick, and about 8 to 16 feet long.

There are many types of log siding, with the split log as the most prevalent. Split log siding is essentially a log cut in half. The flat side faces inward, giving the home an authentic log cabin exterior.

Quarter log siding is thinner, allowing four pieces to be cut from a single log, lowering the cost. The flat side faces inward like a split-log, leaving the rounded side visible.

Chinking is added to genuine log homes to fill gaps between logs and make cabins as air-tight as possible. However, chinking is generally not needed for log siding but can add a more realistic look.

Wood Siding Requires Upkeep

Wood siding requires one of the highest levels of maintenance. The upkeep of wood is needed to ward off moisture intrusion, decay, and wood-destroying organisms like termites, carpenter bees, carpenter ants, and fungi. You’ll need to apply a water sealant every 2 to 3 years. You’ll need to reapply every 4 to 7 years if painting or staining.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood siding costs $4 to $12 per square foot on average and can last 50 years. Professional installation on a 2,000 square foot installation costs $20,000 or about $10 per square foot on average.

All composite and engineered wood sidings can vary widely, so compare manufacturers closely. The majority of engineered wood siding is available prefinished or painted, leading to lower costs to install than other wood products.

It only makes sense that transition from natural wood siding to its factory finish alternative. Engineered wood has almost all the fantastic bonuses you want from a traditional wood siding at a fraction of the usual cost. To an extent, it has more durability than its natural counterpart. 

Engineered wood doesn’t suffer from the litany of problems that natural wood siding does. 

Things like bugs, mildew, wood rot, and even fungus build-up are a thing of the past with this artificial beauty. 

Another positive change from natural wood comes in the form of cutting down on labor costs and being a popular choice among homeowners because it keeps your overall cost estimates down. 

Being resistant to warping also allows you to use it in a handful of different weather conditions as well. 

The final proverbial comes from your ability to choose any of the more expensive wood bases as your preferred look without having to pay the exact out-of-pocket cost for it. 

Going with engineered wood offers more aesthetic flexibility and even more to budget on the cost of your rehab as a whole.

Fiber Cement Siding Products & Costs

Fiber cement comes in next on the list, and what it brings to the table can only be matched by a select few kinds of siding on this list. Fiber cement is often referred to as cement board, Hardie board, or Hardie plank, after the cement fiberboard products from James Hardie company.

Still, fewer of them get to the table the all-around weather-resistant fortitude it does, and even less so at the affordable price, you’d expect from fiber cement.

A combination of wood pulp, cement, clay, and sand makes up all manufacturers’ fiber cement products.

Fiber cement is about as long-lasting as vinyl, but it lacks the look of plastic. The material will last for 50 to 100 years, with the surface sometimes needing to be repainted every 8 to 10 years for aesthetic purposes.

Fiber Cement Board Cost Breakdown

At its absolute lowest, you can expect to pay $4.00 for a square foot of fiber cement siding. Some styles are about $10 per square foot. 

You’ll find fiber cement siding can handle extreme heat, resistant to insect damage, and resists cracking, peeling, flaking, and constant moisture exposure that might destroy wood siding. 

On average, you’ll pay between $9.00 and $16.00 per square foot for professional installation of traditional fiber cement lap siding, plus the cost of painting.

The likely cost is about $13 per square foot for fiber cement shakes.

The average-sized American home needs about 2,000 square feet of siding, or about $18,000 to $32,000. The cost of the siding job depends on the details, trimming choices, and your home’s architectural design.

Fiber cement installation is labor-intensive, requiring two or more people to carry and hold each fiber cement board during installation.

According to the 2019 NARI Remodeling Income Report (PDF), new fiber cement siding has a 9.3 Joy Factor, identical to the 9.3 Joy Factor for vinyl siding. However, homeowners installing fiber cement siding saw a 76% recoup of investment versus 63% for those installing vinyl siding.

Fiber Cement Siding Options

Another perk that comes with fiber cement would be its high level of cosmetic expression. It comes in a wide array of colors that can mesh with almost any home. 

