Types of Siding and What They Cost
House siding runs from $2 to $5 per square foot installed for tin and $4 to $12 for vinyl, through $6 to $16 for fiber cement, cedar and steel, up to $15 to $45 for natural stone. Price is only half the story: fiber cement and stucco last 50 years or more, cedar and wood 20 to 40. Enter your wall area to compare all 14 materials on the same house, total and per year.
Your walls
About 1,700 on a 2,000 sq ft house.
| Material | Per sq ft installed | Your walls | Lifespan | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tin | $2 to $5 | $3,400 – $8,500 | not published | — |
| Masonite | $4 to $8 | $6,800 – $13,600 | 20 to 40 years | $170 – $680 |
| Vinyl | $4 to $12 | $6,800 – $20,400 | 30 to 40 years | $170 – $680 |
| Board and batten | $5 to $13 | $8,500 – $22,100 | 20 to 100 years | $85 – $1,105 |
| Wood or log | $5 to $15 | $8,500 – $25,500 | 20 to 40 years | $215 – $1,275 |
| Aluminum | $6 to $10 | $10,200 – $17,000 | 25 to 40 years | $255 – $680 |
| Fiber cement | $6 to $15 | $10,200 – $25,500 | 50 to 75 years | $135 – $510 |
| Cedar | $6 to $16 | $10,200 – $27,200 | 20 to 40 years | $255 – $1,360 |
| Engineered wood | $7 to $12 | $11,900 – $20,400 | 30 to 50 years | $240 – $680 |
| Steel | $7 to $16 | $11,900 – $27,200 | 40 to 70 years | $170 – $680 |
| Stucco | $7 to $17 | $11,900 – $28,900 | 50 to 80 years | $150 – $580 |
| Brick | $8 to $18 | $13,600 – $30,600 | 20 to 75 faux, 100+ real | — |
| Cultured stone | $10 to $35 | $17,000 – $59,500 | 30 to 75 years | $225 – $1,985 |
| Natural stone | $15 to $45 | $25,500 – $76,500 | 30 to 75 years | $340 – $2,550 |
Sorted by the low end of each range; totals rounded to $100 and per-year figures to $5. National averages before removing old siding. Not sure of your wall area? The siding calculator measures it.
Picked a material?
The detailed calculators price removal, styles and extras for the two most common choices.
The cheapest siding
On price per square foot, tin is the cheapest siding HomeGuide lists, at $2 to $5 installed, followed by Masonite at $4 to $8 and vinyl at $4 to $12; corrugated aluminum panels run $4 to $7. HomeGuide’s general guide calls Masonite or vinyl the cheapest for a house and favors vinyl as the more durable and energy efficient, since Masonite is prone to rot, warping and water damage. Over the life of the siding the ranking changes: fiber cement and stucco cost more up front but last long enough to come out level with or below vinyl per year, as the table shows. Our vinyl siding cost page has the styles and house sizes in detail.
Board and batten siding cost
Board and batten is a style rather than a material: wide vertical boards with narrow battens over the seams. HomeGuide puts it at $5 to $13 per square foot installed, or $8,500 to $22,000 for the roughly 1,700 square feet of siding on a 2,000 square foot house. By material:
| Board and batten in | Installed per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Vinyl | $5 to $9 |
| Cypress | $4 to $16 |
| Wood | $5 to $15 |
| Aluminum | $6 to $10 |
| Fiber cement or Hardie board | $6 to $15 |
| Cedar | $6 to $16 |
| Engineered wood | $7 to $12 |
| Steel | $7 to $16 |
Vinyl, metal and fiber cement versions come as interlocking panels with the battens already formed, which installs faster; wood board and batten takes longer because each batten is lined up over a seam by hand.
Wood, cedar and composite siding
Wood siding costs $5 to $15 per square foot installed for common woods such as pine, fir and cypress; hardwoods cost more. Cedar runs $6 to $16: $7 to $16 for thick, rustic shakes, $6 to $15 for thinner, smoother shingles, and $6 to $12 for clapboard, the easiest to install. Real wood lasts 20 to 40 years, and HomeGuide notes cedar is more susceptible to fire, moisture and insects and needs more maintenance than most siding. Engineered wood, a composite of wood and binders sold as a low-maintenance alternative to real wood, costs $7 to $12 and lasts 30 to 50 years.
Metal siding cost
| Metal siding | Installed per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Tin | $2 to $5 |
| Aluminum, corrugated panels | $4 to $7 |
| Aluminum, smooth boards | $6 to $10 |
| Steel, exposed fastener panels | $7 to $12 |
| Steel, concealed fastener panels | $10 to $16 |
| Zinc | $25 to $40 |
| Copper | $30 to $45 |
Galvanized steel costs more than aluminum but lasts longer, 40 to 70 years against 25 to 40, and thicker 24 gauge steel costs 30 to 40 percent more than 26 gauge. Aluminum is insect-proof and fire-resistant but dents and scratches; HomeGuide splits its price into $3 to $4 for materials and $3 to $6 for labor, with a national average of $18,500.
