Siding · Nashville, TN
The Nashville homeowner's guide to siding
What the work involves, what drives the price, what your options are, and what a bad job looks like — written so you can judge any siding contractor in Middle Tennessee, including us.
Warning signs
How to know you need us
If you recognize any of these, it is worth having somebody look before it becomes a larger job.
- Siding cracked, buckled or pulling away at the seams
- Soft or crumbling board at ground level, behind gutters or under windows
- Paint failing again within a year or two of a repaint
- Woodpecker or insect damage in cedar or hardboard siding
- Visible gaps at corners and around windows where water can track behind
- Interior stains on an exterior wall with no plumbing above
Your options
More than one right answer.
A siding contractor who only ever recommends the most expensive option is not giving you advice. Here is the honest range.
Vinyl siding
Lowest cost, no painting, and modern insulated profiles are far better than the thin panels that gave vinyl its reputation.
Fiber cement
The Middle Tennessee premium standard. Dimensionally stable, holds paint, and does not interest insects or woodpeckers.
Engineered wood
Lighter and faster to install than fiber cement with a real wood grain, and it needs its cut ends sealed properly.
Repair and repaint
When the substrate is sound, replacing failed boards and repainting is a fraction of a re-side and honest to recommend.
What it costs
What actually drives the price.
We do not quote siding over the phone, because an honest number needs somebody to look at the job. These are the things that move it.
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Material
Vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood and cedar span a wide range in both material and labor, and fiber cement in particular is slow to hang.
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What is under it
Rotten sheathing and failed house wrap are found once the old siding comes off. A fair quote names a per-sheet rate rather than leaving it open.
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Storeys and access
Two and three-story elevations, dormers and steep grade all mean staging, and staging is labor.
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Trim and detail
Corners, window and door surrounds, frieze boards and soffit are what make a siding job look built. They are also where the hours go.
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Insulation and wrap
Housewrap and rigid insulation added during a re-side is the cheapest time it will ever be done.
Every estimate is free, written and carries no obligation — including the parts we would find only after starting, which are priced up front rather than left open.
What happens
From your call to the finished job.
Inspection and estimate
We probe for soft spots rather than looking from the curb, because what is behind the siding sets the real price.
Material and color
Two to four weeks for fiber cement in a factory finish. Site-painted goes faster but has a weather dependency.
Tear-off and repair
One elevation at a time, so the house is never fully exposed, with sheathing and wrap made good as we go.
Install and trim
Siding, then corners, surrounds and caulk. The trim and sealing stage is what decides the next twenty years.
Done badly
What goes wrong, and why it matters.
These are the shortcuts that make a quote look cheaper and cost you more later. Ask anyone you are considering about them.
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Siding over damage
New cladding over wet sheathing hides the problem and feeds it.
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No housewrap, or wrap installed shingle-backwards
Water management is layered. Wrap lapped the wrong way channels water into the wall instead of out of it.
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Nailing fiber cement too tight
Over-driven fasteners crack the board and void the warranty, and it is invisible once painted.
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Caulking the bottom edge
The bottom of a lap course needs to drain. Sealing it traps water behind the wall.
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any siding contractor.
Including us. If a contractor cannot answer these easily, that is the answer.
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Are you licensed for siding and can I see the certificate?
A licensed and insured contractor will have this to hand and will not be irritated by the question.
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Is the estimate written, itemized and free?
A verbal number is not an estimate. Itemized means you can compare two quotes on the same basis.
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What happens if you find something once you start?
The honest answer names a rate and a process. The answer to worry about is that it never happens.
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Who is actually doing the work?
Employee crew or subcontractor is not a wrong answer either way, but you should know which, and who carries the insurance.
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What is the workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
Materials carry a manufacturer warranty. Workmanship is the contractor, and it should be written down.
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Will you pull the permit?
For permitted work, a contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something important about the rest of the job.
FAQ
Choosing a siding contractor in Nashville
How do I choose a siding contractor in Nashville?
Check the license and the insurance certificate, get the estimate in writing and itemized so you can compare quotes on the same basis, and ask what happens if something is found once work starts. A contractor who cannot answer those easily has told you what you need to know.
Should I get more than one quote for siding?
Yes, and compare what is in them rather than the number at the bottom. The cheapest quote is often cheapest because it leaves something out, and on siding the thing left out is usually the preparation that decides how long the work lasts.
Is the cheapest siding quote usually a bad idea?
Not automatically — but an unusually low number is information. Ask specifically what is included, what grade of material is quoted, who is doing the work and what the workmanship warranty is. If all four answers are good, the low quote is a good quote.
Do I need a permit for siding in Nashville?
It depends on the scope. Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties permit and inspect a good deal of this work, and a contractor suggesting you skip a required permit is telling you something about how they approach the rest of the job. We pull the permits our work requires.
How far in advance should I book siding?
A few weeks where you can. Booking in the quiet season usually means better scheduling and sometimes better pricing than booking in the rush, and it gives you time to make the selections properly.
Free estimate
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Tell us what is going on and we will get you a free estimate from a local siding contractor. No obligation, no pressure.