Primed, painted on site
$22k–$44k
- Primed fiber cement lap
- Fiber cement corners and trim
- Joint flashing behind butt joints
- Two coats of 100% acrylic paint
- Any custom color
- Tear-off and new housewrap
Fiber cement siding · Licensed & insured · Several brands
Fiber cement siding installation with trim and finish details resolved.
Fiber cement weighs four to five times as much as vinyl, will not burn, and holds paint for years when it is sealed right. A licensed exterior supervisor compares brands and finishes with you, then sends three written prices within 24 hours, with the paint system and dust control spelled out.
Send a photo of the house from the street. A supervisor texts you back within 5 minutes during business hours with a first read.
- $9–$15Per sq ft installed
- 2.3 lbPer sq ft of board
- 4.9410 reviews
- 24hWritten estimate
What happens after you text us
A supervisor answers the fiber cement questions. Then prices both finishes.
People choosing fiber cement usually ask about paint, weight and dust. We answer those by text, ask for a photo and a rough size, and put a visit and an estimate date in the same thread.
- Brand choices compared honestly, not one maker pushed
- Silica dust control explained before we cut a board
- Field paint and factory finish priced side by side
Hi, our insurance agent says fiber cement could lower our premium since we are near the woods. Is it really that much better than vinyl?
Hi Mark, Brian from ProBuild Remodeling, I run the exterior crews. For fire, yes: fiber cement will not burn or melt. Can you send a photo of the house and tell me how many stories it is?
Two stories, sent a photo from the driveway. We also have a little one next door, is the cutting dust bad?
We score and snap or use shears for most cuts, and saws only with a vacuum hooked up. No dust cloud drifting into your yard or the neighbor's.
Good. Can we see colors?
I will bring prefinished boards and painted samples Wednesday at 5. You will get both finishes priced by Thursday evening.
What fiber cement siding costs
Fiber cement costs $22,000 to $78,000 installed. The finish decides where you land.
Prices assume a 1,500 to 2,500 square foot house, tear-off of one layer of old siding, new wrap, fiber cement trim and cleanup. Fiber cement costs more than vinyl mainly because the boards are heavy and slow to cut and fasten.
Factory finished
$28k–$54k
- Prefinished lap boards
- Matching prefinished trim
- Factory touch-up at every cut
- Longer finish warranty
- No painting days on the schedule
- Tear-off and new housewrap
Mixed profiles
$45k–$78k
- Lap, shingle and panel mix
- Board and batten accents
- Rainscreen gap behind siding
- Wide trim at every opening
- Two-color paint scheme
- Custom corner and band details
Price your fiber cement siding in ten seconds
Pick the finish, the house size and the kind of house. The range updates as you choose, using the per-square numbers our supervisors use for fiber cement.
A range, not a quote. Your written estimate comes after the visit and does not change once you approve it.
Typical range for your answers
Turn this range into a written fiber cement estimateWhere the money goes
Labor is the biggest line on fiber cement. The boards are heavy and slow to cut.
Averages from our recent fiber cement jobs. Two people carry each long board, every cut needs dust control, and each butt joint gets a flashing strip. That labor is where cheap bids cut corners.
Get my itemized fiber cement estimate
Paint on site or buy it finished
Paint on site for a custom color. Choose factory finish for a longer paint life.
Primed boards painted after install cost less up front and take any color. Factory-finished boards cost 15 to 25 percent more but carry a longer finish warranty and skip the painting days. We note which suits your house and schedule.
| If this is true | We recommend |
|---|---|
| You want an exact custom or historic color | Paint on site |
| You want the longest time before repainting | Factory finish |
| The budget is tight but you want fiber cement | Paint on site |
| The house gets hard sun on dark walls | Factory finish |
| You may change colors in a few years | Paint on site |
| The install falls in cold or wet months | Factory finish |
How long it takes
A typical house takes two to four weeks, plus painting days if painted on site.
A two-story house in factory-finished lap usually takes two to three weeks. Painting on site adds three to five dry days. Large mixed-profile jobs can run to five weeks.
Before day one
Brand and finish
Samples compared, brand and finish chosen, boards ordered and stored flat and dry on site before use.
First days
Strip and prepare
Old siding removed side by side, sheathing checked, wrap taped and every window and door reflashed.
Middle of the job
Cut and fasten
Boards cut with shears or vacuum saws, blind nailed into studs, joint flashing behind every butt joint.
Last days
Finish and walkthrough
Paint or factory touch-up on every cut edge, caulk at trim, cleanup, walkthrough with you and warranty.
