Siding Cost Calculator
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What will new siding actually cost? Enter your home's footprint and stories — we convert it to wall square footage, then roll materials + install labor + tear-off + wrap + trim into one honest total, with every step of the math shown. No email required.
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Worked example: 40×50 colonial, fiber cement, fully itemized
Computed by the calculator above · fiber cement standard tier @ $4.00/sqft materials · 2 stories · pro install · tear-off + wrap · October 2026 prices
| Line item | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wall area | 2 × (40 + 50) × 9 × 2 | 3,240 sqft |
| Siding materials | 3,240 × $4.00 | $12,960.00 |
| Install labor (×1.10 stories factor) | 3,240 × $5.00 × 1.10 | $17,820.00 |
| Tear-off & disposal | 3,240 × $1.00 | $3,240.00 |
| House wrap | 3,240 × $0.75 | $2,430.00 |
| Trim, soffit & fascia | flat | $1,500.00 |
| Permit & fees | flat | $300.00 |
| Total — pro install | $38,250.00 | |
| Per sqft of wall | $38,250 ÷ 3,240 | $11.81 |
| Scenario | Total | Typical range (±25%) |
|---|---|---|
| DIY (materials + tear-off + wrap + trim + permit) | $20,430 | $15,323 – $25,538 |
| Hire a pro | $38,250 | $28,688 – $47,813 |
Run the calculator above with these inputs and you'll get the same numbers. At $11.81/sqft all-in for fiber cement with tear-off and wrap, this lands inside the 2026 national installed range — the model checks out against published data.
Siding costs by region: same job, different labor market
Materials cost roughly the same everywhere — labor doesn't. This table takes the worked example above (3,240 sq ft of wall) and scales only the labor portion by each region's labor multiplier, exactly as the calculator's ZIP adjustment does. Materials, tear-off, wrap, trim and permit ($20,430) stay fixed.
| Region | Labor multiplier | Labor cost | Total (pro install) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | ×1.18 | $21,028 | $41,458 |
| Midwest | ×1.01 | $17,998 | $38,428 |
| South | ×0.89 | $15,860 | $36,290 |
| West | ×1.05 | $18,711 | $39,141 |
Regional multipliers are the mean of this site's state labor multipliers (BLS OEWS May 2023, construction laborers — the same data behind the ZIP adjustment). The Northeast–South gap on this job is $5,168, all labor. Enter your ZIP in the calculator for your metro's exact multiplier.
What's included — and what isn't
✓ Included in every estimate
- Siding materials per sqft of wall: panels/boards/bricks, fasteners, basic trim stock
- Pro install labor per sqft, with stories adjustments, when you select "Hire a pro"
- Wall-area conversion: 2 × (L + W) × 9 ft per story (planning convention)
- Old-siding tear-off & disposal, when you select it
- House wrap upgrade, trim/soffit/fascia package, and permit, when you add them
✗ Not included
- Sheathing repair for rotted plywood/OSB found at tear-off (~$75–$100/sheet installed)
- Structural work for full brick (veneer needs no footing; full brick does)
- New windows/doors installed during the siding job
- Painting for primed-only products (add ~$2–$4/sqft if not prefinished)
- Landscaping repair around the foundation after scaffolding
If a contractor's bid covers items on the right-hand list and ours doesn't, ask them to itemize — that's exactly how you compare bids honestly.
The price data behind this calculator
Checked October 9, 2026
Data freshness: prices verified October 2026 · next scheduled re-check January 2027. Stale data is misinformation — our update policy is public.
