Siding ROI: Resale Value by Material Type

Yes, new siding increases home value — and on average, you can expect to recoup roughly 80-90% of your project cost when you sell. According to Remodeling Magazine's 2024 Cost vs. Value Report, a midrange vinyl siding replacement returns about 80% of the project cost nationally, while fiber cement siding returns around 88% (the 2025 edition puts them higher still, at roughly 97% and 114%). The exact ROI depends on your material choice, your local market, and the condition of the siding you're replacing.

Why Does New Siding Affect Home Value?

Siding is one of the first things a buyer — or an appraiser — notices. It covers more visible surface area than almost any other exterior element. When it's cracked, faded, or warped, it signals deferred maintenance and raises questions about what else might be wrong. Conversely, fresh siding communicates that the home has been well cared for.

Beyond curb appeal, new siding can also improve energy efficiency (especially if old insulation is replaced or modern insulated panels are used), reduce maintenance costs for the next owner, and eliminate moisture problems that could lead to structural damage. All of these factors can influence a buyer's willingness to pay more.

What's the ROI for Each Siding Material?

Not all siding materials deliver the same return. Here's a comparison based on national averages from Remodeling Magazine's 2024 Cost vs. Value Report, supplemented by contractor and real estate industry estimates for materials not tracked in that report.

Material	Typical Installed Cost (per sq ft)	Estimated ROI at Resale	Typical Lifespan
Vinyl	$4–$9	~80%	20–40 years
Fiber Cement (e.g., Hardie)	$8–$14	~88%	30–50 years
Engineered Wood	$7–$12	~65–75% (estimated)	25–40 years
Wood (Cedar Clapboard)	$9–$16	~60–70% (estimated)	20–40 years with maintenance
Metal (Steel or Aluminum)	$7–$15	~55–65% (estimated)	40–60 years
Stucco	$8–$14	~60–70% (estimated)	50+ years
Stone Veneer (manufactured)	$12–$25	~80–90% (for accent areas)	50+ years

A few important notes on this table: The ROI percentages for vinyl and fiber cement come from Remodeling Magazine's tracked data. The other figures are industry estimates and will vary by region. Also, the stone veneer ROI is high partly because it's typically installed on a limited accent area (like the front entry) rather than the whole house, keeping total project cost lower relative to visual impact.

Which Siding Material Gives the Best Return?

For most homeowners, fiber cement siding offers the strongest combination of ROI and long-term value. Here's why:

• Higher recoup rate: At roughly 88% nationally, fiber cement edges out vinyl and most other full-coverage options.
• Buyer appeal: Real estate agents frequently note that fiber cement (often referred to by the brand name Hardie board) is perceived as a premium material. It looks like painted wood but doesn't rot, warp, or attract insects.
• Low maintenance: Buyers appreciate that fiber cement needs repainting only every 15–20 years and doesn't dent like vinyl or aluminum.
• Durability: A 30–50 year lifespan means most buyers won't have to think about replacing it.

That said, vinyl siding remains the most popular choice in the U.S. for a reason: it costs significantly less upfront, still returns roughly 80%, and is available in a huge range of styles and colors. If your budget is tighter, vinyl can be the smarter financial move because the lower total investment means less money at risk.

Does the Condition of Your Current Siding Matter?

Absolutely — and this is something ROI calculators often miss. The return on new siding isn't just about what you're putting up; it's about what you're replacing.

• Replacing visibly damaged siding: If your current siding is cracked, missing panels, or showing mold and rot, new siding will have an outsized impact on perceived value. In these situations, some real estate professionals suggest the effective ROI can approach or even exceed 100%, because damaged siding actively depresses your home's value below what it would otherwise be.
• Replacing dated but functional siding: If your siding is intact but just looks old — faded colors, an outdated style — you'll still see a solid return, but it'll be closer to the averages listed above.
• Replacing relatively new siding: If your siding is only 5–10 years old and in good shape, replacing it purely for resale is unlikely to be cost-effective. Your money would be better spent on other improvements.

How Does Location Affect Siding ROI?

Where you live plays a significant role in your return. National averages are useful benchmarks, but actual ROI can swing 10–20 percentage points depending on your region.

Markets where siding ROI tends to be higher:

• Areas with harsh winters where weather-tight siding is essential (the upper Midwest and Northeast)
• Competitive housing markets where curb appeal can make or break a sale
• Neighborhoods where most homes have been updated — if yours hasn't, it stands out negatively

Markets where siding ROI may be lower:

• Areas where brick, stone, or stucco are the dominant exterior materials and siding isn't the norm
• Very high-end neighborhoods where buyers expect masonry or custom materials regardless
• Markets with soft demand where buyers have plenty of choices and won't pay a premium for cosmetic upgrades

According to the 2024 Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling Magazine, the Pacific region tends to see slightly higher returns on siding projects than the national average, while the South Atlantic region tends to see slightly lower returns. However, these are broad generalizations — the micro-market of your specific neighborhood matters more.

New Siding vs. Other Exterior Upgrades: Where Should You Spend?