Remodeling concepts
Fiber cement siding installation: conditions and possibilities.
AI-generated examples of existing conditions and remodeling possibilities. Each image is a separate concept, not a documented transformation of the same home.
What goes on your walls
Every brand, profile and paint is named in your estimate, so you can compare quotes.
Fiber cement is made by several companies, and they differ in texture, thickness and finish warranty. We name the maker, product and finish in writing, and install each one to its own instructions so its warranty holds.
Allura fiber cement
Lap, shingle and panel products with primed or prefinished options. Often the best value in fiber cement, with a 50-year limited product warranty.
Nichiha fiber cement
Known for large architectural panels and textured lap. Its panels hang on hidden clips, so there are no face nails on modern facades.
James Hardie
The best-known maker, with regional products for wet and freezing climates. We cover its products on a separate, dedicated page.
Fiber cement trim
Trim boards made of the same material, so trim and siding expand, weather and hold paint at the same rate. No wood trim left to rot.
Acrylic paint systems
Sherwin-Williams Duration or Emerald and Benjamin Moore Aura are 100% acrylic paints that stay flexible and bond to cement boards.
Dust-control tools
Pneumatic shears, score-and-snap knives and saws with HEPA vacuums keep silica dust down, following OSHA rules for cutting cement boards.
Written into every contract
Six promises you can hold us to.
The approved price is the final price. Change orders only with your written approval.
A credit for every working day of delay we cause. Weather and inspections excepted, in writing.
Dust barriers, floor protection and a clean-up before we leave. Your home stays livable.
A text or email every working day with photos and tomorrow's plan, or the day is free.
Workmanship warranty in writing, transferable to the next owner, backed by a fixed address.
A small deposit, then you pay only for work that is already completed, inspected and photographed.
Who handles the boards
A fiber cement crew of three, trained to cut clean and nail right.
You meet them before work starts. Each has passed a background check, is on our payroll or under contract, and is introduced to you by name. Heavy boards take two sets of hands, so the crew is never short.
Exterior supervisor
Checks the wall plane, the nailing and the finish, and texts updates.
Lead installer
Lays out the courses, blind nails each board and flashes every joint.
Cutter and finisher
Runs the dust-controlled cutting station and seals every cut edge.
Illustrative project scopes
Fiber cement siding installation: scope and budget examples.
Planning examples with illustrative budgets and durations. These are not completed customer jobs, invoices or promises about your project.
Two-story, factory-finished lap
- Example budget
- $43,800
- Example duration
- 3 weeks
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Bungalow, shingles painted on site
- Example budget
- $29,600
- Example duration
- 3 weeks
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Colonial, lap, batten and shingle
- Example budget
- $66,200
- Example duration
- 5 weeks
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Your house is not average
Your case is different. Here is how the fiber cement estimate changes.
Every fiber cement job starts from the three tiers above, then moves for what makes your house different. Pick the one that sounds most like yours.
Wildfire or brush country
Fiber cement is noncombustible, which many wildfire-zone codes and insurers look for. We pair it with ember-resistant vents, noncombustible trim and a clear strip at the base of the walls, and list each item on your estimate.
Price fire-resistant siding for my houseSalt air and humidity
Fiber cement shrugs off rot and salt, but fasteners do not. We use stainless or hot-dipped galvanized nails, a rainscreen gap for drying and a factory finish rated for coastal sun and moisture on every board.
Price coastal fiber cement sidingA historic look
Smooth or woodgrain lap in a narrow reveal and fiber cement shingles can pass for painted wood from the sidewalk. We match the old reveal and corner boards, and prepare samples if a review board needs to approve them.
Price historic-look fiber cementKids or neighbors close by
Cutting cement boards can release fine silica dust. We cut with shears or vacuum saws at one station set away from windows and play areas, and clean up with a HEPA vacuum at the end of every working day.
Price dust-controlled siding workFreezing winters
Water that soaks into a cut edge can freeze and flake the board over a winter. We seal every cut, keep proper clearances from snow and roofs, and pick a product made for freeze and thaw cycles in cold regions.
Price fiber cement for a cold climateWoodpeckers and pests
Birds and insects drill into wood and hardboard but give up on cement boards. If woodpeckers have been hammering your siding, fiber cement ends it, and we patch any holes they left in the sheathing first.
Price siding that stops woodpeckersGetting fiber cement for less
Primed lap on the walls, painted on site in one color, with simple trim, is the lowest honest price for fiber cement. We show what factory finish, shingles or panels add so you pick the upgrades worth paying for.
