This cancer-causing mineral has been the bane of many homeowners for decades, costing many people thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. The national average cost to repair asbestos siding is $3,202.
The cost to replace asbestos siding runs about $3,202 on average, but can range from $75 to $16,330 based on the siding material and size of the area.
Asbestos in your siding may not seem like a big deal because it’s not necessarily inside the home, but it still requires removal and replacement. Even small amounts of disturbance can spread the fibers in the air, where they can be inhaled, sucked into a ventilation system, or enter through open windows. Learn all the factors that will influence your asbestos siding removal price.
There are two types of asbestos-infused siding that are seen more than others. They are:
Brick siding: Asbestos is added to the mortar that holds the bricks in place. It’s added as a form of fire resistance and adds durability.
Cement siding: The asbestos fibers are mixed directly into the cement. This results in a very strong and fire-resistant siding material. This type of siding is usually installed in the form of shingles.
Removal of asbestos siding will take the lion’s share of the time and the budget. Once it is successfully and safely removed, you need to replace it. Which type of siding you use will have a large effect on your total project cost.
| Type of Siding | Price per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Vinyl | $3–$7 |
| Wood | $5–$10 |
| Fiber Cement | $5–$9 |
| Stucco | $9–$12 |
| Brick Veneer | $3–$10 |
| Stone Veneer | $10–$15 |
You should consult with a contractor about which type of siding you want to replace your asbestos siding with. Not all siding options work with each type of house, and depending on your location, certain types can be much less expensive than others.
Vinyl: Popular and the most affordable. Requires minimal maintenance and is easy to install. However, it is not the most resistant to strong weather events.
Wood: Environmentally friendly and allows for a natural look and customizable style. Can be fairly expensive and requires regular maintenance.
Fiber Cement: Durable and requires minimal maintenance, and is termite resistant. Can be difficult to install; it requires professional experience.
Stucco: Similar benefits to fiber cement, but more customizable and considered a luxury type of siding. Depending on the style, it can become quite expensive.
Brick Veneer: Affordable when compared to solid brick but can sometimes result in moisture problems. Requires minimal, if any, maintenance and can be inexpensive.
Stone Veneer: Same theory as brick veneer, and presents the same issues with moisture. Very little maintenance is required and can look great as an accent.
Removing and replacing asbestos-infused siding is composed of two processes—removing the siding and removing any asbestos—lumped into a single quote. The good thing about siding is that it’s a uniform job, and the process of removing it is the exact same from one piece of a wall to the next.
Because of this, contractors are able to measure a wall and give you a fairly accurate quote. Barring any unforeseen complications, you can price out a job based on square footage alone. Note that the below pricing does not include the replacement siding options and labor, and is only the cost of removing the asbestos siding.
| Size of exterior | Total cost |
|---|---|
| 90 square feet | $720 |
| 200 square feet | $1,600 |
| 600 square feet | $4,800 |
| 1300 square feet | $10,400 |
| 2000 square feet | $16,000 |
The average home in the United States has around 1,500 square feet of exterior wall space. Hopefully, you do not have asbestos siding wrapped around your entire house but, unfortunately, it’s a common discovery.
Because of the safety considerations when removing asbestos shingles, you need to hire specialized help. These contractors are more expensive than the average roofer or general contractor, costing around $200 per hour.
You can calculate the cost of hiring a pro to replace asbestos by budgeting $8 per square foot for wall removal. Removing asbestos roof shingles can range anywhere from $20 to $120 per square foot. The large range in cost is due to each project’s complexity, danger, and size. A smaller job will cost more per square foot–even if it might result in a lower overall bill.
There are two ways to remove and replace asbestos siding. The first option is to pay a contractor to do everything. The second is to pay a contractor to only remove the asbestos siding and make sure it’s safe, and then put up the new siding yourself.
You can save quite a bit of money going the second route, but you’re also committing an enormous amount of time to the project. Siding an entire house by yourself can take weeks.
It’s our opinion that if you can, you should have a professional to complete the entire job. Just remember—you should never work with asbestos for safety reasons. Asbestos is dangerous, and you should always hire a professional asbestos tester near you to check for it and a local asbestos abatement pro to remove it.
Replacing asbestos siding is more work than encapsulation because it involves removing and disposing of the original material and installing new siding. Encapsulating asbestos siding lets you keep the original material in place and cover the siding with a sealant so the asbestos fibers aren't released. This reduces the chances that the asbestos in the siding will be disturbed and released into the air.
Because it's less work, encapsulating asbestos siding costs less than replacing it, at between $2 and $6 per square foot. Although less expensive, one drawback of encapsulation is that it's not a permanent fix. You'll have to maintain it over time to ensure it doesn't pose a health risk.
There are a few ways to reduce your overall costs when removing and replacing asbestos siding. Some tips include:
Negotiate a lower price per square foot if the entire job (removal and replacement) is completed by one contractor.
See if hiring two contractors for each phase of the job is less expensive overall.
Perform the work during optimal weather (no rain, not too hot or too cold).
Choose one of the lower-priced replacement options.
Negotiate a bulk discount, if performing a large job.
Check for off-season deals on siding.
Ultimately, the most effective place to focus on saving money is on the materials. Asbestos labor is specialized, so you may not be able to negotiate a lower rate. Contact a local asbestos removal expert to help you determine the exact scope and requirements of your project.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to costquotes@angi.com. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Asbestos siding can be dangerous if disturbed because the material itself poses a health risk. Asbestos is one of the leading causes of lung cancer as it causes mesothelioma—an aggressive cancer. Asbestos can also cause irreversible damage to your lungs by creating a buildup of scar tissue, called asbestosis. It has a habit of making its way through even robust personal protective equipment (PPE), which is why it’s not recommended that you perform any asbestos work yourself.
It is not recommended that you drill into asbestos siding, as you could release its hazardous fibers into the air. The best way for dealing with asbestos-containing materials is to have a professional remove or encapsulate it.
The type of siding you choose, how maintenance is performed, and the weather where you live will determine when you should replace your siding. For example, inexpensive vinyl with no maintenance performed in a hurricane-prone area may only last a few years, whereas well-kept brick in a calm environment can last hundreds of years.
This is a tricky answer because how fast you work, how large your team is, and what type of siding you install will all determine your total time. One person placing bricks around an entire house can take weeks, but a team of 10 could complete the job in just a few days. Installing siding is a job that’s best done by a pro, as they are experienced and will perform solid work. A rough guideline for DIYers is to budget 15 minutes per square foot of siding.
There are products that still contain asbestos, but they were typically installed decades ago. Common places where you may still find asbestos-containing materials are in siding, wrapped around ductwork, in older appliances (i.e., stove and gravity furnaces), and in floors. Asbestos was primarily used as an insulator, so anywhere in an older home where you lose heat is where you will most likely find asbestos.
