How much does siding repair cost in Virginia?

Siding repair has no standard Virginia price, and any single figure you read online is a guess. What you pay depends on the damage, the wall behind it, how high the work is and how well the new siding matches the old. This page shows what moves the price and how to get a bid you can compare. A written quote on your own wall is the only number that counts.

What drives the price

How much is damaged. One cracked ground-level panel is a small job. Several panels, a damaged corner post or trim, or a whole wall of failing siding is a different one, and past a certain point replacing a wall costs less than repairing it piece by piece.

What is behind it. Vinyl siding is a cladding, not the waterproofing of the wall, so water that gets past a crack reaches the sheathing. If it has rotted, that has to be fixed first, because new siding should not go over rotting wood. Nobody can price rot until the panel is off, which is why a bid should state how it will be charged, such as a price per sheet or board.

Height and access. A panel at ground level is quick. A second-storey wall, a gable peak or a steep slope takes more time, a second person and sometimes scaffolding. Alside's warranty, for example, makes the homeowner responsible for ensuring access for warranty service, including providing any scaffolding or lift equipment required to reach products that cannot be accessed with a standard 15-foot extension ladder.^[1]

Matching. Replacement panels may differ in gloss and colour from the originals because of weathering,^[1] and discontinued profiles or colours can mean hunting for stock or using a panel from a hidden wall. Matching can add time even when the repair itself is simple.

Warranty and insurance. If the siding is under a maker's warranty or the damage came from hail or a storm, contact the maker or your insurer before you hire anyone.^[1] Alside's warranty, for one, covers hail damage for replacement materials only, after you first go to your homeowner's insurance,^[1] and says all other costs of replacement of hail-damaged Products, including the cost of labor, shall be the sole responsibility of the homeowner.^[1]

Lead-safe rules on older houses. If the house was built before 1978 and the job disturbs painted surfaces such as wood siding or trim, EPA's rule requires that anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 be certified.^[5] Certified firms may price that care in.

Permit. Usually nothing to pay. Virginia's building code says no permit is needed to replace any amount of siding on houses in residential Groups R-3, R-4 and R-5 outside areas where the design wind speed is above 100 miles per hour,^[2] but a building official may require a permit for replacement siding in a locally designated historic district.^[2]

Getting a bid you can compare

Photograph the damage, note the wall and height, and write down what the siding is. Then ask for bids on the same scope. DPOR advises you to get at least three written bids based on identical plans and specifications,^[4] and to do not automatically accept the lowest.^[4] It adds that a bid substantially lower than the others probably means a mistake or missing work.^[4]

Each bid should say:

• how many panels or how many feet of siding and trim, and which wall
• the siding brand, profile and colour, and how it will be matched
• how rot or damaged sheathing is priced if it turns up
• whether the quote includes a minimum visit charge, disposal and clean-up
• whether any permit or lead-safe work is included
• a written workmanship warranty

Licence and deposit

Virginia licence classes depend on the price of the job: a Class C contractor handles single contracts over $1,000 but less than $30,000, a Class B contractor $30,000 or more but less than $150,000, and a Class A contractor $150,000 or more.^[3] A repair priced above $1,000 should go to a contractor whose licence you have checked; see how to check a contractor's licence.

On money, DPOR's rule of thumb is a deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less, and up to 30% where custom-made or special-order items are involved.^[4] On a small repair, ask for payment on completion.

Cheaper than it sounds, sometimes

A homeowner who can work from the ground can do a one-panel replacement in an hour or so with a zip tool; see how to replace a damaged piece of vinyl siding and how to patch a hole in vinyl siding. The saving is real only if the wall behind is sound.

Stop and call a pro if

• The damage is above the first storey. Do not climb ladders for a panel you cannot reach from the ground.
• The sheathing behind the siding is wet, soft or rotted. That is a carpentry and moisture repair.
• Many panels are cracked, loose or buckled. Find out why before spending on repairs; see why vinyl siding buckles.
• The house predates 1978 and the siding or trim is painted. Hire a lead-safe certified firm.
• A bid is far lower than the others. Ask what has been left out.

Getting help in Virginia

Not sure who to call? Read whether a siding contractor or a handyman repairs siding. Browse more home repair answers, or see local siding services on Loclis.

To get prices for your own wall, describe the damage once and licensed local businesses quote it.