Price budget fiber cement sidingA modern architectural facade
Large-format panels, mixed textures and hidden-fastener systems create clean modern walls. These take more layout and detailing time, so they are priced by the panel with each reveal and trim detail drawn in advance.
Price modern panel sidingWhat this service is
Fiber cement siding installation, defined the way we price it.
Fiber cement siding installation is the fitting of boards made from cement, sand and cellulose fiber onto a home's exterior walls, over a weather barrier and flashing, with matching trim and a paint or factory finish. ProBuild Remodeling installs lap, shingle and panel fiber cement from several makers as a licensed contractor, with silica dust control on every cut.
The service covers tear-off of one layer of old siding, wrap and flashing, fiber cement siding and trim, joint flashing, fasteners, caulk and either site painting or factory-finished boards with touch-up. It does not include window replacement, gutters or structural repairs unless they are added to the scope. James Hardie products have their own page with brand details.
It is for homeowners who want long-lasting siding that resists fire, rot, insects and woodpeckers and looks like painted wood. It is not ideal for owners who want the lowest possible price, for walls that cannot be straightened at a reasonable cost, or for anyone who never wants to repaint, since site-painted boards need fresh paint every 10 to 15 years.
The words you will see on your fiber cement estimate
- Fiber cement
- Siding boards made of Portland cement, sand and cellulose fiber. Noncombustible, rot-proof and heavy.
- Blind nailing
- Nailing through the top of a lap board so the next course hides the nail. The usual method for lap siding.
- Joint flashing
- A thin strip of metal or membrane behind each butt joint, so water that gets in the joint drains out.
- Factory finish
- Paint applied and baked on at the plant. Touch-up paint from the maker seals any cuts made on site.
- Primed board
- A board sealed with primer at the factory, ready for two coats of acrylic paint once it is installed.
- Silica dust
- Fine dust released when cement is cut. OSHA rules require shears, water or vacuum saws to control it.
- Reveal
- The exposed height of each course of lap siding, usually 5 to 7 inches on fiber cement boards.
- Clearance
- The gap kept between siding and soil, decks or roofs, so the cut edges of boards never sit in water.
Questions we hear about fiber cement
Eight questions people ask before choosing fiber cement.
How much does fiber cement siding cost?
Installed on a 1,500 to 2,500 square foot house, expect $22,000 to $44,000 for primed boards painted on site and $28,000 to $54,000 for factory-finished boards, including tear-off, wrap and trim. Mixed profiles with shingles and panels run $45,000 to $78,000.
Is fiber cement better than vinyl?
It lasts longer, will not burn or melt, resists woodpeckers and dents, and looks more like painted wood. It also costs roughly 50 to 100 percent more installed and needs paint eventually. Vinyl wins on price and zero painting.
How heavy is fiber cement siding?
About 2.3 to 3 pounds per square foot, compared with about half a pound for vinyl. A single 12-foot lap board can weigh 15 to 20 pounds, so it takes two people to hang and must be nailed into studs, not just sheathing.
Is the dust from cutting fiber cement dangerous?
It contains crystalline silica, which is harmful to breathe over time. That is why OSHA regulates it. We cut with shears or score-and-snap tools where possible and use saws only with a HEPA vacuum attached, away from windows and people.
How often does fiber cement need to be painted?
Site-painted boards with a quality 100% acrylic paint usually need repainting every 10 to 15 years. Factory-finished boards often go 15 years or more before the color looks tired, and some makers warrant the finish for that long.
Which fiber cement brands do you install?
Allura, Nichiha and James Hardie are the ones we install most, and each has strengths in texture, panel options or climate-specific products. The estimate names the brand and product so you can compare quotes on the same board.
How long does fiber cement siding last?
Properly installed and maintained, 50 years or more. Most makers give 30 to 50 year limited product warranties. What usually fails first is paint or caulk, not the boards, which is why clearances and edge sealing matter.
Can fiber cement lower my home insurance?
In wildfire-prone areas some insurers give credits for noncombustible siding, and some local codes require it. Ask your agent before you sign; we can provide product data sheets showing the fire rating to support the request.
Fiber cement siding near you
Your remodeling address, within our service area.
Fiber cement is installed by local exterior crews working under the license of the state where your house is. The license numbers are listed for every state.
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Florida
- Check your remodeling address
Free fiber cement estimate
Send your answers about your house. Get both finishes priced in writing.
An exterior supervisor reads your answers, texts back within 5 minutes during business hours and books the sample visit in that same conversation.