Siding Replacement Cost Calculator
Replacing siding is a tear-off plus a fresh install. Enter your new-siding rate and your tear-off rate per square foot, add disposal, and apply a contingency — the two jobs priced as one.
Replacing 1,336 sq ft of siding — new install plus tear-off and disposal of the old material — is about $12,491.60. Enter your tear-off rate and dumpster fee separately from the material and labor; pre-1978 lead-painted or asbestos-cement siding is a certified-pro / EPA RRP matter, not a DIY tear-off.
1 Enter your numbers
Replacement is where estimates that only price the new siding go badly wrong. Before the first new panel goes up, the old material has to be stripped and hauled away — that is labor per square foot plus a disposal fee, and it is a real, separate line. This tool prices the new install and the tear-off independently, adds disposal, and puts a contingency over the whole thing.
One safety note the arithmetic cannot see: on a house built before 1978, the old siding or its paint may contain lead, and asbestos-cement siding still exists on older homes. That is not a DIY tear-off — it is a certified-pro job under the EPA RRP rule. Budget for it, and hire accordingly.
Formula
install = net_area_sqft × $/sqft(new)
tearoff = net_area_sqft × $/sqft(tear-off)
total = (install + tearoff + disposal) × (1 + contingency)Both rates are per square foot of the same net area, so the tear-off scales with the job exactly as the install does; disposal is a flat add-on.
Worked example
1,336 sq ft, new siding at $7.00/sq ft, tear-off at $1.50/sq ft, no separate disposal, 10% contingency:
install = 1,336 × $7.00 = $9,352.00
tearoff = 1,336 × $1.50 = $2,004.00
total = $11,356.00 × 1.10 = $12,491.60About $12,492 — roughly $2,000 more than a bare install of the same siding, which is the tear-off and its overhead.
Before you strip the walls
- Price tear-off separately. A single “installed” number that hides the tear-off makes it impossible to compare a re-side quote against a new-construction one.
- Expect sheathing surprises. Old siding hides water damage; keep the contingency and budget for some sheathing and flashing work.
- Pre-1978 lead paint and asbestos-cement siding are not DIY. Follow the EPA RRP rule and hire a certified firm; this tool does not price abatement.
- Disposal is a real fee. A dumpster or haul-away charge belongs in the estimate, not in your head.
Reference table
| Material | Installed, all-in ($/sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $3.00–$8.00 |
| Engineered wood / LP SmartSide | $4.00–$9.00 |
| Aluminum siding | $4.00–$9.00 |
| Steel siding | $6.00–$12.00 |
| Wood / cedar siding | $5.00–$12.00 |
| Fiber cement / James Hardie | $6.00–$13.00 |
Labeled published planning bands — a sanity guide only, not a price you should plug in. Enter the real number from your quote; costs vary by material and exposure, wall and gable geometry, waste and trim, tear-off, house wrap and insulation, complexity, region and labor.