Fiber Cement Siding Cost in 2026: $6–$15 per Square Foot Installed
Author: CostGuideHQ Editorial·✓ Fact-checked·Updated July 2026·4 min read·4 sources Quick answerQuick answer: Fiber cement siding costs $6 to $15 per square foot installed, or roughly $10,200 to $31,500 for a typical home, according to 2026 cost guides. The average full-home project lands near $14,674. Price depends mainly on siding style, home size, and local labor rates.
- ✓Installed fiber cement siding runs $6 to $15 per square foot, according to HomeGuide.
- ✓A typical whole-home project averages $14,674, per This Old House, with most jobs falling between $7,500 and $21,000.
- ✓Labor accounts for $4 to $9 per square foot, per HomeGuide.
- ✓Shingle-style fiber cement costs more to install than planks or panels, up to $15.50 per square foot per HomeGuide.
How much does fiber cement siding cost?
National average
$14,674
total project
Typical range
$7,500–$31,500
Most projects
Whole project
$10,200–$25,500
$4,500avg $14,674$44,100+
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Cost by material / type
| Type | Low | High |
|---|
| Planks / lap siding (installed, per sq ft) | $5 | $14 |
| Panels (installed, per sq ft) | $6 | $13 |
| Shingles (installed, per sq ft) | $7 | $16 |
What affects the cost?
- Home size and number of stories
- Siding style — planks, panels, or shingles
- Removal and disposal of existing siding
- Local labor rates and permit fees
- Pre-finished vs. pre-primed siding (painting adds cost)
- Matching soffit, fascia, and trim replacement
- Time of year the job is scheduled
Why does fiber cement siding cost so much?
Fiber cement siding runs $6 to $15 per square foot installed (HomeGuide), well above vinyl’s $4 to $7 per square foot (Thumbtack). The premium comes from the material itself and the labor it demands. Fiber cement is a dense blend of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers, so it’s heavier and more brittle to cut than vinyl or wood, requiring specialized shears or dust-controlled saws and typically two installers per panel (Bob Vila). Labor alone accounts for $4 to $9 per square foot (HomeGuide).
That upfront cost buys durability that offsets some of the price gap over time: fiber cement resists fire, insects, rot, and warping. For a typical home, This Old House puts the national average at $14,674, with most projects landing between $7,500 and $21,000. Larger or multi-story homes push toward the higher end of that range simply because more material and labor hours are involved.
What affects the cost of fiber cement siding?
The single biggest swing factor is siding style. HomeGuide’s installed pricing runs $4.70 to $14 per square foot for planks (the most common style), $5.50 to $13 for panels, and $6.50 to $15.50 for shingles, since shingles take longer to install piece by piece. Home size and story count matter too: This Old House puts a 1,500-square-foot home at $7,500 to $21,000 installed, while HomeGuide estimates $10,200 to $25,500 for a 2,000-square-foot home.
Beyond the base material, a few line items add up. Removing old siding runs $0.70 to $2.00 per square foot, and permits typically cost $500 to $2,000 depending on the project’s size and location (HomeGuide). If you choose pre-primed rather than pre-finished panels, budget for painting separately at $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot, or $3,000 to $10,000 for an average home (HomeGuide). Matching soffit, fascia, and trim from the same manufacturer, often required to preserve the warranty, is another add-on that isn’t always included in base quotes.
How to lower your fiber cement siding cost
A few practical moves can bring the total down without switching materials:
- Choose planks over shingles. Planks are the least expensive style to install per square foot and are widely available pre-primed (HomeGuide).
- Keep existing siding as a substrate if it’s in good condition. This can skip the removal step entirely, saving $0.70 to $2.00 per square foot (HomeGuide).
- Buy in bulk. Purchasing siding in quantities of 35 or more pieces can cut material costs by 20% to 50% (HomeGuide).
- Schedule in the contractor’s off-season. Fiber cement doesn’t expand and contract with temperature the way other materials do, so installers can often work outside peak summer months at a lower rate (HomeGuide).
