What are the most common types of house siding?

The most common are vinyl, engineered wood (like LP SmartSide), fiber cement (James Hardie), wood and cedar, metal or steel, stucco, stone veneer and brick. Vinyl is the most widely used in the United States. Aluminum, insulated vinyl and T1-11 plywood are also common, especially on older or budget homes.

What is the best type of siding for a house?

There is no single best type. It depends on budget, climate, how much repainting you will accept, and how long you will stay. Vinyl wins on cost, fiber cement and brick on durability and fire, engineered wood on wood look for the money, and wood on authenticity.

What is the least expensive exterior siding?

Vinyl is the cheapest mainstream siding at roughly $4–$12 per square foot installed. T1-11 plywood panels and aluminum can come in lower, but they are mostly used on outbuildings or to match older homes. These are 2026 planning ranges, not quotes.

What is better than vinyl siding?

Better depends on what you want more of. Fiber cement is more durable and non-combustible; engineered wood looks more like wood and resists impact; steel lasts longer and doesn't burn. Vinyl still wins on price and on never needing paint.

What is the longest-lasting siding material?

Brick and stone veneer last the longest at 75 to 100 or more years, followed by stucco, metal at 40 to 60 years, and fiber cement at 30 to 50 years.

What are the three major types of board siding?

Board siding is usually grouped by how the boards meet: lap siding (clapboard or bevel), where each board overlaps the one below; board and batten, where vertical boards are covered at the joints by narrow battens; and shiplap or tongue and groove, where the edges interlock to make a flat wall.

What is the difference between a siding material and a siding style?

The material is what the siding is made of, such as vinyl or fiber cement. The style is the shape it takes on the wall, such as lap, Dutch lap, board and batten or shakes. Most styles come in most materials, and the material sets the price and upkeep far more than the style does.

Types of House Siding: 11 Materials Compared

Independent — we don't sell or install siding · Last updated September 2026 · Data as of August 2026 · 2026 planning ranges, not quotes

The short answer

The main types of house siding are vinyl, engineered wood, fiber cement, wood and cedar, metal, stucco, stone veneer and brick, plus aluminum, insulated vinyl and T1-11 plywood on older or budget homes. Installed cost runs from about $3–$28 per square foot; budget, climate and how much repainting you'll accept decide the right one.

Siding types compared

Each row uses the same figures as that material's own cost page, so the numbers don't change when you click through. Cheapest entry price first.

Material	Installed / sq ft	Lifespan	Upkeep	Fire	Impact / hail	Moisture	DIY
T1-11 plywood	$3–$7	20–30 yr	Refinish 3–5 yr	Combustible	Fair	Poor — edges delaminate if unsealed	Easy
Aluminum	$3.50–$8	30–50 yr	Repaint once it chalks	Non-combustible	Poor — dents easily	Won't rot or rust	Moderate
Vinyl	$4–$12	20–40 yr	Wash only	Combustible	Fair — brittle when cold	Won't absorb; water behind it must drain	Moderate
Insulated vinyl	$5–$9	20–40 yr	Wash only	Combustible	Better than hollow vinyl (foam-backed)	As vinyl	Moderate
Wood / cedar	$5–$15	20–40 yr	Stain or paint ~4 yr	Combustible	Fair — dents and splits	Rots if the finish lapses	Moderate
Fiber Cement	$6–$14	30–50 yr	Repaint ~12 yr	Non-combustible	Good — can chip at edges	Good; needs ground and roof clearance	Pro only
Stucco	$7–$12	50–80 yr	Low	Moderate	Fair — pocks and cracks	Cracks let water in; poor in freeze-thaw	Pro only
Steel / metal	$7–$16	40–60 yr	Low	Non-combustible	Good — dents, doesn't crack	Won't absorb; rusts at scratches	Pro only
Engineered wood (LP SmartSide)	$8–$15.50	20–30 yr	Repaint ~10 yr	Moderate	Very good	Swells if cut edges or paint are neglected	Moderate
Brick	$9–$28	75–100 yr	Wash only	Non-combustible	Excellent	Absorbs and dries; needs air gap and weeps	Pro only
Stone Veneer	$13–$25	75–100 yr	Wash only	Non-combustible	Very good	Needs a drainage layer behind it	Pro only

Installed ranges include material and labor but not tearing off old siding. The impact and moisture columns are plain-language summaries, not lab ratings. To filter by climate or budget, use the interactive comparison; to price your own walls, the siding cost calculator.

