If you're thinking about replacing the old siding on your house or you want to add new siding, you can prepare a rough estimate of the cost yourself with a little bit of know-how and preparation. As with any home improvement job, the costs of installation, siding materials and labor vary by location and company, so the figure you get will be a rough estimate or ballpark figure, not an exact number. If you're looking for exact figures, call multiple siding companies that offer free estimates and have them come out to your home and give their estimate for the project.
Instructions
1. Measure the width and height for each side or flat surface area where you want to put siding on your house. For triangular spaces, measure the longest side of the triangle to get the base measurement, instead of the width.
2. Multiply the measurements you took in Step 1 to find the exterior surface area of each section of your home. For rectangular areas, such as side walls, multiply the height of the area times the width to get the total area of the side. For triangular spaces, such as above dormer windows, multiply the base or longest side of the triangle times the height of the triangle. Divide this number in half to get the area of the triangular space.
3. Add the figures for each area together to get the total exterior surface area of your home where you want to apply siding. This figure should be in square feet.
4. Divide this figure by 100 to figure out how many squares of siding material you will need to purchase. Siding typically comes in 100-square-foot packages.
5. Multiply the number of squares you'll need times the cost of each square. The price of each square of siding will typically vary based on quality, location and manufacturer. If your siding is priced by the square foot, multiply the total number of exterior square feet times the price of a single square foot of siding. This is your estimate for the cost of the siding all by itself.
6. Multiply the total number of exterior square feet by $1.60 to get a rough estimate of installation cost. As of December 2010, $1.60 per square foot is the typical estimate on installation alone for a midgrade siding, according to This Old House. A higher-quality siding can cost more to install.
7. Add your cost of siding estimate to your cost of installation estimate. Add at least an additional $2,000 to $3,000 for siding trim pieces, such as soffits. If your home is larger or has special considerations, such as a lot of different little walls, your siding trim work can cost more. The sum of these figures is your rough siding estimate.
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