Siding replacement (with Hardieplank) Received Quote & Want Feedback (real estate, insurance)

[lottamoxie]

I wanted to get some feedback on a quote I received and also to (hopefully) hear from some folks who can help me understand which OPTIONS I need. Obviously replacing any rotted wood or Facias should be something I opt to do.

Special note: I am getting 4 windows replaced tomorrow and plan to do additional windows over the next 2 years. The quote given for the PVC option excludes the 4 windows being redone as they will be capped during the installation.

Background: my home has old masonite siding. 4 sides, no garage, approx 1,900 heated sq ft., 2 stories, 21 years old.

I received the following quote and wanted to hear from the smart folks on this forum whether this quote seems fair/in-line, and which options I should consider (and why):

Base Price $17,850.00

Price includes the following:

Removal:
- Removal of all existing siding
- Removal of corner boards and gable facia
- Removal of all mechanicals, dryer vent, light fixtures
- Removal of all debris from job site on a weekly basis

Replacement:
- Replacement of siding with 8” by 12’ hardie cement board
- Replacement of all corner boards with 4/4 x 4 and 4/4 x 5 Miratek brds
- Replacement of porch, house, and garage gable boards with 4/4
- Replacement of gable trim boards with 1x8 miratec trim and pvc mould stop
- Replacement of vents with new vents, and existing light fixtures

Paint and Caulk (included in base price)

- All wood and siding on entire house painted with 50 year duration exterior
- All siding and wood caulked with Sherwin and Williams shurmax 50 elastomer caulk



OPTIONS

1. Window / Door Pvc option $1649.00
15 windows and 2 doors. Includes replacement of all brick mold on doors and windows with pvc brick mold.

2. Window door gasket seal. $700.00 Wind and water gasket sealer

3. Moisture Wrap $1125.00
Wrap of all windows doors and sills prior to the PVC option. (Moisture wrap is a new technology that is now required by code. Wraps and seals around windows in doors to prevent air and water penetration.

4. Facia Board Replacement $1,250.00
Remove and replacement of all facial boards on house, garage, porch, paint and caulk.

5. Wood Rot Replacement $980.00
Facia and soffit board on front right. Facia board on porch, front right, crows nest on all six corners.

[wheelsup]

Holy christ I'm glad I bought a newer home.

[lottamoxie]

Had I purchased a new home (which I was first considering), it would have cost $70K more than what I paid for my current home (on 1/3 acre). If you purchase a new/newer home, then you are paying for that 'newness.' I purchased 3 years ago. I calculated estimated costs of replacing the things on this house that would need replaced within the first 5 years (roof, siding, some windows, HVAC system). It was still less for me to purchase this house and do the various projects than purchase new. It is what it is. Let's not turn this into a discussion of home values, housing prices falling, how much better it is to have a new house, or anything like that.

I want to hear from folks who can help GUIDE ME on this siding replacement decision. Yes, I know it's expensive. Maintenance on a house is expensive when you aren't doing the work yourself. I know that already. I'm a single gal, I'm not doing the work myself, so let's not debate that either as a 'DIY' siding project is not going to happen in this case.

[adlnc07]

How bad is your siding? Does it all really need to be replaced? Honestly that seems like a lot of money - what percentage is it of the home's value?

I think I spent *maybe* $12-14k on my house back in Virginia and that was for vinyl siding, aluminum capping and all the windows replaced. It was also in a time when real estate was rapidly increasing in value, so I got my investment back. Now, I'm being a lot more cautious with my expenditures.

I paid ~$215K for my house last year. It has masonite siding, drafty windows, 22 year old HVAC, and a really ugly kitchen. The most pressing thing it needed was a new roof, which I did last year. The HVAC will be done in the next month or so. I really want a screened porch, and my deck needs to be rebuilt. Overall my siding is not in bad condition - I had maybe 12 boards replaced last year as part of the purchase process. Right now I think I'm going to get the house painted this year, live with the windows through another winter and assess again next year. Of all the projects I'd like to do, the siding is probably last on the list - and at my price point I will go with vinyl not Hardieplank. I just don't think I'd get enough of the investment back in the future. The most expensive thing I want to do is a screened porch - which will probably cost as much as your siding. I don't think I'll see return on that investment any time soon either - but I really want to enjoy my backyard without being eaten alive by mosquitoes (which have already emerged).

If you want an unbiased opinion on your siding, I can PM you the name of a contractor I used for siding repairs last year. I think he'd give you an honest assessment of the situation, and not just try to sell you on the whole house replacement. He's lived in Oxxford Hunt for quite a while, and seemed to know a lot about masonite (and replacing rotten wood trim and window sills, which was something else I had done).

In any event, I'd definitely get at least three bids. I was just shocked at how much variance there was in the vinyl siding estimates I got (and never go to Sears home improvement for anything!).

