How Much Does Hardie Board Siding Cost? [2025 Data]
Hardie board siding costs $21,300, on average, and most homeowners pay between $15,000 and $25,000 for the installation. Your total will depend mostly on your home size and the style of Hardie board siding you want.
Hardie board offers the aesthetic appeal of wood siding with the durability of fiber cement.
Expect to pay between $7 and $18 per square foot for Hardie board siding installation, including materials and labor.
Hardie board siding offers an average ROI of 70% to 80%, making it a good investment for your home.
Having your professional remove your old siding could add a few thousand dollars to your total, so budget for that line item, as well.
Hardie board siding costs $21,300, on average. You’ll pay closer to $15,000 to install lap siding on a 1,000-square-foot home, and a higher-end style like board and batten will push your price to $25,000 for a larger home. House size and siding style are the most significant cost factors to consider.
Hardie board is a type of fiber cement board that combines durability and beautiful curb appeal with low maintenance. It’s more expensive than something like vinyl but will last longer and stand up better to the elements.
While you can install siding yourself, we recommend contacting a pro. Improper installation can decrease the lifespan of the siding and cost more money in the long run.
Home Size
The biggest factor affecting the cost of Hardie board siding is the size of your house. Naturally, the larger your home, the more exterior walls you’ll need to cover with Hardie board, which drives up both material and labor costs. Expect to pay between $7 and $18 per square foot for this siding material, with an average of $12.50.
| Home Size (Sq. Ft.) | Average Cost | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $15,000 | $8,400–$21,600 |
| 1,500 | $18,200 | $10,300–$26,100 |
| 2,000 | $21,300 | $11,900–$30,600 |
| 2,500 | $23,200 | $13,000–$33,300 |
| 3,000 | $25,000 | $14,000–$36,000 |
Homes with second stories will cost up to 10% more than single-story homes when it comes to Hardie board siding costs, as your contractors will take more time to install siding using ladders and safety equipment.
Siding Style
Hardie board siding comes in a wide range of styles, and the one you pick will affect your material and labor costs. Shingle-style and clapboard-style Hardie board siding cost between $4 and $14 per square foot to install, while board and batten siding costs between $6 and $18.
| Siding Style | Cost (per Sq. Ft.) |
|---|---|
| Board and batten | $6–$18 |
| Lap | $4–$14 |
| Log | $6–$18 |
| Scallop | $5–$14 |
| Shingles | $5–$14 |
Location
Areas with a higher cost of living—such as urban and coastal areas—will have higher labor costs, so the cost of Hardie board siding installation will also sit above average. Get quotes from multiple fiber cement siding companies near you to better understand typical labor rates for your location.
| State | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| California | $30,900 |
| Florida | $21,800 |
| Georgia | $19,500 |
| Illinois | $20,400 |
| Michigan | $19,700 |
| New York | $26,300 |
| North Carolina | $20,800 |
| Ohio | $20,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $20,200 |
| Texas | $19,800 |
Additional Cost Factors
In addition to the material and labor costs to install Hardie board siding, you may encounter a few additional expenses along the way.
Old Siding Removal
If you’re not installing siding on a newly built home, you’ll first need to remove the existing siding, which costs between $1,000 and $3,000, depending on the size of your home and the type of siding you have. You can tackle this yourself to save on labor costs, but you’ll still pay between $150 and $350 for the cost of junk removal.
The removal cost could climb even higher if your pro finds evidence of leaks, as mold removal and treatments for wood rot and insect infestations can add hundreds or even thousands to your total.
Accessibility
The height and style of your home can affect Hardie board siding costs. If you live in a multistory home or have a home surrounded by large shrubs or trees, replacing the siding can require a lot more effort (and tools such as scaffolding and ladders). Expect this to drive up labor costs compared to an easily accessible ranch-style home.
Time of Year
Spring and fall are siding contractors’ busier times of year in most parts of the country, based on the weather. Hiring during their busy season could mean 5% to 10% higher rates due to increased demand and material price fluctuations. For savings, fall is usually the best time of year to install siding.
Weather Barrier
When you install James Hardie siding, you can upgrade the project to include the Hardie Weather Barrier, including Pro-Flashing, Flex Fashing, and Seam Tape. These add hundreds to both your material and labor costs, but it can better protect your home against temperature fluctuations and water damage.
Color
When ordering Hardie board siding, you can choose between pre-primed and factory-painted siding with ColorPlus Technology. The option you go with will affect your material costs or your labor costs.
Pre-primed Hardie board: This is the more affordable option when purchasing James Hardie siding. The siding comes primed for painting, and you can decide on a paint color once the siding is installed. While this does lower the cost of Hardie board siding, you’ll have to budget for the cost to paint your house exterior, which costs an average of $3,200.