To top it all off, you don’t typically have to do much more than pressure washing it to keep it looking nice. 

Just as steel siding offered, fiber cement can come in quite a few different styles that will quickly facilitate you. 

The different styles make your home look precisely the way you want it to, with the same ability to mimic another type of siding we’ve got listed here.

Fiber cement is not something you can tackle without some experience. Installing fiber cement is a long and arduous process that you should only leave to a professional.

Hardie Plank Fiber Cement Boards

Fiber cement siding, like vinyl, is usually designed to look like bevel wood siding. Local siding contractors often refer to cement board or Hardie Plank. However, manufacturers other than James Hardie make fiber cement board products.

Brands other than the Hardie Plank brand are often less expensive, which can factor into the cost. Ensure your siding contractor is installing a quality brand of fiber cement siding.

Both smooth, textured, and shaker-style Hardie Plank siding are available.

Shake and Shingles

James Hardie and other manufacturers offer either a straight or staggered edge shingle siding available in 48-inch boards.

HardieShingle by James Hardie is available in an array of finished colors for straight or staggered edge siding. If you don’t see a color you like, a pre-primed paint-ready siding is available.

Allura.com, rated #1 in fiber cement siding, features more fiber cement options, including additional colors, octagon shakes, half-round shakes, and 5 to 7-inch shakes.

Vertical Panels

Vertical fiber cement panels mimic wood or stucco. They’re 4 ft wide by 8, 9, and 10 feet tall, or long is the standard size of this design. There are two finishes: smooth and wood grain.

Artisan Lap

This is a premium quality of horizontal plank lap siding, also known as an architectural grade, produced by James Hardie. They come in a few models with enhanced structural integrity and cutting-edge technology.

Stucco Types and Costs

In the world of siding, stucco is somewhat a household name, not as much as vinyl, but it is undoubtedly high on the list, hence why it is here on ours. 

Stucco is a composite kind of siding made of cement and sand, featuring a solid resistance to fire, the ability to withstand and repel bug infestations, and coming in on the cheaper side to boot.

While stucco is an excellent solution for someone who lives in a dryer climate, anyone who can expect constant rainfall or damp conditions may want to go with another form of siding, as stucco will begin to peel off and crack when exposed to wet weather.

There are various stucco alternatives, although, in practice, there is only one feasible choice. Because it is a textured material, there are many possibilities.

Stucco typically consists of plaster made from sand, cement, and lime. The binding materials in exterior grade stucco are designed to endure the elements. Cement stucco differs from gypsum plaster in that it uses cement as well.

Given the number of colors and textured choices it offers, stucco provides many choices and color combinations.

Cost of Stucco Siding

On average, you’ll pay between $3 and $14 per square foot of stucco, including labor. Material prices run $1 to $5, while labor costs add $2 and $9 a square foot. This is determined by the type of stucco and the property location. Stucco is more popular in some areas and less so in others, affecting the installation cost.

A typical 2000 square foot home can cost $6,000 to $28,000, but the national average installation cost of $12,00 to $16,000.

One-Coat Stucco Application

Because just one coat is used during the process, it is the less costly option. The one coat comprises cement fibers, water, and chemicals.

It combines the scratch and brown coats of the three-coat method into a single application. The one-coat system has several advantages over the three-coat technique, including quicker application time (half as long) and comparable fire resistance, durability, flexibility, and protection.

The major disadvantage is that it is thinner and more prone to damage than the three-coat system.

Three-Coat Stucco Application

The materials used in the process are made up of three major layers.

1. a base of cement, lime, sand, and water is applied over paper and wire mesh
2. a scratch coat base layer
3. a brown coat layer

After the three coats, there will be a finish or “topcoat” layer, which is not considered one of the many layers as all stucco requires a finish coat. The base layer is the most weather-resistant base layer.

The durability of three-coat systems is valued because of their increased thickness, which withstands wear and tear better than the one-coat method. The disadvantage is that it takes longer and costs more to install than a one-coat application.

