How Much Does Siding Replacement Cost in Washington?
Most whole house siding replacements in Washington land between about $18,000 and $62,000. Vinyl sits at the low end. Fiber cement sits in the middle, and cedar sits at the top. National cost guides publish lower figures, closer to $5,400 to $30,000, because they average every market in the country.
Per square foot of wall, 2026 Puget Sound area cost guides put vinyl near $13 to $15 installed. Fiber cement runs about $14 to $17, and cedar about $16 to $19. Rot repair, trim, flashing and paint are separate lines on a bid. They move the total more than the material choice does. These are market numbers from published cost guides, not our price list.
What does siding replacement cost per square foot?
Siding is priced by the square foot of wall, not by the floor area of the house. National cost guides figure a 2,000 square foot house has about 1,800 to 2,000 square feet of wall to cover.
| Siding material | National cost guides, installed | Puget Sound area guides, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $3 to $12 per sq ft | $13 to $15 per sq ft |
| Engineered wood | $2 to $10 per sq ft | $13 to $16 per sq ft |
| Fiber cement | $5 to $14 per sq ft | $14 to $17 per sq ft |
| Cedar and other wood | $2 to $15 per sq ft | $16 to $19 per sq ft |
| Premium cedar grades | $10 to $30 per sq ft | priced job by job |
The gap between those two columns is mostly labor and disposal. Crews, dump fees and delivery all cost more here than the national average. Ask every bidder for the price per square foot and the wall area they measured. That one line makes two bids comparable. The materials and the steps are laid out on our siding installation page.
How much does siding cost for a 2,000 square foot house?
| House size (floor area) | Wall area to cover | National cost guides | Puget Sound area guides, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft | about 1,200 to 1,800 sq ft | $3,600 to $27,000 | $18,000 to $40,000 |
| 1,500 to 2,500 sq ft | about 1,600 to 2,200 sq ft | $4,800 to $33,000 | $30,000 to $62,000 |
| Over 2,500 sq ft | about 2,300 to 2,500 sq ft | $6,900 to $37,500 | $46,000 to $95,000 |
A two story house costs more than a rambler with the same floor area. It has more wall, and the crew needs staging to reach it. Published guides put scaffolding at $1,500 to $5,000 on a full re-side. Dormers, gables, bay windows and tight corners all add cutting time.
Roof and siding often come due together on an island house. We broke down what a roof replacement costs in Washington the same way.
What does rot repair add to a siding job?
Rot is the line that moves most on Whidbey Island. Rain falls nine months of the year here and salt air sits on the walls. Shaded north walls stay damp under big firs. You cannot see any of it until the old siding comes off.
Published cost guides put a single dry rot repair near $592 to $1,112. Dry rot work runs roughly $5 to $40 per square foot. Small patches sit at the top of that range. Puget Sound bids often carry a rot allowance of $1,000 to $10,000 or more. If water reached the sheathing or the framing, the repair grows. We handle that as wood rot repair on the same job. The wall goes back dry before new siding covers it.
What do trim, flashing and windows add to the bid?
Trim, corners and fascia get their own line. Puget Sound guides put exterior trim and fascia at $2,500 to $4,500 on a whole house. Flashing and sealants run another $800 to $3,000. The weather barrier and its accessories add $550 to $2,000, or about $0.50 to $1 per square foot.
Window and door openings are where wind driven rain gets in. Head flashing and a sill pan tie the opening into the weather barrier. That detail is what keeps the wall dry. A re-side is also the easiest time to swap tired windows, since the trim and flashing are already off. Pairing it with window replacement saves a second round of trim work.
Do you have to paint or stain new siding?
Vinyl comes finished. Fiber cement comes prefinished from the factory or primed for paint on site. Cedar needs a finish, and it asks for that finish again over time.
Published 2026 ranges put exterior painting at about $1.50 to $4 per square foot. Staining cedar runs about $2.63 to $5.48 per square foot. On a whole house, Puget Sound guides show paint and finish at $3,000 to $10,000. Prefinished fiber cement costs more up front and skips that line later.
Does island access change the price?
A crew coming from the mainland reaches Whidbey Island by the Clinton ferry or over the Deception Pass bridge. Camano Island is reached through Stanwood. That travel lands in the bid somewhere, either named as mobilization or folded into the labor rate.
Material delivery and hauling the old siding away also take longer out here. We are based in Langley, so our crew is already on the island. Ask any bidder how travel and disposal are priced before you compare totals.
Do you need a permit to replace siding in Washington?
That depends on the jurisdiction, so check before the job starts. Island County’s building permit page states that new and replacement roofing projects require a building permit. It does not spell out siding, so confirm siding with the county first.
Island County Planning and Community Development takes applications through its online Public Portal. The office is at 1 NE 6th Street in Coupeville. Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Langley handle permits inside their own city limits. Anacortes, Mount Vernon and Burlington fall under Skagit County, and Stanwood under Snohomish County. Published guides put permit fees at $150 to $1,500 nationally and $250 to $1,500 around Puget Sound.
How do you get a real number for your house?
Ranges only go so far. A real number comes from measuring your walls, checking trim and sills for soft wood, and picking a material. We look at the house and write the scope. You get the price in writing.
The estimate is free. Call or text (360) 544-9655. Our page on new siding and re-siding covers the materials and how a job runs.