Standard vinyl siding on 1,250 sq ft of wall, with the old siding torn off, costs about $9,900 at US-average prices, roughly $7.95 per square foot of wall. The range runs from about $7,700 to $21,000: the low end is a crew working at the typical hourly rate, and the high end is a full-service remodeler, whose national average in the 2025 Cost vs Value report was $17,950 for the same 1,250 sq ft.
How the estimate is built
The calculator prices four lines, each as a quantity times a low, typical and high unit price, then scales labor and materials to your state.
cost = panels (area × (1 + waste) × material price) + installation (area × labor price) + tear-off (area × removal price) + soffit
| Line | Low | Typical | High | Per |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder-grade panels | $1.00 | $2.00 | $3.16 | sq ft |
| Standard panels | $2.00 | $3.16 | $4.50 | sq ft |
| Premium panels | $3.16 | $4.50 | $6.00 | sq ft |
| Insulated panels | $6.16 | $6.66 | $7.16 | sq ft |
| Installation labor | $2.92 | $2.97 | $9.70 | sq ft |
| Remove old siding | $1.00 | $1.50 | $2.00 | sq ft |
Where the numbers come from: This Old House, drawing on 2025 Homewyse data, puts vinyl siding materials at about $3.16 per sq ft and labor at 54 hours per 1,000 sq ft at $54 to $60 an hour, which is $2.92 to $3.24 per sq ft. It lists traditional lap vinyl at $1 to $6 per sq ft, insulated vinyl at $3 to $4 more than standard, and removal of old siding at $1 to $2 per sq ft. The grades split that $1 to $6 range around the $3.16 typical. The high labor figure is what is left of the Cost vs Value all-in price ($17,950 ÷ 1,250 sq ft = $14.36) after materials and tear-off, since that report's scope includes house wrap and factory trim at every opening and corner.
Worked example
The default is 1,250 sq ft of wall, standard grade, tear-off on, 10% waste, US average:
| Line | Math | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Panels | 1,375 sq ft × $3.16 | $4,345 |
| Installation | 1,250 sq ft × $2.97 | $3,713 |
| Tear-off | 1,250 sq ft × $1.50 | $1,875 |
| Total | $9,933, shown as $9,900 |
Vinyl siding cost by grade
On the same walls with tear-off, builder grade comes to about $8,300, standard $9,900, premium $11,800 and insulated $14,700. Thickness is the main difference you can see: builder-grade panels run around 0.040 in, premium 0.046 in and up, and thicker panels hold a straighter line on long walls and resist dents from hail and ladders. Insulated vinyl adds foam backing, which stiffens the panel and adds a little insulation; it comes 1 square to a carton instead of 2.
What changes the price most
- Tear-off. Leaving the old siding on (where it is sound and flat, and it is not vinyl) drops the standard example to about $8,100. Vinyl cannot go over old vinyl.
- Doing it yourself. With the DIY switch on, labor and tear-off drop out and the standard example is about $4,350 in materials. Rent or borrow a siding brake if you plan to wrap your own trim.
- Stories. A second story doubles the wall area, and scaffolding or pump jacks make the labor slower. Use the House size mode: a 136 ft perimeter with 2 stories of 9 ft is 2,448 sq ft of wall before gables.
- Soffit. 80 ft of eave with a 12 in overhang is 80 sq ft of soffit, about $490 at the standard panel and labor rates. That line is an approximation: soffit is priced like siding panels here because no separate sourced soffit rate was found, and fascia is left out.
- Your state. Pick your state and the labor and material prices move with local wage and price levels.
How to measure the wall area
Wall area is the perimeter times the wall height plus the gable triangles, minus big openings like garage doors and sliders. The vinyl siding calculator does this for you from the house outline, and also gives the carton count and every piece of trim to check against a contractor's bid. Ordinary windows are usually left in, which works as part of the waste allowance.
Checking a bid
Divide a quote by the wall area. This estimate puts standard vinyl with tear-off at about $6.12 to $7.95 per sq ft at typical crew rates, and the 2025 Cost vs Value national average for a full-service remodeler, with tear-off, house wrap and new trim, was $14.36 per sq ft. A bid far outside that range is worth a question about scope: is tear-off included, how are soffit and fascia priced, what thickness is the panel, and is house wrap part of it?
Related costs and tools
- Siding with fiber cement or engineered wood instead? The siding calculator counts HardiePlank and LP SmartSide for the same walls.
- New windows often go in before the siding: see the window replacement cost calculator.
- If the roof is due too, the roof replacement cost calculator prices it the same way.
- Painting instead of re-siding? Compare with the painting cost calculator.
- All cost estimators are on the home improvement cost calculators page.