Stone veneer siding cost
Cultured, or manufactured, stone is a painted or stained concrete mix that imitates natural stone; it costs $10 to $35 per square foot installed, against $15 to $45 for natural stone veneer. Because of the price, most houses use stone as an accent. HomeGuide’s examples in cultured stone:
| Project | Area | Installed |
|---|---|---|
| Front of the house | 200 sq ft | $2,000 to $7,000 |
| Foundation, front of the house | 300 sq ft | $3,000 to $10,500 |
| Half stone, half vinyl front | 100 sq ft each | $1,400 to $4,700 |
| Garage door frame | 40 to 80 sq ft | $400 to $2,800 |
| Whole exterior | 1,000 sq ft | $10,000 to $35,000 |
Stucco vs siding cost
Stucco is cement, sand, binders and water applied in layers like plaster. It costs $7 to $17 per square foot installed, $5 to $9 of it materials and $2 to $8 labor, which makes it dearer than vinyl at $4 to $12 and close to fiber cement at $6 to $15. It lasts 50 to 80 years, which brings its cost per year down to about vinyl’s, but HomeGuide says exterior stucco is best for dry climates and not ideal where it rains a lot. Removing old stucco costs $1 to $4 per square foot.
Brick sits higher again, at $8 to $18 per square foot depending on whether it is thin veneer, faux panels or full-size brick, and may need a concrete brick ledge at $15 to $30 per square foot. Real brick lasts 100 years or more.
How the totals are figured
HomeGuide’s material guides do not all price a house the same way: some multiply the house’s floor area by the rate, others an estimated siding area, about 1,700 square feet on a 2,000 square foot house. To compare like with like, the table applies every per-square-foot rate to the one siding area you enter. Rates and lifespans are from HomeGuide’s general siding guide, apart from tin and cultured stone, which come from its metal and stone guides; its fiber cement guide gives fiber cement a longer 50 to 100 years. Per-year figures divide the cheapest total by the longest life and the dearest by the shortest. Our siding cost calculator adds removal, insulation and permits.
What this page does not give
- Removal and extras. Old siding removal runs $0.70 to $2.00 per square foot on top.
- Local prices. These are national averages.
- Climate fit. Durability depends on your weather; stucco and vinyl both have climates they suit poorly.
Sources
- HomeGuide house siding cost guide, October 29, 2025: rates and lifespans by material, cheapest and most durable siding.
- HomeGuide board and batten siding cost guide, June 23, 2025: prices by material and house size.
- HomeGuide cedar siding cost guide, October 3, 2023: cedar styles.
- HomeGuide metal siding cost guide, August 1, 2023: metal siding by type.
- HomeGuide aluminum siding cost guide, August 3, 2023: materials and labor split and national average.
- HomeGuide cultured stone siding cost guide, February 9, 2026: cultured and natural stone and accent projects.
- HomeGuide stucco cost guide, August 9, 2023: stucco materials, labor and removal.
- Read on November 5, 2026. Totals and per-year figures are our arithmetic. Every source is listed on the methodology page.
Related cost guides
Types of siding FAQ
What are the main types of siding?
Vinyl, aluminum, steel and tin; wood, cedar and engineered wood; fiber cement; stucco; brick; and natural or cultured stone, plus styles such as board and batten that come in several materials. HomeGuide calls vinyl and aluminum the affordable options, fiber cement and wood mid-range, and steel, brick, stucco and stone the most expensive.
How much does board and batten siding cost?
$5 to $13 per square foot installed, or $8,500 to $22,000 for the roughly 1,700 square feet of siding on a 2,000 square foot house, according to HomeGuide. Vinyl board and batten runs $5 to $9, fiber cement $6 to $15 and steel $7 to $16.
How much does stone veneer siding cost?
Cultured, or manufactured, stone costs $10 to $35 per square foot installed and natural stone veneer $15 to $45. Most homes use it as an accent: about 200 square feet across the front of a house runs $2,000 to $7,000 in cultured stone.
Is stucco cheaper than siding?
Usually not. Stucco costs $7 to $17 per square foot installed, against $4 to $12 for vinyl, so vinyl is cheaper; stucco is close to fiber cement at $6 to $15. Stucco lasts 50 to 80 years and suits dry climates best.
How much does metal siding cost?
Steel costs $7 to $16 per square foot installed, $7 to $12 for exposed fastener panels and $10 to $16 for concealed fastener panels. Aluminum runs $6 to $10, tin $2 to $5, and premium zinc and copper $25 to $45.
How much does cedar siding cost?
$6 to $16 per square foot installed: $7 to $16 for cedar shakes, $6 to $15 for cedar shingles and $6 to $12 for cedar clapboard, the easiest style to install. It lasts 20 to 40 years with more upkeep than most materials.
How much does aluminum siding cost?
$6 to $10 per square foot installed, about $3 to $4 of it materials and $3 to $6 labor, according to HomeGuide, which puts the national average at $18,500. It lasts 25 to 40 years but dents and scratches.
How much does composite siding cost?
HomeGuide prices engineered wood, a composite of wood and binders sold as a low-maintenance alternative to real wood, at $7 to $12 per square foot installed, with a 30 to 50 year life.
What is the most durable type of siding?
HomeGuide names steel, stucco, brick, stone, fiber cement and engineered wood as the most durable, with the longest lifespans and the best resistance to harsh weather. Real brick lasts 100 years or more.