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Vinyl Siding Material Calculator
Our vinyl siding material calculator can help you find the pricing on your siding project. Please note: our vinyl siding material calculator does not include vinyl siding installation cost. We have left this off specifically so that we can better drill down on the panoply of potential vinyl siding materials and provide
To really dial in an accurate price, it is instructive to read about each of our calculator questions below and how we calculate the. For instance, the amount of trim, fascia, soffits, etc. can add (or reduce the cost considerably).
Bill - Site Editor - Original Publish Date - May 14, 2025
Page Last Updated On October 6, 2025
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Basics
Remove Vinyl Siding
Oriented Strand Boards Cost
Vinyl Siding Style Options
Quality Of Siding Product
Trim, Fascia, and Soffits Cost
Consumer Questions And Answers
Vinyl Siding Material Calculator Basics
Normally we offer a number of material choices, but since this is a vinyl siding material calculator, we have already entered this for you. Next select whether you intend to replace existing cladding, need cladding for a new home, need cladding for an addition to your home or are looking to repair sections of your current cladding. Next select the square footage of the project - you don't have to be exact here and please feel free to play around with the different square feet to see how it will affect the overall cost.
Removal Costs
First up, do you need to remove the existing siding on your home prior to replacing? This is called a tear out and is often, but not always, required. This process can add anywhere from $.50 per square foot to $1.50 psf, depending on the company you use and whether you live in a high cost or relatively low cost part of the country. For our purposes, our calculator assumes that a siding tear out adds $1 per square foot to the process. Technically, this is not part of the material cost, but it is ancillary as the installers are removing material to ready the house.
Oriented Strand Boards
Second up, do you need to add oriented strand boards or OSB, the house? OSB is more or less cheap plywood boards. Installers place OSBs on the exterior walls in order to provide a consistent and rigid underlayment for the vinyl siding. This may not be required and, in fact, many less-than-stellar vinyl siding companies will skip this step to keep their price quotes low. However, OSB insures siding longevity (especially in areas prone to severe storms) and is a good step to go with in many, if not most, cases. Adding OSB adds $1 per square foot to the material cost of a project.
Vinyl Siding Style And Profile
Third up, what kind of siding material are you going to go with? Certainly, this is the biggest factor in terms of how our vinyl siding material calculator works. So, this is a two part process. First, we ask for the type of vinyl siding, which can include lap boards, insulated boards, shingles, shakes, board and batten, etc.
Quality Of Siding Product
Fourth, we ask the follow up question (question number 4) entitled Grade Of Siding. Here, you can select Entry Level, Mid Rage, or Premium. Our calculator takes the base price of the type of siding (question 3) and multiplies it to the grade of siding (question 4). The net result is the main material cost for the main vinyl siding material used on your project.
Trim, Fascia, and Soffit Prices
The fifth question refers to the amount of trim, fascia, and soffits required on your project. This might seem like a difficult question to answer at first. However, it essentially asks how many corners, chimneys, etc. do you have compared with a standard home.
Your Location
The 6th, and final, question involves your basic location. For our purposes, we allow you to select from five distinct options, which include large city, small city, large town, small town, and rural area. The location you pick affects the per square foot cost that you will pay.
Vinyl Siding Material Calculator Reviews
Explore our review section related to our vinyl siding material calculator and other cost questions. If you have a pricing or material cost question, please get in touch with us and we'll be happy to answer it.
Cost Of Oriented Strand Board
Bill, the siding company we hired never mentioned orient strand board, but now they say we need it after the initial work order was signed. They want to charge us an additional $1.5 per square foot to install it prior to the vinyl siding going on? Does this seem right to you - it seems like a bait and switch to me.
Edgar - Homeowner - from 2022
[Site Editor's Answer]
Edgar, while I can't say whether or not it's a bait and switch, I can say that what they are charging you is generally fair. The industry average is $1 psf for OSB, but I have seen it as high as $2 per square foot. If the company that you hired has a good reputation, then I would assume they aren't ripping you off. Sometimes companies do price out projects with the best intentions, i.e. they don't think you'll need OSB. However, when they remove the existing siding, then it becomes clear that they did in fact need the OSB for the siding to last as long as possible. At the end of the day, probably best to get the OSB as it can often pay off long term.
Bill - Site Editor - from 2025
Related Topics: Fiber Cement Siding Cost Calculator
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