Siding is one of the highest-ROI exterior upgrades you can make to a Canadian home — but only if you pick a material appropriate to the climate and hire an installer who won't skip the rain screen. Here are the honest 2026 numbers.
Installed price ranges, 1,800 sq ft home
- Vinyl siding: $12,000–$22,000
- Aluminum siding: $16,000–$28,000
- Fibre-cement (Hardie board): $22,000–$38,000
- Cedar (kiln-dried, pre-oiled): $28,000–$48,000
- Engineered wood (LP SmartSide): $18,000–$32,000
What the ranges depend on
House shape (rectangles are cheap; complicated envelopes with lots of corners, dormers, and returns cost more), colour and profile (specialty colours and premium profiles cost 10–25% more), and whether the existing siding gets torn off (adds $2–$4 per sq ft but is non-negotiable — you should never side over siding).
Ask any siding contractor whether they'll install on rain-screen furring. If they say 'not needed' or 'costs extra' — get another quote. Rain-screen assembly is what separates a 40-year siding job from a 10-year siding job in Canadian climate.
Where the value actually lives
For most homeowners, vinyl siding is the value winner. Modern vinyl in architectural profiles looks dramatically better than it did in 1995, holds colour for 30+ years, and requires zero maintenance. Fibre-cement is the durability winner — 50-year life, paintable, fire-resistant — but costs meaningfully more up front and is heavier to install.
The maintenance question
Vinyl, aluminum, and fibre-cement are effectively zero maintenance. Wood siding (cedar or engineered) needs restaining every 3–5 years to hold up. That's not a dealbreaker — but budget for it if you're going wood.
Aluminum siding dents. It's a legitimate material, but if your property has kids playing catch, deer strikes, or lots of ladder work, budget for occasional panel replacement.
We're happy to walk your property and price out any of these materials in a proper written quote. No pressure to pick our recommendation.
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