What Is Siding?
Siding protects your home and boosts its curb appeal
Properly installed siding can protect your home for 20 to 100 years or more, depending on the material.
Common types of siding include vinyl, fiber cement, wood, engineered wood, aluminum, and more.
Hiring a siding pro to install your siding ensures proper installation and long-lasting protection.
Regularly maintaining and repairing your siding will help extend its lifespan and prevent damage to your home.
With so many things to focus on to keep your home well maintained and looking great, you might not give much thought to your siding. However, this exterior feature can showcase your home’s character, boost its curb appeal, and protect it from the elements. Learn all about siding in our guide—what it is, how long it lasts, how much it costs, and who can install it.
What Is Siding?
Siding is the layer of material attached to your home’s exterior walls that protects it from the elements and gives it a finished look. Siding comes in a wide range of materials and styles, allowing you to create a customized exterior look for your home. The right siding for your home depends on climate and weather conditions, your home’s style, your budget, and your desired aesthetic.
Common Types of Siding
Siding is available in an array of materials, including vinyl, fiber cement, wood, engineered wood, aluminum, stone, brick, and stucco. Vinyl siding is the most common type of siding in the US, but siding made from other materials can be found on homes across the country as well. Each material varies in cost, lifespan, durability, installation method, and appearance.
You can also choose from a variety of siding styles, each available in multiple materials. Lap siding is the most common style and consists of horizontal planks or boards installed so each plank slightly overlaps the one below it. There are subtypes of lap siding, like Dutch lap and traditional lap siding, each of which has a slightly different appearance. Other siding styles include board and batten, shakes, shingles, tongue and groove, and beaded seam.
Siding Lifespan and Maintenance
How long your siding lasts and what kind of maintenance it needs depend on what kind of siding you have. Wood siding requires the most upkeep, since it needs to be painted or stained every few years to prevent rot, mold, and other damage. Materials like fiber cement, engineered wood, and aluminum require little maintenance beyond annual cleaning.
You can expect to get at least 20 years out of any kind of siding, with some types, like brick and stone, able to last a century or more. Options like fiber cement, stucco, and aluminum can last 50 years when properly installed and maintained.
| Siding Material | Average Lifespan in Years |
|---|---|
| Vinyl | 20–40 |
| Fiber cement | 30–50 |
| Wood | 20–40 |
| Engineered wood | 20–40 |
| Aluminum | 30–50 |
| Brick | 100+ |
| Stone | 100+ |
| Stucco | 50+ |
DIY Siding Installation vs. Hiring a Pro
Installing siding is a complex process that requires the right tools and experience for the type of siding you’re installing. Unless you have experience installing siding, hire a siding contractor to ensure no steps are skipped and your siding is installed correctly. A local siding pro with experience working with your type of siding will be able to properly measure your house for siding, order the right amount by calculating the pieces of siding in a square and how many you need, prep your home for the siding, and install it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Siding Costs
The cost to replace siding is based on the price of the siding you choose, the size and complexity of your home, labor costs, and more. Materials like brick, stone, and stucco cost more but last longer, while options like vinyl, fiber cement, and engineered wood have a lower initial cost but a shorter lifespan.
| Siding Material | Average Cost per Sq. Ft. |
|---|---|
| Vinyl | $3–$12 |
| Fiber Cement | $5–$14 |
| Wood | $3–$15 |
| Engineered wood | $3–$14 |
| Aluminum | $3–$15 |
| Brick | $10–$20 |
| Stone | $7–$30 |
| Stucco | $7–$17 |
Siding offers one of the best returns on investment (ROI) of any home improvement project, with an ROI of up to 80% of the initial cost. New siding also helps make your home more attractive to prospective buyers and can set it apart from similar properties on the market.
Painting faded siding is more budget-friendly than replacing it, but depending on how old your siding is and whether it’s sustained damage beyond fading, it may be a better idea to replace old, faded siding. Vinyl siding that’s 20 years old or more is nearing the end of its lifespan, and painting may freshen up its appearance, but it won’t buy you much more time before the siding needs to be replaced.
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