Which siding for which situation

Most homes have one constraint that knocks out half the list before looks come into it. Find yours:

If this is you	Shortlist	Usually rule out	Why
Tightest budget, or a rental	Vinyl, T1-11 (outbuildings)	Brick, stone veneer, fiber cement	Lowest installed cost, and vinyl never needs paint.
Selling within about five years	Vinyl, Engineered wood	Whole-house masonry	A short hold rarely recovers a premium material's extra cost.
Real wood look without real-wood upkeep	Engineered wood, Fiber cement	Vinyl, if the look matters most	Both paint like wood; neither needs wood's 3–5 year refinishing.
Wildfire zone	Fiber cement, Steel, Brick, Stone veneer	Vinyl, wood, engineered wood, T1-11	The non-combustible options; the rest melt or burn.
Hail country	Engineered wood, Steel, Insulated vinyl	Aluminum; thin vinyl	Impact resistance — aluminum dents and cold vinyl cracks.
Hard winters, freeze-thaw	Fiber cement, Engineered wood, Steel	Stucco	Stucco cracks where water freezes in it; vinyl gets brittle in deep cold.
Hot and humid	Fiber cement, Brick, LP SmartSide	Unsealed wood	Rot and mildew pressure; fiber cement shrugs off both.
Salt air, on the coast	Vinyl, Fiber cement, Brick	Steel with a scratched coating	Salt finds any break in a metal finish.
Never want to repaint	Vinyl, Steel, Brick, Stone	Wood, T1-11, field-painted fiber cement	These have no repaint cycle at all.
Historic district	Wood clapboard, Cedar	Vinyl, often not approved	Reviews usually care about matching the original profile and exposure.
Doing it yourself	Vinyl, T1-11	Fiber cement, masonry, stucco	Light and forgiving; fiber cement means heavy boards and silica dust.

Two constraints at once (say, a wildfire zone and a tight budget) usually leave one or two candidates. The siding selector does that intersection for you in under a minute.

The same filtering, run for real: one homeowner in a wildfire zone who will not repaint, and eight materials narrowed to one.

The materials, one by one

A sentence on each, and where to go for its full cost breakdown.

T1-11 plywood

$3–$7/sq ft

Grooved plywood or OSB sheets. Cheap and fast on sheds, garages and 1970s–80s houses, but only lasts if the paint and bottom edges stay sealed.

T1-11 siding →

Aluminum

$3.50–$8/sq ft

Common on 1950s–70s homes and still made. It won't rot or burn, but dents easily and the factory finish chalks; old aluminum can be repainted.

Aluminum siding →

Vinyl

$4–$12/sq ft

The cheapest mainstream option and the only one that never needs repainting — but it can crack in hard cold and isn't fireproof.

Vinyl siding cost →

Insulated vinyl

$5–$9/sq ft

Vinyl with a foam backing. It makes a stiffer, straighter wall; the energy saving is modest, so buy it for the panel rather than the payback.

Insulated siding cost →

Wood / cedar

$5–$15/sq ft

The real thing — unmatched natural warmth, but the highest maintenance here, needing refinishing every few years.

Wood siding cost →Cedar siding cost →

Fiber Cement

$6–$14/sq ft

The longest-lasting and only non-combustible mainstream option; heavier and pricier to install, and ColorPlus finishes defer repainting.

Fiber cement cost →What is Hardie board? →

Stucco

$7–$12/sq ft

Long-lasting and seamless, ideal in hot, dry climates; prone to cracking with freeze-thaw and moisture where it isn't detailed well.

Stucco cost →

Steel / metal

$7–$16/sq ft

Extremely durable and fire-safe with a modern look; can dent, and bare steel can rust where scratched, especially near salt air.

Metal siding cost →

Engineered wood (LP SmartSide)

$8–$15.50/sq ft

Engineered wood — a real wood-grain look, lighter and easier to install than fiber cement, but it must be repainted.

Engineered wood siding →LP SmartSide cost →

Brick

$9–$28/sq ft

The longest-lasting, most maintenance-free option; high upfront cost and skilled labor, usually a brick veneer over a framed wall.