| Material | Materials / sqft | Pro labor / sqft | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $2.00–$3.50 | $1.50–$4.00 | Angi 2026; HomeGuide 2026 |
| Fiber cement (Hardie-style) | $3.00–$5.00 | $4.00–$7.00 | LatestCost 2026; HomeGuide 2026 |
| Engineered wood (LP SmartSide-style) | $2.50–$4.50 | $3.00–$5.50 | Angi 2026 (labor range — industry estimate) |
| Cedar / wood siding | $4.00–$7.00 | $4.00–$7.00 | HomeGuide 2026 (labor range — industry estimate) |
| Brick veneer | $5.00–$9.00 | $4.50–$9.00 | HomeGuide 2026 (labor range — industry estimate) |
| Tear-off & disposal | $0.50–$1.50 / sqft (default $1.00) | Industry estimate — user-adjustable | |
| House wrap | $0.50–$1.00 / sqft (default $0.75) | Industry estimate — user-adjustable | |
| Trim / soffit / fascia | $1,000–$3,000 per home (default $1,500) | Industry estimate — user-adjustable | |
| Permit | $200–$500 by municipality (default $300) | Industry estimate — user-adjustable | |
Ranges move by region and product line — every default above is editable in the calculator. The wall-area formula (perimeter × 9 ft/story) and stories labor multipliers (+10%/+20%) are industry rules of thumb, labeled as estimates. Full sourcing and update policy: methodology.
Three ways people get the math wrong
- Pricing floor area instead of wall area. A 2,000-sqft-footprint two-story home has ~3,240 sqft of wall — 62% more than the floor plan. Quotes that use "house square footage" without converting to wall area are the #1 reason per-square-foot numbers disagree across the web.
- Forgetting tear-off and wrap. Stripping old siding (~$1/sqft) plus new house wrap (~$0.75/sqft) adds ~$5,670 on a 3,240-sqft wall — roughly 15% of a fiber-cement job. "New siding $25,000" quotes that skip both aren't comparable to ones that include them.
- Comparing material prices instead of installed prices. Fiber cement panels at $4/sqft sound like 1.5× vinyl at $2.75 — but installed it's $9.50 vs. $5.25/sqft, because fiber cement's specialized labor (silica-safe cutting, heavy panels) widens the gap. Always compare installed cost per square foot, then divide by lifespan years for the honest number.
Siding cost FAQs
How much does house siding cost per square foot in 2026?
Installed, per square foot of wall: vinyl $3.50–$7.50, engineered wood $5.50–$10, fiber cement $7–$12, cedar/wood $8–$14, brick veneer $9.50–$18. Tear-off, wrap, trim, stories, and permits add on top — punch your numbers into the calculator above.
How do I calculate my home's wall square footage for siding?
Multiply the perimeter by wall height: 2 × (length + width) × 9 ft per story. A 40×50 two-story home is 2 × 90 × 9 × 2 = 3,240 sqft of wall. Window and door cutouts roughly offset gables, corners, and cutting waste — contractors use the same planning convention.
Is fiber cement siding worth the extra cost over vinyl?
It depends what you value. Vinyl wins on pure cost — roughly 40–45% cheaper over 25 years with almost zero maintenance. Fiber cement wins on fire rating (Class A non-combustible), impact resistance, and resale value (70–85% ROI reported). See our vinyl vs. fiber cement head-to-head.
Can I install siding myself to save money?
Vinyl is the most DIY-friendly siding — lightweight panels, interlocking system, forgiving cuts. Fiber cement is pro-only for most homeowners: silica dust is a health hazard when cutting, panels weigh ~2.5 lbs/sqft, and flashing details are unforgiving. Brick veneer is masonry work. Toggle DIY/pro above to see both numbers.
What adds the most to a siding quote besides the material?
Old-siding tear-off (~$1/sqft), house wrap (~$0.75/sqft), and the trim/soffit/fascia package ($1,000–$3,000) together can add 30–40% on top of the siding-materials number. Multi-story homes add ~10–20% labor for staging. Always compare itemized quotes, not lump sums.
How accurate is this calculator?
It's a budgeting estimate built on October 2026 installed-price ranges and pro labor data — good for budgeting and sanity-checking bids. Every result shows a ±25% planning range because region, stories, access, sheathing condition, and trim complexity move real quotes. See how we compute costs for the full method and limitations.