Price by material
| Material | Per sq ft installed | 2,000 sq ft home |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $3–$14 | $6,000–$16,000 |
| Metal, steel or aluminum | $7–$16 | $14,000–$22,000 |
| Fibre cement | $8–$20 | $16,000–$24,000 |
| Composite | $9–$13 | $18,000–$26,000 |
| Wood | $10–$15 | $20,000–$30,000+ |
| Extras | Cost |
|---|---|
| Removing and disposing of old siding | $1,000–$3,000 |
| Sheathing repairs | $2,000–$5,000 |
| Insulation upgrade under the siding | $1–$3 per sq ft |
| Soffit and fascia | $2,000–$4,000 |
The part you cannot see
Siding is a rain screen, not a wall. What keeps water out of the structure is the layer behind it: the sheathing, the moisture barrier and the flashing around every window and door.
So the moment the old siding comes off is the moment the real condition of your house becomes visible. On an Ontario home of a certain age, soft sheathing under a window or at a corner is common rather than unusual — water has been getting in past tired flashing for years.
This is why a siding quote should say what happens if the wall is bad. Ask two questions before signing: how much sheathing replacement is included, and what does each extra sheet cost. Get those numbers while you are sitting at the kitchen table, not while a crew is standing at the side of the house with the wall open.
Is it worth insulating while the siding is off?
Often yes, and this is the one moment it is cheap to do. Adding rigid insulation under new siding costs $1 to $3 per square foot while the wall is already exposed. Doing it later means removing the siding you just paid for.
It also connects to money on the table: Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings program pays up to $7,700 for insulation across attic, wall, foundation and exposed floors — but wall insulation sits in the stream that needs a home energy assessment before the work starts. Book that before the crew arrives, not after. Our rebate guide explains the two streams.
Flashing is the whole job
If you remember one thing from this page, make it this. Most siding failures are not the siding. They are water getting behind it at a window head, a corner, a deck ledger or a roof-to-wall junction, because the flashing was done badly or not at all.
Ask every installer how they detail around windows and where the wall meets the roof. A good crew will answer in detail and possibly with enthusiasm. A crew that talks only about colour selection is telling you where their attention goes.
Red flags in a siding quote
| What you see | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No sheathing allowance | Rot is found after the old siding comes off, and becomes an unpriced extra | Ask what quantity is included and the unit price beyond it |
| Flashing not mentioned | It is where siding actually fails | Ask how windows, doors and roof junctions will be detailed |
| House wrap or moisture barrier absent | The barrier behind the siding is the real weather layer | Confirm which product goes on and that it is in the price |
| Wall area not stated | Siding is priced by wall area; without it two quotes cannot be compared | Ask for the measured square footage each quote is based on |
| Soffit and fascia ambiguous | $2,000 to $4,000 that is easy to leave vague | Get an explicit yes or no for each |
| Door-to-door offer after a storm | Exterior trades attract storm-chasing crews every year | Never sign at the door; a home-signed contract can be cancelled within 10 days |
Frequently asked questions
Usually not for like-for-like replacement. A permit may be needed if the work changes the structure, adds insulation that alters wall assembly requirements, or if the house is in a heritage district. Confirm with your municipality.
By wall area, not floor area. Ask each company for the square footage it measured, because a difference in measurement explains most of the difference between two quotes.
It costs $1 to $3 per square foot while the wall is already open, and far more later. Ontario’s rebate program pays up to $7,700 for insulation, but wall insulation requires a home energy assessment before work begins.
Fibre cement and metal generally outlast vinyl and cost more up front. Whichever you choose, the moisture barrier and flashing behind it determine how long the wall lasts, not the cladding.
Removal and disposal runs $1,000 to $3,000 for a typical house. Repairs to damaged sheathing found underneath add $2,000 to $5,000 and cannot be priced accurately in advance.
Vinyl runs $3 to $14 per square foot installed, metal $7 to $16, fibre cement $8 to $20 and wood $10 to $15. A 2,000 square foot home typically lands between $10,000 and $30,000 depending on material.
Sources
- A-1 Siding & Windows, How much does siding cost in Ontario, 15 July 2026 — a1sidingandwindows.ca
- Local Skilled Trades, Cost to replace siding in Canada, 12 March 2026 — localskilledtrades.com
- Home Renovation Savings, official program site — homerenovationsavings.ca, checked 18 September 2026
Prices are published ranges collected on 18 September 2026, not quotes.
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