Brick siding cost →

Stone Veneer

$13–$25/sq ft

A premium masonry look that lasts generations; most homeowners use it as an accent rather than whole-house cladding to control cost.

Stone veneer cost →

Siding styles and profiles

A siding material (vinyl, fiber cement, wood) is different from a style — the shape it makes on the wall. Most styles come in most materials, and the material sets the price far more than the style: board and batten in vinyl costs less than lap siding in fiber cement.

Six siding styles seen face-on. Most styles come in several materials — the material, not the style, sets most of the price. Schematic, not to scale.

Style	What it is	Comes in
Lap / clapboard	Horizontal boards, each overlapping the one below. The default American look.	Every material
Dutch lap	Lap with a concave groove on each course for a deeper shadow.	Mostly vinyl, some wood
Board and batten	Wide vertical boards with narrow battens over the joints. Farmhouse and modern.	Vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood, wood, steel
Shakes and shingles	Individual pieces with ragged or straight butts; often on gables and dormers.	Cedar, vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood
Scallop (fish-scale)	Rounded-butt shingles; a Victorian accent, rarely a whole wall.	Cedar, vinyl, fiber cement
Vertical panel	Large sheets, grooved or plain; the quickest to hang.	T1-11 plywood, fiber cement, engineered wood

Whatever the style, it ends at trim: corner posts, and on vinyl the J-channel that frames windows and doors. Trim details, not the siding face, are where most leaks start.

Best siding by climate

Climate rules out more options than taste does. The short version:

Cold, freeze-thaw: fiber cement, engineered wood, steel; avoid stucco, and choose a thicker vinyl if you go vinyl. Best siding for cold climates
Hot and humid: fiber cement, brick, engineered wood with a sealed finish; watch rot and mildew on wood. Best siding for hot, humid climates
Coastal: vinyl, fiber cement and masonry handle salt; steel needs an intact coating. Best siding for coastal climates

Warranties and common mistakes

A long warranty number is not the same as coverage. Most siding warranties cover manufacturing defects, not installation, and many are prorated or depend on the installer following the maker's instructions. The siding warranty checker shows what each material's warranty covers and what voids it.

Mistakes that cost the most

Comparing material prices instead of installed prices. Labor is often half the bill, and heavy materials cost more to hang.
Ignoring the repaint cycle. Wood, engineered wood and field-painted fiber cement all come back for paint; vinyl and brick don't.
Skimping on flashing and housewrap. Water behind the siding, not the siding itself, is what rots walls. See siding problems.
Comparing quotes with different scopes. Tear-off, trim and wrap are often priced separately. Check a quote
Hiring on price alone. Fiber cement and engineered wood are unforgiving of poor installs. Contractor checklist

Once you've picked a material, pick a brand

Within fiber cement, engineered wood and vinyl, the brand decides your product lines, colour system, and what the warranty actually covers.

James HardieThe dominant fiber cement brand — HardiePlank, ColorPlus, and HardieZone.LP SmartSideEngineered wood: the SmartSide product lines and what the 50-year warranty covers.CertainTeedVinyl and polymer lines from budget to premium, and how the grades differ.MasticPly Gem's vinyl brand — profiles, thicknesses, and warranty terms.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common types of house siding?: Vinyl, engineered wood, fiber cement, wood/cedar, metal, stucco, stone veneer and brick — vinyl is the most common. You'll also meet aluminum, insulated vinyl and T1-11 on older or budget homes.
What is the best type of siding for a house?: There isn't one — it depends on budget, climate, and upkeep. Use the situation table above, or let the siding selector rank the options for your home.
What is the least expensive exterior siding?: Vinyl, at about $4–$12 per sq ft installed. T1-11 panels and aluminum can be cheaper, but are mostly for outbuildings or matching older homes.
What is better than vinyl siding?: Fiber cement for durability and fire, engineered wood for looks and impact, steel for life span — vinyl still wins on price and zero repainting. See vinyl vs fiber cement.
What is the longest-lasting siding material?: Brick and stone veneer (75–100+ years), then stucco, metal and fiber cement.
What are the three major types of board siding?: Lap (clapboard / bevel), board and batten, and shiplap or tongue and groove.
What is the difference between a siding material and a siding style?: Material is what it's made of; style is the shape on the wall. Most styles come in most materials, and the material drives cost and upkeep.

Cost figures are independent 2026 planning estimates and vary by home, material, region, and installer.