How to Quote a Siding Job

Quoting siding comes down to four numbers: the squares (wall area ÷ 100, minus ~15% for openings, plus 10% waste), the installed price per square foot for the material tier, tear-off at $1–$3/sq ft, and trim plus house wrap. In 2026, installed pricing runs $8–$12/sq ft for vinyl, $12–$18 for fiber cement, and $15–$22 for wood/cedar — so a 1,500 sq ft wall area lands around $12,000–$18,000 in vinyl or $18,000–$27,000 in fiber cement before tear-off. The contractors who make money on siding aren't the cheapest — they're the ones who measure in squares, itemize the hidden half of the job, and present three tiers instead of one number.

2026 siding costs at a glance

Material is roughly half the installed price; labor is the other half. That split is your friend — it means the upsell from vinyl to fiber cement adds about $4–$6/sq ft in material but you keep your labor rate, so the margin on the upgrade is excellent. For the full homeowner-side breakdown, see our siding cost per square foot guide.

Step 1: Measure in squares

The square — 100 sq ft — is the unit the whole industry buys, prices, and thinks in. Your supplier quotes by the square; your crew thinks in squares per day (a good crew hangs 2–4 squares daily depending on complexity). Measure each wall (length × height), add them up, subtract ~15% for windows and doors, divide by 100. A 1,800 sq ft wall area is about 15.3 squares net — order 17 with the standard 10% waste factor.

Gables are where measurements go wrong. A gable triangle is (base × height) ÷ 2 — measure it separately and add it in. Houses with lots of gables, dormers, and bump-outs also deserve 12–15% waste instead of 10%, because every angle eats a board. And measure twice on two-stories: the upper walls are where ladder work slows the crew, which matters for your labor estimate even though it doesn't change the square count.

Siding cost by house size

Wall area — not floor area — drives the price. Here's what typical homes cost at mid-range installed rates (vinyl $10, fiber cement $15, wood $18/sq ft), before tear-off:

Add $1–$3/sq ft for tear-off and $150–$500 for the permit on top of these numbers. Two-story homes of the same wall area cost 10–15% more in labor than single-stories — the crew moves slower on staging and every cut happens off a ladder or plank.

Step 2: Price by material tier — always three

Quote good / better / best on every siding bid. It roughly doubles close rates versus a single number, because it changes the client's question from “is this too expensive?” to “which one do I want?” — and most pick the middle:

• Good — vinyl ($8–$12/sq ft): the volume play. Low maintenance, huge color selection, fastest install. Weaknesses: hail damage, fading, lower perceived value.
• Better — fiber cement ($12–$18/sq ft): the upsell sweet spot. Fire-resistant, rot-proof, holds paint 2–3× longer than wood, 30–50 year lifespan. Heavier — needs proper flashing and clearances.
• Best — wood/cedar ($15–$22/sq ft): premium looks and premium margin, but it needs restaining every 3–5 years. Sell it where the architecture demands it.

Present the three tiers side by side with lifespan and maintenance notes, not just prices. The $6,000 jump from vinyl to fiber cement looks very different next to “lasts twice as long, paint it half as often.”

Step 3: Price the hidden half of the job

The siding itself is barely half the bid. The rest is the work clients don't think about — and the work that destroys your margin when you forget it:

Sheathing repair deserves special attention: you cannot see rot until the old siding comes off, so never fix-price it. Bid an allowance (“includes up to X sq ft of sheathing replacement at $Y/sq ft”) or time-and-materials with a cap. The alternative is eating a $2,000 surprise — or fighting the client mid-job.

Step 4: Present the bid that wins

Itemize materials vs. labor vs. tear-off vs. extras. Homeowners comparing three bids choose the one they understand — and itemized bids get roughly 30% fewer “can you sharpen your pencil” calls, because there's nothing vague to squeeze. Put the three material tiers on one page, list what's included and excluded in plain language, and state the warranty (workmanship warranty matters more to buyers than the manufacturer's — anyone can buy the siding, only you stand behind the install). State it in years, not adjectives: “5-year workmanship warranty” beats “satisfaction guaranteed” because it can be verified.

Run the squares through the siding calculator, push the numbers into a quote, and send all three tiers before you leave the property. Siding is a considered purchase — the first professional, itemized bid in the inbox sets the reference price every competitor gets compared against.

Pro tips from the trade

• Sell the wrap. Once the old siding is off, upgrading the weather barrier is an easy conversation — and it's pure margin on material you were handling anyway.
• Bundle gutters. Old gutters come off for residing anyway; quoting new gutters on the same bid is the highest-close-rate upsell in exterior work.
• Photograph the sheathing. Every wall, before the wrap goes on. It's your proof of proper installation and your defense against future leak claims.
• Watch the weather. Open walls and rain don't mix — have a dry-in plan (wrap same-day) in the bid so a surprise storm doesn't become your problem.
• Manufacturer certification pays. Programs like James Hardie Preferred or certainTeed 5-Star carry extended warranties you can sell — and they differentiate you from every uncertified bidder.

Costly mistakes to avoid

One more scenario worth a paragraph: the partial residing. Clients often ask to side “just the front” to save money. It can work, but warn them in writing that matching 10-year-old faded siding exactly is impossible — manufacturers discontinue colors, and even the same SKU weathers differently. Price the transition honestly (corner boards hide a lot), or use the mismatch as the argument for doing the whole house.

• Eyeballing the squares. A 10% measure error on a $20,000 job is $2,000 of material or margin. Measure every wall.
• Fix-pricing sheathing repair. Covered above — allowance or T&M, always.
• One number instead of three tiers. You're leaving the upgrade margin on the table and making price the only comparison point.
• Forgetting the permit. A stop-work order mid-job costs more than the $150–$500 permit ever would.
• Tight-butting fiber cement. It needs proper gaps and clearances (typically 1/4" at trim, 2" above roofing) — installation errors void the warranty and become your callback.
• Quoting without checking fascia. Rotted fascia discovered mid-job is a change order fight; caught during the estimate, it's an upsell.