EIFS Siding Stucco Application

Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) is a more advanced stucco material application made up of several thin layers over foam insulation, with a topcoat intended to withstand moisture. It’s created by adhering the foam board to the wood substrate with glue then adding a base coat of mesh or lath before curing it. The final finish coat is subsequently applied from there.

The topcoat is made of polymers that are more flexible, less prone to fracture, and more water-resistant. It’s similar to the other three in color and texture possibilities.

EIFS has been prone to moisture damage and can be very costly to repair. Because of this, routine stucco inspection is recommended to catch and repair problems early.

Metal Siding Types & Costs

There are several types of metal siding options. Some are more common for whole-house applications like aluminum and tin, while others like copper are more suited as accent pieces. Steel and insulated steel are commonly found on commercial structures but can also have residential uses. We will explore each below; however, we will spend more time on some than others.

Tin Siding

Tin siding is a type of metal siding that is not common today. It is often used on barns, storage buildings, hunting sheds and serves some commercial applications. Tin siding comes in panels or sheets and is lightweight with a corrugated appearance. It is easy to cut and shape, but it also dents easily. Because it’s not as durable as other metals, it is usually reserved for your non-habitual structures where quality is not a top priority.

Aluminum Siding

Being cost-effective is one of aluminum’s primary namesake. With some pieces costing as low as $2 to $3 per square foot, you could cover a lot of ground, assuming you didn’t want the sheets themselves to have some of the most elaborate decors.

Being a type of metal, you can expect aluminum to have high resistance to fire, rust, mildew, and even water-based damage. 

Still, something you might not expect is to become quite aesthetically pleasing with a nice coated finish or a fresh coat of paint. 

While on the topic, you should use certain kinds of paint when painting aluminum, both as a siding and a metal in general. You will want to aim for high-quality exterior 100% acrylic latex paint in almost every case. 

Certain kinds of this paint will be better for hiding the potential blemishes or dings that may appear over time. 

A matte-based finish will do you more justice than something more reflective or glossy, as aluminum is notorious for getting dented at the slightest touch, making for some unsightly areas.

Seeing as aluminum does not handle direct impact well, you would be wise to stray away from it if your area happens to have relatively frequent severe weather storms or hail specifically. Otherwise, you will look to replace pieces reasonably often if you want to look pristine.

Aluminum siding costs run from $2 to $5 per square foot. Most aluminum siding projects cost $10,000 to $19,000.

Vinyl-Wrapped Aluminum Siding

PVC-coated aluminum siding is a less costly option than regular aluminum siding. It has an aluminum core and vinyl covering.

The coating makes it thicker and less likely to fracture than traditional vinyl siding while assuring that it does not require as much upkeep as standard metal. It resists some minor dents and dings while being less prone to warp in the heat of the day than common vinyl.

While aluminum siding is fire retardant, vinyl is not.

Steel Siding

If you thought aluminum as a siding was appealing, take all of its benefits, add them to this list, and then remove the vulnerability from direct impact. 

Steel is the most common metal for siding. Steel is a considerably more durable substance than aluminum, making it less prone to dents. That durability makes it harder to work with than aluminum.

Steel sides with a premium baked-on finish with a lifetime guarantee against fading, cracking, or peeling are also available. Steel siding comes in a variety of styles and finishes.

However, if the steel siding finish is scratched away, it can easily rust.

Steel is innately a more robust metal than aluminum, and because of that, you can expect it to last you for a significantly longer amount of time. 

While it may be a bit more expensive initially, that cost can easily be justified by the low amount of maintenance you could expect when going with it and benefiting from some highly customizable finishing coats that you can apply to it.

Quite a few businesses offer affordable steel siding options, different color pallets, and unique texture mimicking cutting edge.

You could have all the beauty of natural wood with none of the wood rot, mildew, or insect-based issues you could find from its natural counterpart. 

One such company, “EDCO,” has a myriad of choices at hand for almost any style you could imagine. 