- Get multiple quotes. Given the spread between sources, from roughly $5 to $25 per square foot installed depending on scope (Bob Vila), the contractor and region you choose matter as much as the material itself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does fiber cement siding cost per square foot?+
Installed fiber cement siding costs $6 to $15 per square foot on average, according to HomeGuide, with material alone running $2 to $6 per square foot and labor adding $4 to $9 per square foot.
What's the average total cost to side a house with fiber cement?+
This Old House puts the national average at $14,674 for a typical home, with most projects falling between $7,500 and $21,000. HomeGuide estimates $10,200 to $25,500 for a 2,000-square-foot home.
Is fiber cement siding more expensive than vinyl?+
Yes. Thumbtack reports fiber cement runs $5 to $9 per square foot compared with $4 to $7 per square foot for vinyl siding.
Does the type of fiber cement siding affect the price?+
Yes. HomeGuide reports installed costs of about $4.70 to $14 per square foot for planks, $5.50 to $13 for panels, and $6.50 to $15.50 for shingles.
What drives fiber cement siding cost up or down?+
Home size and number of stories, siding style and thickness, removal of old siding, permit fees, and whether the siding needs painting after install, according to HomeGuide and Thumbtack.
How can I lower the cost of a fiber cement siding project?+
Choose pre-primed planks over shingles or panels, schedule installation in a contractor's off-season, keep existing siding as a substrate when it's in good shape, and buy siding in bulk quantities of 35 or more pieces for a 20% to 50% material discount, per HomeGuide.
Sources
Figures synthesized and cross-checked across these sources (retrieved 2026-07-24):
- This Old House — National average: $14,674 for typical home installation. Range for 1,500 sq ft home: $7,500-$21,000. Material + labor combined: $5-$14 per square foot. By type (installed): Panels $6.50-$24/sq ft, Planks $4.70-$14.25/sq ft, Shingles $9-$22/sq ft. Labor: $2-$8/sq ft. Old siding removal: $0.70-$2/sq ft. Repainting: $2.50/sq ft.
- HomeGuide — $6-$15 average installed cost per square foot. $10,200-$31,500 average total cost (2,000-2,500 sq ft home). 2,000 sq ft home: $10,200-$25,500. Labor: $4-$9 per sq ft. Materials: $2-$6 per sq ft. By type installed: Panels $5.50-$13.00/sq ft, Planks $4.70-$14.00/sq ft, Shingles $6.50-$15.50/sq ft. Old siding removal: $0.70-$2.00/sq ft. Permits: $500-$2,000. Exterior painting: $1.50-$5.00/sq ft or $3,000-$10,000 total. Bulk purchase (35+ pieces) saves 20%-50% on material.
- Thumbtack — National average range: $2,651-$11,015, most common $5,415. Cost per sq ft: $5-$9 general; clapboard/lap $0.70-$5.25; shingle $2-$8. 1,500 sq ft home: $7,500-$13,500. 2,000 sq ft home: $10,000-$18,000. Extreme range: low $914, high $28,787. Comparison: fiber cement $5-$9 per sq ft vs. vinyl $4-$7 per sq ft.
- Bob Vila — Material costs alone: $0.70-$15 per square foot. Professionally installed: $5-$25 per square foot. Comparison figures: wood siding $10,000-$13,000 for a 1,500 sq ft house; brick/stone $45,000-$52,000 for the same size home.
Figures span four independent cost guides and vary because they sample different project mixes (whole-house installs vs. smaller jobs). This Old House's $14,674 national average and $7,500-$21,000 range are for a typical 1,500-sq-ft home; HomeGuide's $10,200-$31,500 spans 2,000-2,500-sq-ft homes at $6-$15 per sq ft installed. Bob Vila's broader $5-$25 per sq ft installed range reflects the full spread from budget planks to premium shingles. Thumbtack's project totals run noticeably lower ($2,651-$11,015, most common $5,415), likely because its sample mixes smaller jobs and partial re-sides in with full installs. Figures generally include material and labor; removal of old siding, permits, and painting are typically extra unless noted. The site-level range_low_usd/range_high_usd ($7,500-$31,500) is a synthesized range, not a single source's range: the low end is This Old House's 1,500-sq-ft floor (also matched by Thumbtack's 1,500-sq-ft estimate), and the high end is HomeGuide's 2,000-2,500-sq-ft ceiling.