BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Hire a Siding Contractor

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Residing can dramatically change the look of your house. When hiring a contractor, look for one with a good track record with the siding material you have chosen.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Contractor Referral Services
Siding Contractors
Pencils
Spiral Notebooks

Step1

Consider the type of siding you want to have installed (See related eHow - "How to Buy Siding.")

Step2

Check out siding materials by going to home centers, looking at existing houses you like, and browsing through home magazines.

Step3

Contact several siding contractors. Ask friends and relatives for recommendations. If you are having difficulty in locating a contractor, check the yellow pages.

Step4

Have the contractors inspect the site and quote prices for the job, based on your selected siding material.

Step5

Find out whether the contractors have experience with the type of roofing you are using.

Step6

Give the contractors written specifications of what you need, and make sure all are bidding on the same specifications.

Step7

Make sure the contractors are including the removal of old siding, if necessary.

Step8

Ask each contractor for several past customers as references. Contact these references. Were customers happy with the work? Did the contractor do the job in a timely and professional manner?

Step9

Select a contractor based upon price, experience and your impression.

Step10

Execute a contract specifying the work to be done, cost, payment schedule, start date and estimated completion date.

Step11

Make sure the contract calls for the contractor to remove old siding and debris from the site.

Tips & Warnings

Siding is typically measured by the square. A square equals 100 square feet of exterior wall space. Labor and material costs are both usually quoted in these terms.
The most common types of siding are vinyl, aluminum, cedar clapboard and cedar shakes.
Siding prices vary considerably with material, design of the house and other factors. Expect to spend $125 to $300 per square. Wood siding is more expensive than vinyl or aluminum and needs to be painted or stained.
Aluminum has been largely replaced by vinyl in new construction.
Negotiate a contract that minimizes any up front or deposit payments. Try to align your payment schedule with work in place and materials delivered to the site.
Be careful with large residing companies that advertise on radio and television - their prices may be quite high. Get other prices to compare.

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Comments

harebaugh said

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on 3/10/2007 We hired http://www.contractorsturnkeyservices.com in Houston to install HardiPlank siding on our home. Looks great! They have a site on what to look for in a siding contractor at http://www.sidinghouston.com this help us alot.

Anonymous said

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on 2/16/2006 Keep in mind that along with re siding your home, you may probably want to eliminate painting again (Or at least as much as is possible).
This means that along with siding work, you'll want to have a contractor who is experienced in the fine art of trimming areas such as window frames, overhangs, and other wooded areas.
This part of the complete job is the most labor intensive, as well as critical to the overall finished look of the job.
Most anyone who is fairly handy with a hammer and saw can install siding (with a little instruction).
But doing trim work, (and that is best done in aluminum), takes an experienced professional. Not experienced in years, as much as in knowing how to handle the finer details necessary in bending and installing the bent aluminum product(s).
All in all, if you choose carefully, look at previous work, and don't give any contractor more money than he himself has invested in the job, you stand a better chance of being pleasantly surprised, and not the alternative.