These choices range from the lap, vertical, and shake, giving you a handful of finish options that would mesh wonderfully with whatever color you choose. It saves you time and money on painting the finished product yourself.

Insulated Steel Siding Cost

Steel log-look siding is one of the newest styles available. Steel log-look siding is one of the most widely accessible types.

If you’re looking for a log-like siding that is insect-resistant, this siding fills this need. The rounded shape of the insulating steel siding panels allows for the interior to be filled with insulation.

Corrugated Steel Siding Cost

Corrugated steel siding is typically used on outbuildings and commercial structures. It’s available in sheets, which are usually thicker than the steel utilized in other siding materials, making it heavier and more durable.

The shape of the siding hides flaws from typical wear and tear, making it a good choice for busy commercial premises. Corrugated steel siding is considerably less popular than others, and alternatives may be restricted.

Copper Siding

Copper is an excellent choice for home siding due to its resistance to rust and corrosion. In most cases, copper lasts more than 100 years.

Copper also develops a patina over time, first becoming a dark brown color and then turning into a brilliant blue-green hue. If you want to preserve the polished finish and color of copper, you’ll need a lot of attention and care.

Copper is the most costly type of metal siding, with prices ranging from $20 to $30 per square foot, making it more suitable for roofing or exterior focal accents.

Copper siding is a beautiful, if not daring, option. It is resistant to acid. To claim that it does not rust is technically incorrect because copper oxidizes. However, the way it alters over time adds to its appeal as a siding.

Copper is a very sturdy material. The natural color change that occurs in the first 30 years will endure as long as the metal itself does, and the material will last hundreds of years. Copper has grown increasingly popular in contemporary architecture, suggesting You may use it to clad residential buildings in the future.

Zinc Siding

Zinc siding is relatively uncommon. Zinc is available in panels and some types of lap siding. Zinc is costly, so it’s usually used to accent another siding. Zinc works well with brick, stone, and wood; it adds depth and intrigue to the property—a square foot costs between $15 and $20.

Zinc is a metal that does not corrode or rust, and like copper, it takes on a beautiful dark blue hue patina with age. It also does not require painting during its lifespan because the patina serves as a protective coating for the material’s lifetime.

Because zinc has a higher resistance to mold and fungus than other metals, it is harder for water to run down its surfaces.

Zinc is less expensive than copper by about half, yet it’s still more expensive than aluminum. Installed costs range from $15 to $20 per square foot, depending on the panel profile and manufacturer.

Brick Veneer Siding

We have sturdy but straightforward brick veneer siding at the beginning of the end of our lists of sidings.

While it brings the overall cost of your sidings up even on the low-end, you get an astonishing amount of return for that initial investment. You can expect it to be no pushover, assuming it’s correctly installed.

Brick siding is one of the most substantial types of siding on this list. 

It is incredibly resistant to fire, all forms of weather normal and extreme, and has almost no maintenance required for the first two decades of its initial installation. 

The higher amount you pay upfront will save you substantially in the long run.

As you might expect, if you require some additional levels of expression on your home, you can also paint the bricks to match your taste, but in doing so, you will have to keep up on the paint, which will make maintenance another chore on the list.

Although brick, like stucco, might be considered a stone in the Stone category below, it has enough distinctions to stand alone. The fact that brick is composed of clay, cement, and gravel makes it long-lasting and durable.

After a home is constructed, there are three types of brick buildings that offer siding choices. During the building process, a home made out of brick supports the structure.

It’s on the exterior of a home, either thin or full brick, but only one layer thick. 2 layers of wythes are used in homes built with brick.

Cost of Brick Siding Installed

The cost of brick veneer siding ranges from $12.50 to $20.00 per square foot installed. This varies depending on the quality of materials (thick vs. thin), who’s doing the job, and where it’s being done. The price range is generally between $14.50 and $18.50 per sq ft.

In most cases, brick veneer installation labor costs $3 and $5 per square foot. Traditional brick walls and intricate designs may cost up to $20 a square foot, with most costing approximately $10 a square foot.

