subject: Vinyl Siding Cost: Pros And Cons Of Installing Your Own Vinyl Siding [print this page] Unless you recently hit the lottery, you probably want to save money wherever possible. You may carry your lunch to work and clip coupons, but should you try to reduce costs by installing vinyl siding yourself? The answer to that question might depend on how valuable you consider your free time and just how handy you are with a hammer and saw.
Vinyl Siding Cost: How Much Can You Really Save by Doing Your Own Installation?
When a siding contractor gives you a price for installing vinyl siding on your home, the majority of the cost is usually labor and materials. If you decide to install your own siding, the labor portion of the price is absorbed by you, and the cost of the materials may go up a little. Siding distributors often give contractors a discount on materials based on the volume they purchase on an annual basis.
So, how much could you save on labor costs by doing the work yourself? Here are a few things to consider:
Siding materials and labor are normally figured in siding squares, which are about 100 square feet.
The vinyl siding costs for labor can vary based on the type of siding, the difficulty of the project, and the time of year.
On average, a siding contractor might charge about $130-$150 per square to install the siding. This works out to about $5,200-$6,000 for a typical 40 square, two-story home a siding contractor may finish in about a week using a full crew. The same house might take you a month or two--or even longer--to complete, if you work evenings and weekends.
When you add in the additional costs of materials, ask yourself if it's worth the free time you're giving up. Only you can answer that question.