Prefinished Hardie board: You can also order prefinished, factory-painted Hardie board siding in a variety of elegant colors. According to James Hardie, its ColorPlus Technology bakes the paint color on in a factory environment, meaning it will last longer than the typical paint job. This will drive up your material costs by $1 to $2 per square foot, but you’ll save on professional siding painting services after installation.
Trim
As part of your Hardie board siding order, you can add special trims to accentuate doors windows, friezes, columns, and corners. James Hardie recommends getting a different color to complement the primary color of your siding. The more specialty trim materials you add to your order, the more you’ll pay for materials, although actual installation costs will remain about the same.
Permits
Siding projects sometimes require a building permit that can add between $150 and $500 to your total. Check your municipality’s requirements, and ask your siding contractor if they handle the permit process as part of the work. That’s just one of several questions to ask before hiring a contractor. Note that some municipalities won’t require a permit for siding replacement, so you could save a bit here, depending on where you live.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
It’s possible to DIY siding, and doing so will save between $3,000 and $10,000 in labor, depending on the size of your home and the style of siding you choose.
However, siding acts as a first line of defense for your home, so mistakes can be costly if they lead to leaks or efficiency losses. Plus, James Hardie products come with a 30-year general warranty and a 15-year warranty for color, and installing yourself may void some of that coverage. Hiring a siding contractor is best to avoid these potentially expensive problems and to ensure you get the full warranty coverage from the manufacturer.
Hardie Board Replacement vs. Repair
Replacing Hardie board siding will usually cost more than repairs to existing siding, but it depends on the damage, condition, and lifespan of the siding you already have on your home.
Siding repairs cost between $3 and $11 per square foot, while replacement costs between $7 and $18 per square foot. If your existing siding isn’t leaking and is less than a decade old, repairing it is the best option for long-term savings. If you have multiple areas leaking or suffering from resulting mold or wood rot, or your siding is reaching the end of its useful lifespan, spring for a replacement to save more money in the long run.
You can always ask a contractor who handles fiber cement siding which option they recommend and why to help you decide.
| Factor | Repair | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Repairs vs. New Siding | Repairs are 30% or less than the replacement cost | Repairs are 50% or more of your replacement costs |
| Age of Old Siding | 10+ years of life remaining | Within a decade of useful life |
| Siding Condition | Some areas with physical damage | All siding is weathered or damaged |
| Water Damage | No leaks | Multiple leaks and mold growth |
Does Hardie Board Siding Add Value to Your Home?
Yes, Hardie board siding adds value to your home, and you can expect an average ROI of 80%. Given the cost of Hardie board siding installation, it should boost your home value by $17,000, on average.
Hardie board is an increasingly popular siding material because it lasts longer and offers better curb appeal than some other materials due to customization options and high-end textures and finishes, and it’s more sustainable than vinyl. Savvy home buyers may be willing to pay more for homes with new Hardie board siding because they understand the long-term perks of having such a durable siding material.
How to Save Money on Hardie Board Installation
Hardie board siding is more expensive than vinyl, engineered wood, some real wood options, and some brick and stone veneer materials. However, you can do a few things to save money on the installation and pay prices closer to what you’d expect from more affordable materials.
DIY what you can. It’s best to leave siding installation to a pro, but you can save an average of $2,000 by removing your old siding yourself. You can also tackle painting the siding yourself to save even more.
Choose your siding style carefully. Board and batten siding costs 1.5 times what you’d pay for shingle or clapboard siding. Unless you want a specific aesthetic, going with a more affordable style can save thousands.
Get multiple quotes. Get quotes from at least three siding contractors and compare based on experience, cost, and installation timeline.
Wait for the off-season. Siding contractors are busiest in the spring, so waiting until the fall can save 5% to 10% due to decreased material and labor costs.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The average cost to install Hardie board siding on 2,000 square feet of exterior walls is $21,300. Depending on the complexity of your house, the number of stories, and the style of Hardie board siding you choose, your total could fall anywhere between $15,000 and $25,000. You can get a more accurate price by measuring your exterior walls and multiplying the square footage by $12.50.
Hardie siding is more expensive than other types of siding, like vinyl, aluminum, and engineered wood, but it’s a high-quality product that can last for 50 to 80 years with good maintenance. It also stands up better to moisture, mold, and insects than wood siding, and provides better curb appeal and a higher ROI than some other options. Overall, it’s an expensive siding material, but it’s often a worthwhile investment.
Hardie board is more expensive than vinyl siding. Vinyl siding costs $3 to $12 per square foot, on average, with cost skewing toward the lower end of that range. Hardie board siding costs $7 to $18 per square foot, depending on the style, color, and trim. However, it lasts twice as long and often looks nicer, meaning you’ll see a higher bump in your home value and greater curb appeal from Hardie board.
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