For the average brick veneer installation on a 2000 square foot surface area, expect to pay $14,000 to $32,000.

Traditional Brick Siding

Traditional brick siding is made out of full-sized bricks stacked on top of one another with mortar and metal hangers attached to the structure’s frame.

It creates the appearance of a solid brick construction but has no structural function.

The best advantage of a brick veneer is the complete brick veneer, the masonry approach to building with bricks.

Bricks are porous, and water slowly seeps behind bricks. The metal hangers help hold an air gap between the brick and wood substrate. With a weather-resistant barrier, water escapes through weep holes at the bottom of the brick.

Face Brick Veneer

Today, most brick homes are clad in brick veneer. Because it is thinner than a standard brick, it is lighter and easier to install. It doesn’t require metal anchors and is simpler to support for most houses.

Face brick veneer is available in various colors and finishes that may be mixed and matched to complement your home’s appearance.

They install similar to stone veneer. Metal lath is attached to the sheathing/vapor barrier, and then surface grout is used to keep the brick in place.

There are a few choices in which paneling systems rather than masonry are utilized. Metal panels with holders eliminate the need for scratch grout and make building bricks onto the wall easier. A surface layer of grout is applied over the metal panel to give a distinct brick appearance.

Because it greatly reduces the insulation value that comes with brick siding, we consider this to be ‘not suggested.’ It’s also not as long-lasting as a whole brick. It will perform well and appear nearly identical to full brick, but it has disadvantages that don’t contribute toward the longevity of real brick veneer.

Interlocking Brick Siding

Interlocking brick tiles employ an overlapping method rather than mortar, which eliminates its need. It’s the simplest form of brick siding to put up and may be installed in all directions.

Rather than individual bricks, these go up many at a time. These have seams between the pieces and require mending using mortar to install waterproof. They come in various colors and sizes, making them ideal complements to other siding materials.

Brick Siding Panels

Brick siding panels appear to be real bricks, but they are considerably lighter. During the installation of panel brick siding, bonds are made using construction adhesive. These siding may not last as long as traditional brick or brick veneer because they are not as durable. They may only last 20 to 30 years.

Handcrafted Brick Siding

Today, most bricks are manufactured in factories or by machines that mix, extrude, and cut the clay. Hand-pressed clay bricks, on the other hand, are still being made. These bricks have a greater degree of texture and variation than run-of-the-mill bricks. This may be advantageous for rustic homes. Because it is more expensive than standard bricks, this brick type is commonly used as an accent with log siding houses.

Natural Stone Veneer

No list of siding would be complete without the most expensive, tasteful, and well-balanced of all the siding on this list. Natural stone siding is not affordable by any means. Natural stone veneer is one of the most expensive siding options and is often reserved as an accent focal point.

With your most basic kinds coming in at $30 a square foot and capping off at just under $50, it is a heavy investment in your home. Like the investment, your home and your wallet will need to be inspected to see if they can handle this hardy siding.

If your home cannot handle the additional weight of stone siding, you won’t be able to use it in the first place, but if it can, you are in for a beautiful, timeless siding that will actually make your property value soar and do so in style.

Stone is impervious to weather, impact, rot, and mildew leading to a long lifespan of over 100 years, making it well worth the investment.

Stone is the absolute best siding you can go with, but being a high-end kind of siding, you may not want to utilize it on certain homes as it just wouldn’t be worth your time and effort.

Assuming you want most of the perks offered from natural stone without the bank butchering cost of this luxurious siding, a fantastic alternative would be a stone veneer. 

Veneer siding isn’t nearly as heavy as actual stone siding and offers almost the same in every other area.

Stone Siding Installation Costs

Installation costs of stone veneer siding from $12 to $22 per square foot. Faux stone panels are between $4.50 and $10.00 installed square foot.

Installing 2000 square feet of surface in stone can cost $20,000 to $60,000. While this is a wide price range, for the average home, the cost is $37,500.

It’s easy to see why stone is more feasible as an accent siding. Natural stone works well with fiber cement or real wood siding.

