Cedar Siding Replacement Cost vs Repair and Other Options
Cedar siding replacement costs {range:siding-replacement:mid} for a typical home. See how cedar compares with other siding, and when repair is cheaper.
Cedar siding replacement costs $25,800 for a typical 140 m² two-storey-style job with one layer torn off, before GST/HST. Across all materials, our mid-range tier runs $10,900 – $18,200, so cedar sits at the premium end of that spread. Patching and restaining is often a fraction of that, as long as the boards underneath are still sound.
This piece answers a question the main Siding replacement guide can't: when is it worth keeping cedar and repairing it, and when should you tear it off and switch?
Cedar next to the alternatives
Here are our mid-range figures for the same house, same size, same tear-off, changing only the material:
- Vinyl: $14,000
- Engineered wood (LP SmartSide, CanExel): $19,500
- Fiber cement (James Hardie): $20,400
- Cedar: $25,800
The full table, with usual ranges and lifespans for every material, is below.
| Material | Typical | Usual range | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $14,000 | $10,900 – $18,200 | 20-40 years |
| Aluminum | $15,300 | $12,000 – $19,900 | 20-40 years |
| Steel | $16,200 | $12,700 – $21,100 | 40-70 years |
| Insulated vinyl | $16,700 | $13,000 – $21,700 | 20-40 years |
| Engineered wood (LP SmartSide, CanExel) | $19,500 | $15,200 – $25,300 | 30-50 years |
| Stucco | $19,900 | $15,500 – $25,900 | 50-80 years |
| Fiber cement (James Hardie) | $20,400 | $15,900 – $26,500 | 50+ years |
| Cedar | $25,800 | $20,100 – $33,500 | 20-40 years |
We build these numbers from labour hours × local rates plus materials, then check them against market prices and real quotes. Cedar costs more partly because the boards are dearer, but mostly because it takes longer to install well. Each board is cut and fitted individually, it needs a sealed finish on all faces, and the finish has to be renewed.
The cost that doesn't show up on the quote
The installed price is only part of the picture with cedar. Vinyl and fiber cement need little more than washing. Cedar needs a stain or sealer coat on a cycle that depends on how much sun and rain your walls get; south and west faces wear fastest. Over a couple of decades, that upkeep can close part of the gap with a cheaper material, or at least narrow it. We can't give a precise figure because it depends on your exposure, the product and whether you do the work yourself.
Engineered wood is the closest look-alike. It has a wood-grain surface, a pre-primed or factory finish and a lower price, but it is not the real thing, and some buyers can tell.
When patching and staining beats a tear-off
Repair is usually the cheaper route when:
- Damage is local. A handful of split, cupped or rotted boards near the base, a window sill or a downspout can be cut out and replaced individually.
- The wall behind is dry. If you open a section and the sheathing and insulation are sound, you are dealing with a surface problem.
- The finish has failed but the wood hasn't. Grey, faded or peeling cedar that is still solid usually needs cleaning, light sanding and a fresh coat, not new boards.
- You are keeping the look. Matching new cedar to weathered boards is hard at first, but the colour evens out after a season or two with stain.
When replacement wins
A full tear-off makes more sense when:
- Rot is widespread. If you are replacing a third or more of the boards, the labour of patching begins to approach the cost of a proper job.
- Moisture has reached the sheathing. Soft or stained sheathing, mould or damp insulation means the wall needs opening up anyway. That is the point to reconsider the material.
- The nails or boards have failed across whole elevations. Widespread splitting, loose boards or failed fasteners are signs the system is at the end of its life.
- You have two layers. Our model lets you price tearing off one layer versus two. Extra layers add labour and disposal, so get that checked early.
Questions to ask before you decide
- How deep does the damage go? Probe suspect boards with a screwdriver. Firm wood is repairable; soft wood is not.
- Which walls are worst? You may only need to replace the weather-exposed elevations, though matching can be an issue.
- Is the real cost the siding or the wall? Hidden moisture damage can outweigh the material choice.
- Are you ready to maintain cedar? If not, a lower-maintenance material may cost less over time even if it looks different.
Get quotes you can compare
Ask every contractor to price the same scope: material, number of layers removed, storeys, and whether sheathing repair and building wrap are included. Mixing scopes is the commonest reason quotes look far apart. If you already have a number in hand, run it through our "is my quote fair" tool to see how it compares with local pricing.
Our figures are before GST/HST. In Ontario that adds 13% HST, and in Alberta 5% GST.
Related guides
If you are tackling the whole exterior, you may also want the cost guides for Window replacement, since new windows are far easier to fit while siding is off, and Roof replacement, which is easier to coordinate with the walls than to redo later.