Pros and Cons of Installing Your Own Siding

Your siding plays a large role in the curb appeal of your home. It’s not only one of the first things people see when they look at your home, but it also makes up a large percentage of the visible area of your home. For this reason, keeping it looking nice is important.

Replacing your siding with newer panels can help to keep your home looking in peak condition. However, should you install it yourself or hire a professional to do it for you? Before committing to any large DIY project, you should learn the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision.

Pros of Installing Your Own Siding

Starting with saving money, there are some advantages to installing siding yourself. Plus, you can work on your own schedule instead of having to work with someone else’s.

You Can Save Money

One of the biggest advantages to installing siding yourself is that you can save money on the costs of labor. Hiring a contractor can be expensive and by taking on all of the labor yourself, you’ll only have to pay for the materials.

You Can Work on Your Own Time

If you hire a professional, you do have to work with their schedule. They’ll work out the best possible time with you, but you’ll still have to work with their availability instead of just installing the siding whenever you want.

You Don’t Have to Find a Contractor

Finding a contractor can take some time. You’ll need to get multiple quotes so you can compare and do some research to make sure you’re hiring the right person for the job. If you do it yourself, then you can save time by not having to go through that process.

Cons of Installing Your Own Siding

Unless you’re a very experienced DIYer, installing siding yourself can be a major challenge. It’s easy for things to go wrong, in which case you might end up having to spend more money on hiring a professional to fix it than you would have spent just hiring the professional in the first place. For most people, the pros of DIYing siding installation are outweighed by the cons, resulting in them hiring a professional.

You Have to Obtain Permits

Permits are typically required for any renovations or work on your house. If you’re installing your siding yourself, you’ll have to handle the permit application process with your city. If you hire a professional, they typically handle this for you.

You Have to Follow Building Codes

Every location has codes to keep buildings safe for occupation. A professional will already be familiar with what is up to code because they work on homes all the time. Without that kind of experience, it could be difficult for a homeowner to know what’s up to code and what isn’t.

You May Not Find the Right Materials

Professional contractors will easily be able to get all of the materials they would need to install siding on your home in the material and color that you want. Finding everything you need yourself, however, might not be possible. Plus, the materials might cost you more money because a contractor can buy in bulk to secure a discount.

You May Not Have the Skill to Properly Install the Siding

Compared to other DIY projects, installing siding can be a big challenge. It’s a huge project that might turn out to be more difficult than you’d bargained for. It’s easier for things to go wrong when someone who isn’t a professional is doing the installation. You could end up having to hire a professional to redo your work.

You Might Not Save Much Money

If you aren’t able to do the job right the first time, then you might have to pay money for a contractor to fix it. If you don’t notice right away that the job wasn’t done correctly, you could end up with expensive water damage to repair inside your house, followed by the costs of hiring a contractor for the repair.

For informational purposes only.