Siding Installation
By the crew at Reasonable Roofing & Contracting — installing James Hardie, LP SmartSide, and premium vinyl across St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, and Sanilac Counties since 1984.
Here’s a number most siding articles won’t give you, because most siding articles aren’t written by anyone who installs it: our completed siding projects in 2026 have averaged about $36,000. That’s real Michigan homes, real square footage, real trim and flashing detail — not a national calculator’s guess. This guide explains where that number comes from, when Hardie is worth it over vinyl and LP SmartSide, and how to keep a siding quote honest.
What James Hardie siding costs in Michigan — real ranges
Installed on a typical Michigan home in 2026:
- James Hardie fiber cement: roughly $10–$15 per square foot installed. A typical two-story with ~2,000–2,500 sq ft of wall area lands between $25,000 and $45,000 — which is exactly why our project average sits around $36k. Complex trim, board-and-batten accents, and full house-wrap/flashing packages push the top of the range.
- LP SmartSide (engineered wood): roughly $9–$13/sq ft installed — Hardie’s closest rival; warmer look, lighter to work, kinder to complex cuts.
- Premium vinyl: roughly $6–$9/sq ft installed — the value play, and modern vinyl is far better than what came off Michigan houses in the ’90s.
If a Hardie quote comes in dramatically under these ranges, look hard at what’s missing — usually house wrap, flashing detail, real trim work, or certified installation. Fiber cement punishes shortcuts more than any siding made: it’s cement, and it does not forgive bad nailing, tight joints, or skipped clearances.
Why Hardie costs more — and when it’s worth it in Michigan
Fiber cement is heavy, unforgiving, and demands trained crews — that’s most of the price gap. What you buy for it in Michigan specifically:
- Freeze-thaw stability. Hardie doesn’t expand and contract like vinyl, so it holds paint lines and stays tight through the swing seasons that beat our siding half to death.
- Hail and impact resistance. After the hail lines that cross Macomb and St. Clair County most summers, we replace a lot of cracked vinyl. Hardie mostly shrugs it off.
- Fire and insurance. Non-combustible siding — some carriers price that in.
- The look that raised the block. ColorPlus finishes hold color for 15+ years, and Hardie on a Michigan colonial or farmhouse reads like new construction. It’s why the highest-value renovations in Troy, Rochester, and Clinton Township keep choosing it.
When we honestly steer people elsewhere: a rental or a shorter-horizon home usually pencils better in premium vinyl; a heavily-wooded acreage home that wants a cedar look often suits LP SmartSide better. We install all three, so the recommendation follows the house, not our margin.
The five things that move a Michigan siding quote
- Tear-off findings — what’s under the old siding (rot, old wood clapboard, sheathing condition) is priced honestly up front or expensively mid-job. We open up and photograph before we price.
- Trim package — corners, window surrounds, fascia, and soffit are where siding jobs earn their look and their labor hours.
- House wrap & flashing — the waterproofing layer nobody sees and every cheap quote skips. In our climate it’s the difference between siding and sheathing rot ten years later.
- Profile choice — lap vs board-and-batten vs shingle-style accents; mixing profiles looks fantastic and costs real labor.
- Stories and access — a walk-out two-story on a slope is a different job than a ranch.
Hardie vs. vinyl vs. LP SmartSide — the 60-second table
| James Hardie | LP SmartSide | Premium Vinyl | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed cost (MI) | $10–15/sq ft | $9–13/sq ft | $6–9/sq ft |
| Hail/impact | Excellent | Very good | Fair |
| Freeze-thaw movement | Minimal | Low | High (expands/contracts) |
| Look | Painted-wood premium | Warm wood grain | Good and improving |
| Maintenance | Repaint ~15+ yrs (ColorPlus) | Repaint ~10–15 yrs | None |
| Best for | Forever homes, high-value renos | Wooded lots, cedar looks | Budget-smart updates, rentals |
Quick answers
Is Hardie worth it over vinyl in Michigan? On a home you’ll keep 10+ years, usually yes — the hail resistance and stable finish are built for exactly our weather. On a five-year horizon, premium vinyl is the smarter spend, and we’ll say so.
Can you side over existing siding? Sometimes over sound wood — never over problems. We open, inspect, and photograph before quoting, so the number you sign is the number you pay.
Does new siding help resale? Fiber cement consistently ranks among the best cost-recouped exterior projects — and in photo-first listings, the exterior IS the first showing.
Do you offer financing on siding? Yes — including 0% on qualifying projects, which matters on a $30k+ investment. Every quote comes itemized with good/better/best options so the decision has more landing spots than yes or no.
The bottom line
Siding is the biggest-ticket exterior project most Michigan homeowners ever buy — our average is $36k — and it deserves quotes that are walked, photographed, and written line by line. That’s how we’ve done it since 1984, as one crew for the whole exterior: see our siding services, or schedule a free assessment and get the real number for your house — Hardie, LP, and vinyl priced side by side, no pressure attached.