Engineered Wood Siding Cost [2024 Data]
Normal range: $7,000 - $22,000
It might be engineered, but this wood is still a natural-looking and affordable siding option—and the cost typically ranges between $7,000 and $22,000.
Engineered wood siding costs between $4 and $13 per square foot, fully installed. The average homeowner spends $8.50 per square foot for materials and labor.
On the low end, expect to spend roughly $4,000 for 1,000 square feet of exterior walls. If you have a large home with 2,500 square feet of exterior siding, your costs can go as high as $32,500. For the typical home with roughly 1,750 square feet of exterior walls, budget roughly $14,875 for new engineered wood siding.
The cost to install engineered wood siding will vary depending on the size and accessibility of your home, where you live, and the time of year. Don’t forget to budget for additional costs such as permits and siding removal.
- Average
- $14,875
- Low end
- $4,000
- high end
- $32,500
What Is Engineered Wood Siding?
Engineered wood siding is a more affordable alternative to traditional wood siding. This type of siding is manufactured using wood fibers and resin composite material, bound together and heat-pressed. This type of wood siding is specially treated to discourage pests and fungus, and it’s also resistant to warping, weather damage, mold, and mildew.
You can get engineered wood siding in a range of styles (planks, shakers, panels, trims, etc.), lengths, and colors. This makes engineered wood siding more customizable than true wood, though critics argue that it loses that rustic charm of natural wood. You should paint your manufactured wood siding every 10 or so years to ensure it lasts several decades.
Engineered Wood Siding Cost Breakdown
As with most siding projects, you’ll encounter two main costs when installing engineered wood siding: materials and labor.
Materials
Engineered wood siding costs between $3 and $7 per square foot for the materials alone. Costs will vary depending on the color, style, and size of the engineered wood you purchase.
Don’t forget: You should always buy more materials than you actually need to allow for waste when cutting and mistakes. This also makes it easier to repair minor siding issues down the road, as needed. On average, repairing siding costs $880.
Labor
Labor costs for installing engineered wood siding range between $1 and $6 per square foot. As with any other type of wood siding, we recommend hiring a professional to handle the installation, as it’s labor-intensive and requires diligent work. Incorrectly installed siding can lead to heating and cooling issues, pest problems, water damage, and a greater risk of fire.
Engineered Wood Siding Cost Factors
Several factors can impact how much you’ll actually spend to re-side your house with engineered wood siding.
Size of House
It’s probably not a shocker that the biggest factor impacting engineered wood siding costs is the size of your home: Bigger houses require more material and result in longer project timelines (and higher labor costs).
Square footage of your home isn’t the best way to estimate siding costs; some homes are partially underground or share walls with other homes, meaning less siding is needed. Instead, get rough measurements of all exterior walls to calculate the total square footage of the exterior you’ll be siding. A contractor will be able to help you with this work when purchasing the necessary materials.
Here’s how the square footage of your exterior walls can impact overall costs:
| Exterior Wall Square Footage | Engineered Wood Siding Cost Range |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $4,000–$13,000 |
| 1,250 | $5,000–$16,250 |
| 1,500 | $6,000–$18,500 |
| 1,750 | $7,000–$22,750 |
| 2,000 | $8,000–$26,000 |
| 2,250 | $9,000–$29,250 |
| 2,500 | $10,000–$32,500 |
Style, Color, and Size
Engineered wood siding comes with a lot of choices, and manufacturers often charge differently depending on the color you choose, the style (think shakers vs. planks), and the size of the planks or panels.
Traditional planks and panels—like for shiplap, tongue-and-groove, and board-and-batten siding—are generally cheaper than shakers, logs, and trim pieces, and you may pay more money for premium colors offered by the manufacturer, but this can vary.
Accessibility and Location
Where you live can also affect the cost of installing engineered wood siding. For instance, homeowners in coastal and urban areas with a higher cost of living may face higher material and labor costs than someone in a suburban area.
How accessible your home is can also play a role. For instance, multistory homes are more challenging to reside in, as they require scaffolding or ladders (and more risk to the contractor). If your contractor will have to work around lots of vegetation that hugs your home, they’ll also need more time to finish the work—and will gladly charge you for it.
Time of Year
When you decide to install engineered wood siding can also impact how much you spend. Many homeowners decide to get new siding before going into the winter, to help with heating costs, so contractors get busy (and sometimes up their rates) in the fall.
Similarly, after a brutal winter, homeowners often call siding companies first thing in the spring. That makes summer an ideal time to call up the siding contractor.
Additional Engineered Wood Siding Costs
When installing engineered wood siding on your home, you may encounter additional costs to include in your budget.
Permits
Most municipalities require some kind of permit to install or replace siding. If you’re hiring a pro, this is a good question to ask the contractor: Do you need a permit, how much does it cost, and will they (the contractor) get it for you?
Old Siding Removal
If you’re hiring a professional, removal of existing siding is likely included in the quote (but always double-check to make sure). If you’re tackling the siding project yourself, you’ll first need to remove any existing siding. Though it varies depending on how much siding you remove, you should budget about $150 to $350 for junk removal fees alone.
In some cases, you can install engineered wood siding on top of existing wood siding. Always consult with a pro before going this route.
DIY vs. Hiring a Siding Pro
While experienced homeowners may be able to tackle small siding repairs, we generally recommend leaving new siding projects to professionals. A trusted siding contractor near you can ensure your engineered wood siding is installed properly for the best energy efficiency. Proper installation also helps prevent pest issues, mold and mildew growth, and water damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of wood siding varies by the type of wood. Engineered wood siding tends to be in the middle of typical costs ($3 to $7 per square foot for materials). Hardwoods, for instance, can cost $5 to $20 per square foot for materials alone, but cedar wood can be as cheap as $3 per square foot.
Engineered wood siding is still a relatively new type of siding, so it’s hard to say with certainty how long engineered wood siding will last. That said, homeowners should expect to get somewhere from 20 to 30 years out of their engineered wood siding, especially if they keep up with maintenance, including painting it every 10 years. Painting the exterior of a house costs an average of $3,150.
No, engineered wood siding is not the same as Hardie board. Hardie board is a brand-name type of fiber cement siding. Hardie board costs significantly more than engineered wood siding, with homeowners spending up to $15 per square foot for installation.