subject: Should You Install Vinyl Siding Yourself? [print this page] Properly hanging vinyl siding is something anyone with the right tools and basic carpentry skills can do. That said, vinyl siding behaves differently than many common building materials, so even if you're a skilled craftsman, you will need to familiarize yourself with the best practices for doing the job right.
Reasons for Doing It Yourself
Doing it yourself will save you money. For a 2,000-square-foot house, you might spend more than $12,000 for vinyl siding materials and a contractor, but if you did it yourself, you would spend about half that.
You'll also have the satisfaction of having done the job yourself. Vinyl siding makes a house look new again, and you will get a lot of pleasure seeing it every day.
There are also a great number of vinyl siding instructional videos and installation manuals available to you. These will help ensure you don't encounter a knotty problem you can't solve on your own.
Advantages of Hiring a Contractor
Contractors have the experience and specialty tools that make installing vinyl siding go faster and look better. A contractor may also have an assistant to move ladders, hold tape measures and keep panels in place while they're being nailed. Finding a helper might cost you extra.
Building codes may have special requirements for vinyl siding installation, but licensed contractors have experience getting the necessary building permits and inspections.
And if your house is two or three stories with dormers and gables, it will require special ladders, scaffolding and angled cuts that might be better left to a pro. You will have to factor in the cost of renting or buying special equipment for these special situations.
Before deciding whether to do the work yourself, watch instructional videos available at home improvement stores or on the Internet. If you have doubts about your abilities, check some contractors' references and drive by other houses they've done. If the work looks better than anything you can imagine doing yourself, you may want to spend more and hire a professional.
