Is it cheaper to install new siding over the old siding instead of removing it?

Yes, skipping removal usually saves money upfront and shaves a meaningful amount off labor. But it only works if the existing siding is flat and in sound condition, and it leaves any hidden rot or moisture damage underneath unaddressed, which can cost more to fix later.

How long does a typical siding job take?

Most single-family homes take anywhere from a few days to two or three weeks, depending on size, material, weather, and whether the crew finds repair work once the old siding comes off. Larger or more complex exteriors, and materials like fiber cement that need more careful cutting, tend to take longer.

Which siding material has the lowest long-term cost, not just upfront price?

Vinyl wins on upfront price and needs little upkeep, but it can fade or crack over the long run. Fiber cement costs more initially but tends to hold paint and color longer and resists fire, moisture, and pests well, which can mean fewer repaint and repair cycles over the life of the siding.

Does new siding help with energy bills?

It can, especially if the job includes adding or upgrading house wrap and rigid foam insulation underneath. The siding material itself matters less than the insulation and air-sealing that go in during the same project, so it's worth asking your contractor what insulation upgrades they offer.

How Much Does New Siding Cost in 2026?

What drives the price of new siding

Siding cost comes down to three things: the material you choose, how much of it you need, and how much work it takes to get your walls ready for it. Contractors price siding by the square foot of wall area, not the square footage of your house, so a two-story home with dormers and lots of corners costs more per foot than a simple one-story ranch with the same floor plan.

The figures below are typical U.S. ranges for materials and installation combined. Your actual quote depends on where you live, how your home is shaped, and what condition the walls are in underneath the old siding.

Cost per square foot by material

Material choice is the biggest lever on total cost, and it also affects how long the siding lasts and how much upkeep it needs. Most homeowners narrow it down to four main options:

Vinyl: roughly $4-$9 per square foot installed. The most budget-friendly option, available in a wide range of colors and textures, and needs almost no maintenance beyond an occasional wash.
Engineered wood: roughly $6-$11 per square foot installed. Gives a natural wood look with better resistance to moisture and pests than solid wood, and usually costs less than fiber cement.
Fiber cement: roughly $8-$14 per square foot installed. Durable, fire-resistant, and holds paint well for years, but it's heavier and often needs a specialty crew, which adds to labor cost.
Metal (steel or aluminum): roughly $7-$14 per square foot installed, with aluminum toward the lower end and steel toward the top. Stands up well to hail, fire, and pests, and modern finishes have moved well past the old "metal building" look, though dents can be harder to repair than with other materials.

How home size changes the total

Because contractors price by wall area, the amount of siding to cover is usually larger than your home's square footage once you factor in wall height, gables, and dormers. As a rough guide, a single-story home around 1,500 square feet often has 1,500-1,800 square feet of siding, while a two-story home on the same footprint can have 2,200-2,600 square feet or more.

Applying the per-foot ranges above, typical whole-home totals land roughly like this:

Small home (under 1,500 sq ft of siding): vinyl often runs about $7,000-$13,000; fiber cement about $12,000-$21,000.
Mid-size home (1,500-2,500 sq ft of siding): vinyl often runs about $9,000-$22,000; fiber cement about $15,000-$34,000.
Larger home (2,500-3,500 sq ft of siding): vinyl often runs about $12,000-$31,000; fiber cement about $22,000-$48,000.
Engineered wood and metal generally fall between vinyl and fiber cement on these same size bands.

Removal, trim, and insulation add-ons

The per-square-foot numbers above assume a fairly standard install. A few common add-ons can push your final number up:

Removing old siding: expect roughly $1-$3 per square foot to strip off the old material and haul it away, more for brittle materials like old asbestos-cement board that need careful handling.
Repairing sheathing or framing: if removal reveals rot, water damage, or pests underneath, repairs are billed separately and can add anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on how much needs replacing.
House wrap and insulation: adding or upgrading a moisture barrier is usually a modest add-on, while installing rigid foam insulation under the new siding can noticeably improve comfort and energy bills but adds meaningfully to material cost.
Trim, fascia, and soffit: matching new trim to new siding, or replacing damaged fascia and soffit found during the job, is easy to underestimate when you're comparing bare per-square-foot quotes.

Labor and what actually moves your quote

Labor typically makes up close to half of a siding project's total, sometimes more for materials like fiber cement that need specialized handling and cutting tools. A crew's day rate, local demand, and the complexity of your home's exterior all feed into the labor portion.

Things that tend to push a quote above the baseline per-square-foot rate: lots of corners, dormers, or bump-outs; scaffolding or a lift for tall walls; extensive trim and detail work around windows; and any structural repair discovered once the old siding comes off.

When comparing bids, ask each contractor to break out material, labor, removal and disposal, and any repair allowance separately. A lower headline number sometimes hides a thinner repair allowance or a cheaper materials package, and that gap only shows up once the crew opens the walls.

Getting a fair price

Because siding costs swing so much by region and by the condition of what's underneath, the ranges here are a starting point for budgeting, not a quote. Getting two or three local, itemized bids is the most reliable way to know what your specific home will cost.

It helps to ask each contractor the same questions: what's included in removal and disposal, whether the price assumes any sheathing repair or treats it as an allowance, what the warranty covers on labor versus material, and how they handle unexpected damage found once the old siding is off.