Free Siding Estimates Siding Companies

Three Siding Bids From One Request

One request through the directory routes your project to three vetted companies - no phone tag, no obligation, contact details protected. What happens next matters: each company should schedule an on-wall measure. Expect a tape on your actual walls, window counts, gable math, and questions about tear-off and rot history. A price that arrives without anyone touching your house was estimated from a satellite - treat it as an opening guess, not a bid.

Anatomy of a Legitimate Siding Estimate

Six line items, every time:

1. Squares - wall area measured, with the waste factor stated
2. Tear-off - removal labor for the old siding, layers counted
3. Wrap - the water-resistive barrier, by brand and grade, seams taped
4. Flashing - window and door integration, kick-outs at rooflines
5. Trim - corner posts, channels, window wraps, soffit and fascia scope
6. Disposal - dumpster and dump fees, stated, not assumed

Beyond the six: materials named in writing - brand, product line, profile, gauge or thickness, color - and scope language that says re-side the wall system, not just install siding.

The House-Wrap Line: Where Lowballs Hide

Every other line item survives inspection after the job; the wrap disappears under panels by day three. So that is where a bid quietly saves $1,500 - a bargain wrap stapled on with untaped seams, or an allowance that evaporates in change orders. Demand three things in writing: the wrap brand and grade, taped seams, and named flashing details including kick-outs. A bid that itemizes flashing unprompted was written by an installer; one that omits the wrap line entirely was written by a salesman. What that layer actually does for your wall is covered in the house wrap guide.

Why Per-Square Bids Differ by Thousands

• Measurement games - satellite takeoffs run generous; on-wall measures are honest. Same house, two different square counts, thousands apart
• Labor tier - certified, insured crews carry overhead that uninsured pickup crews do not. That overhead is what you are buying
• Scope gaps - one bid includes fascia, one excludes it; one prices tear-off, one hopes for an overlay

Bids are rarely dishonest. They are routinely *incomparable* - until you normalize them.

Tear-Off vs Overlay Money in Bids

An overlay bid skips $1,000 to $3,000 of removal and disposal, and sometimes that is legitimate - flat, dry, single-layer walls only. But an overlay also forfeits the sheathing inspection and requires longer fasteners to find studs through two layers. If one bid overlays and two tear off, you are not comparing prices; you are comparing different projects. Make every bidder quote the same approach.

Normalizing Three Bids: the Worksheet

Build a grid: rows for the six line items plus materials and warranty; a column per company. Divide each total by its own square count for a true per-square figure. Then apply the red-flag rule: a bid more than 25 percent below the pack is missing scope you have not found yet - hunt the gap before celebrating the price. Check the normalized numbers against market per-square ranges to see who is high, who is honest, and who forgot your gables.

Sharpening a Bid Without Gutting the Install

Negotiate timing (off-season slots), phasing, color runs, and payment schedule. Never negotiate the wrap, the flashing, or the fastening - those are the install. A company that offers to hit a price by thinning the invisible layers has told you exactly how it builds.

From Estimate to Contract: the Last Checks

Confirm the price-lock window and any material-surcharge clause, convert vague allowances into fixed numbers, and get sheathing repair priced per sheet before walls open. Then vet the finalist against the contractor hiring checklist - certifications, insurance verified by phone, wrap-stage photos as a deliverable. Ready when you are: request three bids from top-rated siding companies and read them like you built them.