What Makes a Siding Company Worth Hiring?
Siding combines aesthetics, building science and potential liability for long-term problems. While a well finished wall may look perfect on completion, potentially trapping moisture for years to come, it is not necessarily a well finished job. It’s possible for a company to complete a siding job and not understand the potential problems for years to come.
Workmanship shows up at the transitions, not the field
While running straight courses of siding on long, straight walls is work that any competent installer can do well, quality attention to detail is required at penetrations, terminations and changes in plane. Look at pictures of their window head flashing, roof-to-wall kickout flashing and the bottom course of siding at grade.
If siding is to be installed as part of a drainage assembly then fiber cement and engineered wood cladding require clearance over horizontal surfaces. Most manufacturers will detail this in drawings and as dimensioned details on their product data sheets. A contractor unable to recite the required gap between siding and deck ledgers or a required fastener spacing between panels of favored products indicates work being undertaken by someone working only by habit, as opposed to being issued with a detailed specification for installation of said siding.
Questions that separate installers from panel hangers
- What weather-resistive barrier do you use, and how do you integrate it with window flanges?
- Do you install a rainscreen gap, and under what conditions do you recommend one?
- How do you handle rot discovered after tear-off, and what is the unit rate for sheathing replacement?
- Who cuts the fiber cement, and what dust control method is used on site?
Transparency in scope, pricing, and change orders
The project should be bid in detail. The prices for tear off, disposal, repair to substrate, house wrap, trim, siding, accessories, etc. Should be listed as separate line items. If all of the prices are listed as a single price per square foot then it will be impossible to tell if the bid was written with the assumption that the client wanted to have trim wrap taken down and thrown away or if the bidder just assumed that the siding would be installed over good existing sheathing.
Substrate condition (the condition of the surfaces behind which siding will be installed) is generally the largest unknown factor on a re-side job. Well managed companies set up their contracts with a contingency amount established prior to the job start and document with photographs all findings prior to commencement of work. Gen Stone takes a very transparent approach to identifying areas of unknown condition and thereby managing customers’ expectations.
What a defensible proposal contains
- Manufacturer, product line, profile, and exposure for every material
- Fastener type and corrosion rating, particularly near coastal exposure
- Named unit rates for sheathing, framing, and trim replacement
- Payment schedule tied to milestones rather than calendar dates
- Written statement of who pulls permits and schedules inspections
Product selection should follow the building, not the catalog
Contractors who are limited to only installing one type of siding will naturally tell you that that particular type of siding is best for every situation. A quality company will have the knowledge to explain why you might choose a particular substrate, why certain siding may be better in certain climate zones, and why certain exposures are better served by particular materials. If you are weighing options in the mid-Atlantic, an experienced Alexandria VA siding company is worth consulting because a good one will tell you plainly when your preferred siding is not a good choice.
| Material | Typical service life | Maintenance demand | Best-fit condition |
| Vinyl | 25 to 40 years | Minimal, washing only | Budget-driven projects, moderate climates |
| Fiber cement | 40 to 50 years | Repaint every 10 to 15 years | Fire-prone areas, high wind exposure |
| Engineered wood | 30 years plus | Repaint, strict clearance rules | Wood appearance with faster install |
| Metal | 40 years plus | Low, watch for dents and scratches | Contemporary designs, wildfire zones |
Warranties that actually transfer risk
A siding company may offer a manufacturer’s warranty for material defects and a separate workmanship warranty for errors made by the installer. The value of the workmanship warranty is likely to be a function of whether the company is going to be around to honor the warranty for 5-10 years or more.
A two-year workmanship term is thin. A 5-10 year workmanship term, coupled with the contractor carrying general liability, being properly licensed and having sufficient operating history, is more indicative of a quality installer. In some cases, the manufacturer certified installer status of the company can actually extend the workmanship term. However, verify that this certification actually extends to all individuals within the company to work under, versus just the company as a whole.
Verify before signing
- Whether the workmanship warranty is written into the contract or only referenced verbally
- Whether it transfers on sale of the property, and at what cost
- What specifically voids it, including pressure washing and third-party penetrations
Service behavior predicts the punch list
How a contractor handles phone calls before signing a contract with you for work is the cheapest indication of how a contractor will handle phone calls after signing the contract with you. Contractors who return your calls and other correspondence in a timely manner and respond in writing before visiting the property and preparing a bid for work for you to sign are generally able to manage jobs well. Contractors who will quote work from photographs on a satellite view of a house and who require a same-day contract signature are typically contractors who will have problems with your contract after signing it.
Check for the name of the person who’ll be the main point of contact for any queries, a written site clean down procedure, and a stated time frame within which the company will return any warranty related calls. Check reviews but filter them for negative comments.