If you're deciding between siding and other projects for resale, it's worth comparing ROI across common exterior improvements:

Project	Typical Cost	Estimated ROI
Garage door replacement	~$4,500	~194%
Manufactured stone veneer (accent)	~$11,300	~153%
Fiber cement siding replacement	~$20,600 (1,250 sq ft)	~88%
Vinyl siding replacement	~$17,400 (1,250 sq ft)	~80%
New entry door (steel)	~$2,400	~188%
New windows (vinyl)	~$21,300	~67%

These figures are approximate, drawn from Remodeling Magazine's 2024 report for a typical midrange project. As you can see, smaller projects like a garage door or entry door can deliver a higher percentage return, but siding replacement adds significantly more absolute value to the home because of the larger dollar amount involved.

Tips to Maximize Your Siding ROI

If you've decided to move forward with new siding, a few decisions can meaningfully affect your return:

• Choose a color that fits the neighborhood. Bold or unusual colors can turn off buyers. Neutral tones — grays, whites, tans, soft blues — tend to appeal to the widest audience.
• Don't overbuild for your neighborhood. Installing $25-per-square-foot premium panels on a house in a neighborhood of $200,000 homes won't recoup the extra cost. Match your investment to your market.
• Address underlying issues first. If there's water damage, rot, or inadequate insulation behind your old siding, fix it during the re-siding process. Buyers (and their inspectors) will discover these problems eventually.
• Combine siding with trim and accent work. New siding with old, peeling trim looks incomplete. Budget for new trim, soffits, and fascia to get the full curb-appeal boost.
• Get multiple quotes. Material costs are relatively fixed, but labor rates vary significantly between contractors. Getting three or more quotes helps you avoid overpaying, which directly affects your ROI.

Should You Replace Siding Before Selling?

It depends on your situation. Here's a simple framework:

• Replace before selling if: Your siding is visibly damaged, your home is in a competitive market, or your agent advises that the current exterior is hurting showings.
• Consider it carefully if: Your siding is old but functional, and you're not sure the investment will come back. Ask a local real estate agent for a comparative market analysis (CMA) that factors in exterior condition.
• Skip it if: Your siding is in decent shape, you need to sell quickly, or you're in a seller's market where homes move fast regardless of cosmetics.

When you're ready to explore pricing for your specific home, ask two or three local siding contractors for detailed written quotes based on your home's size, current condition, and material preferences, and compare them line by line (what to verify before you sign).

How Does ROI Vary by Siding Material and Region?

ROI on siding isn't a single national number — it swings by material type and, more dramatically, by U.S. region. According to Remodeling Magazine's 2024 Cost vs. Value Report, fiber cement siding recoups 88.5% nationally but climbs above 100% in the Pacific region, while vinyl siding recoups 80.2% nationally and manufactured stone veneer recoups 153.2% — the third-highest ROI of any tracked remodeling project.

Here's the regional breakdown for the three siding-related projects tracked in the 2024 report:

Region	Fiber Cement Siding	Vinyl Siding	Manufactured Stone Veneer
New England	73.6%	66.6%	121.6%
Middle Atlantic	83.7%	76.0%	142.2%
East North Central	82.5%	74.9%	144.5%
West North Central	84.7%	76.3%	147.4%
South Atlantic	92.9%	84.9%	161.0%
East South Central	91.1%	81.9%	153.8%
West South Central	89.5%	81.2%	153.3%
Mountain	94.2%	85.7%	163.4%
Pacific	103.8%	94.3%	178.6%
National Average	88.5%	80.2%	153.2%

What this means for material-specific decisions

• Fiber cement performs best in warm, high-cost markets. The Pacific region (California, Oregon, Washington) is the only region where fiber cement returns more than 100% of installed cost — likely reflecting both high home prices and buyer preference for James Hardie-style planks in wildfire-prone areas. The manufacturer classifies its fiber cement products as noncombustible under ASTM E136, which matters in California WUI zones.
• Vinyl's ROI gap versus fiber cement is consistent — about 7–9 points nationwide. If your regional fiber cement number is above 90%, the upgrade usually pencils out; if you're in New England (73.6%), vinyl's lower upfront cost often wins on net dollars.
• Manufactured stone veneer's high ROI is a scope illusion. The project tracked by Remodeling Magazine covers only 300 square feet of accent area (typically the front façade water table), not the whole house. The project description specifies replacing a 36-inch band of vinyl with adhered manufactured stone — a small, high-visibility swap, not a full re-cladding.
• Engineered wood, stucco, and metal aren't tracked separately. Remodeling Magazine does not publish Cost vs. Value figures for LP SmartSide, steel, or stucco. The NAR 2022 Remodeling Impact Report is another source for resale data, but it also reports only on vinyl and fiber cement among siding types.

Does New Siding Help a Home Sell Faster, Not Just for More?

Often, yes. Beyond the resale dollars, fresh siding improves the first impression that drives showings and offers, and real-estate data consistently ranks exterior replacements among the projects buyers notice most.

The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report has tracked siding replacement among the stronger exterior projects for cost recouped for years, with whole-house siding returning roughly 80-90% in the 2024 report (and more in 2025) and manufactured stone veneer accents recovering well above 100%. The National Association of Realtors' Remodeling Impact Report likewise finds new siding appeals strongly to buyers and helps a home present as well-maintained.

• Condition beats material: Replacing cracked or faded siding recovers more than upgrading already-decent siding to a premium material.
• Neutral colors sell: Broadly appealing tones widen your buyer pool and reduce the "I'd have to redo that" objection.