Free Siding Cost Calculator (+ Guide)

What is a siding cost calculator?

A siding cost calculator adds up every cost of new siding, from the contractor's quote to the gutters and permits around it.

It shows the total with a contingency, the cost per square foot of wall and what's left of your budget.

How it works

The cheapest of your quotes goes in the total, next to the costs it doesn't cover.

What to budget for in siding

A siding quote rarely covers everything, so list the rest beside it.

• Tear-off and disposal: taking off the old siding and hauling it away
• House wrap and insulation board: what goes on the walls before the siding
• Trim and gutters: often quoted apart, or by another trade
• Permits: ask your town's building department what needs a permit, since the rules vary by town.

Put each on its own line, and the chart shows which one moves your total most.

Lead paint in homes built before 1978

The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule has applied since April 22, 2010.

• Any firm you pay for work that disturbs lead-based paint in a home built before 1978 must be EPA- or state-certified
• It must use certified renovators who follow lead-safe work practices
• The rule generally doesn't cover homeowners working on their own home, unless they rent it out, run a child care center in it or flip houses

So in an older home, ask each contractor for their lead-safe certification before you compare prices.

How to compare contractors' quotes

The Federal Trade Commission gives this advice before you hire anyone.

• Hire only licensed and insured contractors, and check the license with your state or county
• Get several written estimates, each with the work, the materials, the completion date and the price
• Don't automatically pick the lowest bid, and ask why if the estimates differ a lot
• Get a written contract with the contractor's license number and the start and finish dates
• Never pay the full amount up front, and make the final payment only when the work is done

It also warns that a contractor who asks you to get the permits, or who only takes cash, may be running a scam.

How much contingency to add

A contingency is money set aside for what you find once the walls or the ground are open.

HUD requires one on its 203(k) renovation loans: 10% to 20% of the repair costs on a home 30 years or older, and at least 15% when the utilities don't work.

On a newer home, it's up to the lender, to a maximum of 20%.

A worked example

Here's the example the calculator loads: 1,800 sq ft of wall with three quotes of $19,500, $17,800 and $21,000, plus new gutters and the permit.

The cheapest of the three quotes is $17,800, $3,200 less than the dearest. Your other costs add $1,900, so the siding comes to $19,700 before the contingency.

A 10% contingency adds $1,970, for a total of $21,670. That's $12.04 per square foot, and $3,330 left of a $25,000 budget.

Mistakes to avoid

These are the slips that come up most.

• Comparing quotes that don't all include the tear-off and trim
• Hiring a contractor for a pre-1978 home without asking for lead-safe certification
• Skipping the contingency, when the old siding can hide rot

Who is the siding cost calculator for?

It's for anyone residing a house, after storm damage or for a new look, and these tools help around it.

• Siding calculator – for squares and panels
• Square footage calculator – for the wall area
• Home equity loan calculator – if you borrow for it

Know what each quote takes off and puts on before you compare totals, and the new siding has no surprises behind it.