Good luck with your decision - I'm wrestling with mine as well.

[lottamoxie]

Thank you. Yes please DM with your contact's name. I am absolutely not going to do vinyl siding. I believe Hardieplank is the best option for my needs and this house.

I asked the contractor to give me the price to do the entire house. However, one side is definitely worse than the others. I also have some rotting of fascias/soffits. There could be some rotting underneath--I don't know at this point.

I purchased my home for $217K 3 years ago. Reassessed value is $245K. So siding replacement (with Hardieplank) represents approximately 9% of the original price I paid. I already had a new roof put on in 2007. I will eventually need a new HVAC system, but I maintain a homeowner's warranty policy so I'm 'covered' if my current system needs a repair.

As you know, on a 21 year old home it's about prioritizing what needs to be done. And there are a list of things to be done. My deck also needs work, but that's not first on the list.

I want to be smart about this though.

[CarolinaCowboy]

Judging from our quote you are using a full fledged contractor.

I can tell you this, from your description of the house size. The materials (not counting the extras, just the siding) will run about $3800-$4300, the rest my friend, is labor. Your contractor, who is in business to make money (nothing wrong with that) will have his employees, probably a team of two guys working off and on for about two weeks. He will pay them, likely one $12 an hour and the other as a helper $9 an hour. It will cost him about $2500 in labor. You can see how much markup there is in this project.

My point to this? You can probably find a highly qualified handyman, with framing and siding experience that will do this job happily for about $10,000-$12,000. He does the majority of the work himself, with a helper, perhaps his son. You get the idea.

I posted about this in here earlier and got criticized for it. I'm only trying to help, not be a pest. Replacing the siding on your entire home is a big project, but as carpentry work goes, it is a relatively simple job. It does not require an engineering degree to do.

Also, are you really sure you need to replace it all? If you keep the masonite painted, caulked and sealed it will not rott. You could probably spot replace that which is rotten and then give the home a new double coating of paint, seal the seams and so on for $5000 or so. If all the rot is removed and you get the rest sealed good, you're good for at least another ten years.

[lottamoxie]

My point to this? You can probably find a highly qualified handyman, with framing and siding experience that will do this job happily for about $10,000-$12,000. He does the majority of the work himself, with a helper, perhaps his son. You get the idea.

How would I go about finding this highly qualified handyman? Do you have any names of such folks?

[2BZee2Pee]

I would consider using pre painted hardiplank. It can be done with one coat primer and one of paint or for a little more, two coats. There was an article in Fine Homebuilding Magazine about a year ago. Long story short...the baked on finish was far superior and much cheaper than a professionla on site paint job. Look into it. I plan to do it this way when we build our next home.

[Janecj]

Lottamoxie - I had vinyl siding and new gutters put on a house that I have and it cost me right around 10K (least expensive I could find). I did this 2 yrs ago. I had quotes from 10K - 17K for vinyl. No new windows with that price... which I need as well. I know hardiplank is more expensive.. but I agree if you can find a decent handyman to do it, that would be the way to go. I was initially thinking about doing one side of the house at a time to help with the money flow or lack of it (lol). But I decided to go with vinyl because I just didn't want to ever paint (I went back and forth on this for awhile). I would not recommend the vinyl guy I used. Unfortunately, he didn't do a very good job (I'm told by others now) and to be quite honest, I didn't know what to look for - so my fault. I am doing windows a little at a time as well... just got 4 myself I'm putting in...

The house I have very close to the same size except I have a 2 car garage.

I just remembered something else. I found out that if your windows are not at least 18" off the floor, you are required to put in tempered glass windows. This is now code. The first guy that quoted me for windows failed to inform me of this change.

[MikeJaquish]

This "optional" item seems confusing to me:
"Moisture Wrap $1125.00
Wrap of all windows doors and sills prior to the PVC option. (Moisture wrap is a new technology that is now required by code. Wraps and seals around windows in doors to prevent air and water penetration."

There is no way that putting a house wrap on is "Optional" with Hardieplank. It is required, and one of the most important steps in the project. Tyvek, typar, barricade, or some other brand. And it should wrap around the corners and be sealed at tbe windows and doors.
This installation will help tremendously in air infiltration reduction into your home, too.

Further, the quote mentions caulking all siding. The butt joints between the pieces of siding should have a flashing inserted under them. The butt joints should not be caulked. See the center, bottom of Page 1.

Of course, the wood rot replacement is hardly "optional." But the price seems pretty high.

Overall, with a proper paint job included, it is not a wildly high-priced project. It does not seem to be a great bargain, either.
How is access to the house? Is it a steep bank on any side, walk in crawl space, etc, that will make the work more difficult or hazardous, meaning more costly to you?

This level of pricing should come from an established contractor, with full liability insurance and workers comp, which you should confirm with the issuing agency.