Siding Cost Calculator
Squares of siding and installed cost, from the outside dimensions of the house.
Estimated installed cost
$21,807.50
- Gross wall area
- 2,720 sq ft
- Net of openings
- 2,500 sq ft
- Order with 10% waste
- 2,750 sq ft
- Squares to order
- 27.5 squares
- Material
- $6,050.00
- Labor
- $8,000.00
- Tear-off
- $3,125.00
- House wrap
- $1,250.00
- Trim package
- $1,400.00
- Contingency (10%)
- $1,982.50
- Cost per sq ft
- $8.72/sq ft
- Material-only (DIY)
- $7,450.00
Squares are wall area ÷ 100. Suppliers sell full boxes, so round up when you order.
Re-siding is the moment to add wall insulation → insulation cost calculator
How this is calculated
wall area = 2 × (length + width) × wall height + gables net = wall area − windows and doors order = net × (1 + waste%) squares = order ÷ 100 material = order × material $/sq ft labor = net × labor $/sq ft add-ons = net × ($/sq ft for tear-off, wrap) + trim package total = (material + labor + add-ons) × (1 + contingency%)
Material is priced on the order quantity because you pay for the offcuts. Labor and the per-square-foot add-ons are priced on net wall area, because a crew is paid to cover the wall, not to generate scrap.
Siding for common house sizes
Footprint squared off into a plan, two stories at 9 ft, a 200 sq ft gable and 12 percent of the wall in windows and doors. Every row runs through the same function as the calculator above, and as the per-size pages linked below it.
| Footprint | Wall area | Net of openings | Squares (+10% waste) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft house | 1,810 sq ft | 1,593 sq ft | 17.5 |
| 1,200 sq ft house | 1,964 sq ft | 1,728 sq ft | 19.0 |
| 1,500 sq ft house | 2,172 sq ft | 1,911 sq ft | 21.0 |
| 2,000 sq ft house | 2,477 sq ft | 2,180 sq ft | 24.0 |
| 2,500 sq ft house | 2,746 sq ft | 2,416 sq ft | 26.6 |
| 3,000 sq ft house | 2,989 sq ft | 2,630 sq ft | 28.9 |
Installed price by material
| Material | Material only | Installed | Expected life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $1.60-$3.00/sq ft | $4.00-$12.00/sq ft | 20-40 years |
| Insulated vinyl | $2.80-$4.50/sq ft | $6.00-$13.00/sq ft | 25-40 years |
| Fiber cement | $2.50-$6.50/sq ft | $6.00-$15.00/sq ft | 40-60 years |
| Engineered wood | $2.60-$4.50/sq ft | $6.50-$10.00/sq ft | 20-30 years |
| Cedar / wood | $4.00-$8.00/sq ft | $9.00-$16.00/sq ft | 20-40 years |
| Steel | $4.00-$7.00/sq ft | $8.00-$14.00/sq ft | 40+ years |
Frequently asked questions
How much does siding cost for a 2,000 sq ft house?
A 2,000 square foot two-story house works out to roughly 2,200 square feet of wall once you deduct openings, which is about 24 squares with waste. In vinyl that lands near $8,000 to $18,000 installed; in fiber cement, closer to $12,000 to $26,000, and James Hardie specifically runs higher again. Tear-off of the old siding usually adds $1,000 to $3,000.
How many squares of siding do I need?
A square is 100 square feet of wall. Measure each wall, multiply length by height, add gable triangles as half the base times the height, subtract windows and doors, then add 10 percent for waste. Divide by 100 and round up — siding is ordered in whole squares or full boxes.
Is vinyl or fiber cement cheaper?
Vinyl is cheaper twice over: the material costs about half as much and it installs faster, because fiber cement is heavy, needs specific blades and often a two-person crew. Fiber cement buys durability, fire resistance and a look closer to painted wood, which is why it commands the premium.
Does the price include removing the old siding?
Not automatically. Tear-off and disposal typically runs $1 to $2 per square foot, and this calculator keeps it as a separate line you can switch on. Some vinyl jobs go over existing siding, which saves that cost but hides any rot and adds thickness at the trim.
How much waste should I allow?
Ten percent covers a straightforward rectangular house. Go to 15 percent for many corners, dormers, gables or a diagonal pattern, since each cut leaves an offcut too short to use. Lap siding on a busy elevation wastes more than flat panel on a plain wall.
Can I install siding myself?
Vinyl on a single-story rectangle is a realistic DIY job if you respect the expansion gaps — nailed too tight, vinyl buckles in summer heat. Fiber cement is heavy, releases silica dust when cut and often voids its warranty if installed outside the manufacturer's spec, so it is a poor first project.
Cost figures are planning estimates that move with region, season and how much rot the crew finds behind the old siding. They are not quotes. Get at least three written bids.