However, considering the long-term savings, $60,000 for stone siding appears costly, but it saves money over the lifespan of the stone siding.

Is House Siding Expensive?

If beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, so too must general expense be. Value the ability to withstand certain elements, conditions, or other problems that might occur in your home. 

You might be willing to pay more than $30 per sq. ft for raw stone to circumvent the constant need for repairs, maintenance, and painting.

It generally depends on what kind of siding you go with, where you live, and what kind of resistances and issues might occur in your siding of choice. 

Going with vinyl is excellent from a cost perspective. Still, suppose you are in an environment that has constant sun exposure. 

In that case, your vinyl will peel and crack non-stop, which will require regular replacing, making that initial investment gradually mount up over time.

The best answer here would be that if you go with a siding that can fit the climate you live in, you won’t expect to spend anything astronomical. 

Still, if you want to combine both style and resistance, you can usually expect to pay more than simply picking resilience.

How Much Does Siding Cost to Install?

At the top of this article, a table includes your expected costs for both materials and installation to get a rough estimate on just how much you could look for your average siding installation. 

However, no two jobs are the same, and the more prep work required before the installation, the more you can expect the overall cost of your structure.

For instance, if you were working with a simple stucco siding exterior and decided on going with vinyl siding, you can have the vinyl installed directly over the pre-existing stucco to save some time and money. 

Still, you wouldn’t be able to tell if mildew or other things were happening under the surface.

When Should I Install Siding?

You should only install siding when you have at least two weeks of the clear weather forecast for the installation process not to be interrupted or potentially be ruined by weather exposure. 

Keeping moisture away from the underside of your siding is paramount to having a sound installation and combating the damage that can occur immediately or as a result of a bad install.

Suppose the question was how to know when you should consider installing new siding after purchasing a new property or when an extensive amount of damage has occurred to the existing siding. In that case, repairs may equate to or just shy of a fresh install of new siding.

How Do I Know When to Replace Siding Fully?

Your most prominent sign to fully replace siding comes from seeing so much damage that you cannot fix it with just a few spots being replaced.

Anything ranging from termites, moisture damage, mildew, wood rot are large-scale problems that could easily merit a complete application of new siding.

Significant damage from impacts or unexpected weather situations like hurricanes can also cause so much destruction to your siding that the only solution would be replacing your siding entirely.

Should I Install Siding Myself or Hire a Professional?

Deciding to go with a professional is mainly dependent on the kind of siding you are installing and whether or not you want to have an excellent warranty backing the installation yourself. Another thing to consider is whether you are experienced installing siding yourself or not. 

If you are experienced at the siding that you could be considered a professional in the first place, you wouldn’t need to seek one aside from a warranty perspective. 

However, if you aren’t exactly the most knowledgeable saving a few dollars installing it yourself could cost you far more when your job wasn’t up to par, and now you have a nasty bit of moisture damage on your hands.

As we mentioned briefly above, fiber cement siding isn’t something you can do unless you have all the right equipment for the job and know what you are doing in the first place.

Is New House Siding a Good Investment?

Unfortunately, this goes hand in hand with what your situation is, as well as the kind of siding you will be going with, considering what your previous siding was.

If you had vinyl siding and lived in a hot climate, investing in the stone siding as an upgrade would alleviate the constant maintenance and repairs you had to do on the vinyl and increase your property’s value due to providing defense against the weather.

Additional Costs for Siding Jobs

You’ll have additional costs for trim pieces, fascia, soffits, and corners which are linear foot costs. The trim can vary from $2 to $8 per linear foot.

Depending on the material, fascia and soffits are $25 to $45 per linear foot. Fascia and soffits can be vinyl and aluminum, fiber cement board, or real wood.

Conclusion

When you choose a siding, your initial investments can nearly equate to throwing your money in the trash if you don’t take the time to consider your long-term issues and plan accordingly. 

It’s ultimately better to invest a bit more in your siding and diligently plan how much maintenance you want to do on your home than go with the cheapest option and call it a day.