The Siding Blog

1. Learn how much vinyl siding should cost.

   See Our: Vinyl Siding Cost Calculator

   1. This will give you ranges of what to expect.
   2. Read possible justifications for each range.

2. Measure your own homes exterior.

   See: Calculating Your Exterior Square Footage

   1. Regardless of what anybody says, almost all calculations associated with your home’s vinyl siding cost will be based on the exterior square footage of your home.

3. Learn what a legal vinyl siding company looks like and what to ask.

   See: Selecting a Quality Siding and Window Company

   1. Research what the contractor requirements are for your area.
   2. Ask for those credentials.

4. Get 3 to 4 Free Vinyl Siding Estimates for comparison. ***IMPORTANT***

   See: Free Vinyl Siding Estimates
   

   1. This is crucial!  If you don’t shop the market you won’t know if you are getting a good deal or not.
   2. 3 or 4 might not be enought … continue to get estimates until you have 3 or 4 Quality Bids to compare.

5. ONLY Get Estimates FROM REPUTABLE COMPANIES!!!  ***IMPORTANT***

   This is easy enough to find out thanks to Google.
   See: Google Search

   1. EXAMPLE: if you are considering requesting an estimate from XYZ Company.com
      1. Do a search on Google for “XYZCompany.com sucks” (add “sucks” on the end).
      2. NOTE: some companies have gotten wise to this technique so you might have to scroll through a few pages of results to get the real story.
   2. Try searches on other websites like: Complaints.com, ComplaintsBoard.com & other similar websites.
   3. IF YOU SKIP THIS STEP: I don’t like being the one to tell you this but, there are some real “jerk” siding companies and estimate request centers.  Horror stories include: countless phone calls, selling your information to 3rd party’s, people continuing to call 6 months later, high pressure ‘jerk’ salesmen, spam, rude aggressive, and the list goes one.  Just do your research and You’ll Be Fine and avoid this type of thing.
   4. Stick with the good guys.  Shameless plug: try our Contractors With Integrity Network.

6. Get Detailed Estimates in Writing!

   1. Only compare estimates that are in writing.
   2. If it’s not in writing, don’t expect to get it.
   3. If the company is too lazy or doesn’t want to give you a written estimate, ask yourself “Why?”  Companies that don’t give written estimates are often up to something.
   4. This goes for the salesman who writes a number on the back of a business card, verbal numbers AND VAGUE WRITTEN BIDS.

7. Check the Siding Contractors / Companies with Local & State Agencies & Government.

   1. Every area is different.  Check with the local contractor boards, local contractor registration agencies and government.  See if they are “legal” to do business.
   2. See if there are any judgments or complaints against them.

8. Get References / Check References.

   1. Self explanatory … but often overlooked.
   2. What you want to see is that the company has at least a handful of happy clients
   3. BUT more importantly you want to SEE the quality of their work.
   4. Try to get references on the products you are looking to have installed.
   5. A Quality Company will have these references handy.

9. Compare Vinyl Siding Estimates by Material Grade and What’s Included.

   1. Compare Vinyl Siding Estimates by Material Grade:
      1. Vinyl Siding is chiefly rated in thicknesses of: .038, .040, .042, .044, .046 & .050.
      2. Residential grade is typically .044 and .046.  And these two thicknesses typically perform very well.  .042 is usually a discount residential grade but often ‘can’ work ok for residential applications.
      3. .038 thru .040 are typically economy builder / apartment grade products and often are the reason why some people say they don’t like vinyl siding.  Why?  It’s pretty thin and most often doesn’t look so good after a full year of seasons.
   2. Compare Estimates by What’s Included:
      1. Consider the costs vs benefits of each of the included items in your estimates.

10. Pick the Estimate, Price & Company that is Right For You.

    1. Which choice do you ‘feel’ best about?  You know that little ‘gut feeling’ we get … what does your ‘gut’ tell you?  The lowest price is often not the ‘Best Deal”.
    2. Communication is KEY to getting a great Vinyl Siding job.  Make sure you pick a company that you ‘feel’ understands your needs and puts YOU First!

I hope these 10 steps will help you as they have helped so many others.  We would love to hear from you … leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts.