Siding installation cost in Canada runs from about $5 per square foot for basic vinyl to $45 per square foot for brick or stone, and a whole-house job typically lands between $10,000 and $35,000. What you pay depends on the material, the size and shape of the house, what has to be torn off and repaired, and how much labour the material demands. This guide puts every common siding type side by side so you can see where your money goes and which material makes sense for a home in Alberta.
We install siding in Canmore and the Bow Valley, so the figures below come from published 2026 price guides (HomeStars and a Calgary contractor guide) and are explained with what we see on real jobs: chinook winds, freeze-thaw cycles, wildfire risk and access to tight mountain lots. They are ranges, not quotes, but they will help you tell a fair estimate from one that is missing something.
✓Key takeaways
- Published Canadian ranges per sq ft installed: vinyl $4.80 to $11.50, aluminum $7.20 to $10.00, fibre cement $8.40 to $15.00, engineered wood $12.00 to $18.00, steel $25.20 to $40.00, brick or stone $27.00 to $45.00 (HomeStars, updated August 2026).
- In Calgary, cedar runs about $12 to $20, Hardie fibre cement about $10 to $16 and standard vinyl about $5.50 to $9.00 installed (April 2026).
- Whole-house siding replacement across Canada usually costs $10,000 to $35,000.
- Labour is often 50 percent or more of the total, and heavier or more finicky materials cost more to hang.
- Extras such as tear-off ($1.00 to $2.50 per sq ft), insulation ($1.00 to $3.00 per sq ft) and disposal ($500 to $1,000) can change the bottom line.
- In the Bow Valley, fire performance belongs in the cost conversation: FireSmart Canada lists fibre cement and other non-combustible cladding as superior to vinyl.
In this guide
- Siding installation cost per square foot by material
- What does it cost to side a whole house?
- What drives siding installation cost?
- Cost by material: what you get for your money
- Which siding is best for a mountain home?
- Repair or replace: when is it time for new siding?
- How to get a fair siding quote
- Frequently asked questions
Siding installation cost per square foot by material
Start with the numbers most homeowners want first. The chart and table below use HomeStars data, updated 21 August 2026, and they represent the installed price, meaning materials and labour together, before extras like tear-off.
Installed siding cost per sq ft by material (CAD, 2026)
Published Canadian ranges, not quotes. Your price depends on your house.
Source: HomeStars siding price guide (updated 21 Aug 2026). Ranges vary by contractor, region and scope.
| Material | Canada (HomeStars) | Calgary (April 2026 guide) |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $4.80 to $11.50 | $5.50 to $9.00 standard, $7.50 to $11.50 insulated |
| Aluminum | $7.20 to $10.00 | Not listed |
| CanExel (wood fibre) | $7.20 to $12.00 | Not listed |
| Fibre cement (Hardie) | $8.40 to $15.00 | $10.00 to $16.00 |
| Acrylic or stucco | $9.60 to $15.00 | Not listed |
| Engineered wood | $12.00 to $18.00 | $9.00 to $15.00 |
| Cedar | Not listed | $12.00 to $20.00 |
| Steel | $25.20 to $40.00 | Not listed |
| Brick or stone | $27.00 to $45.00 | Not listed |
Two things to notice. First, the spread within a single material is wide, because grade, profile, height and access all move the price. Second, the Calgary guide shows fibre cement and cedar at the higher end of the mainstream options, which matches what we see: the material is only part of the bill, and labour is the other half.
What does it cost to side a whole house?
Per-square-foot figures do not mean much until you multiply them by a real wall. HomeStars puts the typical cost to replace siding across Canada at $10,000 to $35,000, and the Calgary guide gives whole-house ranges by size with tear-off included.
| House type | Vinyl | Hardie fibre cement | Wood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bungalow, 1,200 to 1,600 sq ft | $7,000 to $12,000 | $12,000 to $22,000 | $10,000 to $18,000 |
| 2-storey, 1,800 to 2,400 sq ft | $10,000 to $18,000 | $18,000 to $32,000 | $15,000 to $28,000 |
| Large 2-storey or walkout, 2,500+ sq ft | $14,000 to $25,000 | $25,000 to $45,000 | $22,000 to $40,000 |
Worked example: a 1,800 sq ft wall
To see how the material changes the total, multiply your wall area by the range. This is the same wall in every row, using the HomeStars per-square-foot ranges, before tear-off, repairs and extras.
| Material | Range per sq ft | Approximate total |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $4.80 to $11.50 | $8,640 to $20,700 |
| Aluminum | $7.20 to $10.00 | $12,960 to $18,000 |
| Fibre cement | $8.40 to $15.00 | $15,120 to $27,000 |
| Engineered wood | $12.00 to $18.00 | $21,600 to $32,400 |
| Steel | $25.20 to $40.00 | $45,360 to $72,000 |
| Brick or stone | $27.00 to $45.00 | $48,600 to $81,000 |
That is arithmetic on published ranges, not a quote. Measure your own wall area (width times height for each wall, less the openings) before you compare estimates, and ask each contractor which wall area they used.
What drives siding installation cost?
Seven things that move a siding quote
Roughly the order we discuss them with homeowners.
- MaterialVinyl to stone is a 9x price spread.
- Wall areaBigger walls cost more, complex walls cost more per foot.
- LabourHeavy or finicky products take longer to hang.
- Tear-offRemoving and disposing of old siding.
- Wall repairsSheathing, rot, wrap and flashing.
- Access and heightScaffolding, slopes, snow, tight lots.
- Trim and extrasSoffit, fascia, windows, insulation.
Material and how hard it is to install
Materials that are heavier, need dust control, or have to be painted or stained on site cost more to install than materials that snap together. That is why fibre cement and cedar carry a bigger labour share than vinyl. Read our step-by-step guides to see what the labour actually involves: how to hang vinyl siding, how to install Hardie board, installing board and batten siding and installing cedar siding.
Tear-off, disposal and repairs
HomeStars lists old siding removal at $1.00 to $2.50 per sq ft and a flat disposal fee of $500 to $1,000. The Calgary guide shows tear-off and disposal for a whole house at $1,500 to $4,000. If the wall behind the old siding is wet or rotted, repairs come on top. Skipping tear-off to save money is tempting, but you cannot see what is hiding behind the old boards.
Insulation, wrap and flashing
Adding insulation is listed at $1.00 to $3.00 per sq ft, and it is often worth doing when the walls are open, especially on a cold-climate house. The weather-resistive barrier, flashing tape and window flashing are the least visible and most important parts of the quote. If they are missing from a proposal, ask why.
Labour rates and the mountain factor
▲Bow Valley note
Calgary guide labour ranges run from about $3 to $5 per sq ft for standard vinyl to $6 to $10 per sq ft for cedar. In a mountain town, steep lots, snow, limited access and short working seasons often add time, and time is what labour costs. If a Canmore quote is higher than a city quote, ask what is included before you assume it is padded.
Cost by material: what you get for your money
Vinyl siding
The budget option. Vinyl costs $4.80 to $11.50 per sq ft installed, needs almost no maintenance and installs quickly. It is softer than the other options, can dent from hail and crack in deep cold, and, as FireSmart Canada notes, can melt in a wildfire. See vinyl siding installation cost for the full breakdown.
Fibre cement siding (Hardie board)
The mid-priced workhorse. Fibre cement costs $8.40 to $15.00 per sq ft on the HomeStars scale and $10 to $16 for Hardie in Calgary. It resists rot, fire and insects, holds paint well and looks like wood. It is heavy and needs dust control during cutting. See our guide to Hardie plank siding installation cost.
Cedar and wood siding
The traditional choice. Cedar runs about $12 to $20 per sq ft installed in Calgary. It looks the part in a mountain setting, but it needs sealing and periodic refinishing, and wood is combustible, so vents and detailing matter in the wildland-urban interface.
Engineered wood and CanExel
Engineered wood and CanExel (wood fibre) sit in the middle: $12 to $18 per sq ft for engineered wood and $7.20 to $12.00 for CanExel. They give a wood look with less maintenance than solid cedar, but they rely on good edge sealing and are less fire resistant than fibre cement.
Aluminum and steel siding
Aluminum is $7.20 to $10.00 per sq ft and steel is $25.20 to $40.00. Metal siding is durable and non-combustible, and it suits a modern look, but it can dent (especially aluminum), and steel is a premium price.
Stucco, brick and stone
Acrylic stucco runs $9.60 to $15.00 per sq ft, and brick or stone runs $27.00 to $45.00. These finishes are long-lasting and fire resistant, and they are often used as accents or on lower walls where their cost and weight are easier to justify.
Which siding is best for a mountain home?
| Priority | Good fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest upfront cost | Vinyl, aluminum | Cheapest per sq ft, quick to install |
| Wildfire resilience | Fibre cement, steel, stucco, brick or stone | Non-combustible or superior fire resistance (FireSmart Canada) |
| Low maintenance | Vinyl, fibre cement, metal | No refinishing, or only occasional repainting |
| Natural mountain look | Cedar, fibre cement that looks like wood | Warm, textured appearance |
| Freeze-thaw and chinook wind | Fibre cement, metal, correctly installed vinyl | Stable, dimensionally consistent with big temperature swings |
| Best value overall | Fibre cement | Mid-range price with strong fire, rot and pest resistance |
Cost-saving moves that are safe
- Choose a simpler profile and colour
- Bundle siding, soffit, fascia and windows in one project
- Do the easy prep yourself: landscaping, furniture and light fixtures
- Get three written, itemized quotes
- Use a premium material on the front and a simpler one on the back
Savings that cost you later
- Skipping the weather barrier or flashing
- Going over rotten sheathing
- Choosing the thinnest vinyl on the lot
- Hiring an uninsured crew for a lower number
- Painting fibre cement late, past the manufacturer’s window
Repair or replace: when is it time for new siding?
New siding is a big spend, so it is worth asking whether patching will do. Small problems such as a few cracked boards, a loose panel or a section of peeling paint can often be repaired for a few hundred dollars. Replacement makes sense when the problems are widespread or when they point to water getting behind the cladding.
- Soft, spongy or stained boards near windows, corners and the bottom course, which often means rot in the sheathing behind.
- Widespread cracking, warping or buckling that keeps coming back after repairs.
- Paint that peels or blisters across whole walls, especially on the sunny side.
- Interior signs: mould, damp patches, peeling wallpaper or rising heating bills.
- Pests: woodpecker damage or carpenter ants in wood siding.
- Hail or wind damage that affects many panels, which may be an insurance matter, so check your policy.
If you see any of these, get the wall inspected before you decide. A good contractor should look behind a few boards and tell you what they find, and an honest answer is sometimes a repair instead of a re-side.
Does new siding pay for itself?
Siding is one of the more visible upgrades on a house and it protects the structure, but the payback depends on the material and the market. New cladding rarely gets you back every dollar in resale value. What it does reliably is protect the framing, cut maintenance and improve how the house looks from the street, and in a wildfire-conscious community such as Canmore, choosing a non-combustible material is a benefit that goes beyond appearance.
How to get a fair siding quote
- Measure the wall area yourself so you can check every quote against it.
- Get three written quotes from insured local contractors, and make sure each covers the same scope.
- Ask for itemized pricing: material, labour, tear-off, disposal, wrap and flashing, trim, and any repairs.
- Ask what is behind the siding, not just what is on the front.
- Check the warranty: both the product and the workmanship.
- Confirm insurance and WCB coverage and ask for references.
- Do not choose on price alone. The cheapest quote often leaves out the work you cannot see.
Our guide to choosing a vinyl siding installation company covers the vetting questions in more detail, and you can see how we work on our siding installation page. If you also plan to replace windows, our window renovation service can be scheduled ahead of the siding to avoid double handling.
Frequently asked questions
How much does siding installation cost?
Published 2026 Canadian ranges run from about $4.80 to $11.50 per sq ft for vinyl to $27 to $45 for brick or stone. A typical whole-house siding replacement across Canada costs about $10,000 to $35,000.
What is the cheapest siding to install?
Vinyl is usually the cheapest, at about $4.80 to $11.50 per sq ft installed. Aluminum is close behind at $7.20 to $10.00.
What is the most expensive siding?
Brick or stone at about $27 to $45 per sq ft and steel at $25.20 to $40.00 are the most expensive common options.
How much does it cost to side a 2,000 sq ft house?
It depends on the wall area, which is different from floor area. In Calgary, a 2-storey house of about 1,800 to 2,400 sq ft runs roughly $10,000 to $18,000 in vinyl, $18,000 to $32,000 in Hardie fibre cement and $15,000 to $28,000 in wood, tear-off included.
Is fibre cement worth the extra cost over vinyl?
For many Bow Valley homes, yes. It costs more upfront, but it resists fire, rot and insects, and holds paint well. FireSmart Canada lists fibre cement among cladding with superior fire resistance and warns that vinyl can melt.
Does the siding installation cost include removing the old siding?
Not always. Removal is commonly priced at $1.00 to $2.50 per sq ft plus disposal, so confirm tear-off, disposal and cleanup are in writing.
When is the cheapest time to install siding?
Off-peak seasons can bring better scheduling, but the weather sets the limits in Alberta. Late spring to early fall is easiest, and finishing steps such as caulk and paint have minimum temperatures.
Want a real number for your home?
Old Goat Construction installs siding across Canmore and the Bow Valley. Send us your address and a few photos and we will give you an honest, itemized quote.
