What the September price actually measures
Homewyse's September 2026 vinyl siding model starts at $7.59–$12.94 per square foot installed. That is a model for basic, readily serviceable work, using an illustrative Dutch-lap PVC panel; it is not a quote for a particular CertainTeed or Mastic line. The model asks for the area of the finished wall including openings. Its list of items includes materials, installation labor, supplies and equipment. Old-siding removal is shown as an option. It expressly excludes permits, sales tax, hidden framing repair and general contractor supervision. Read those assumptions before comparing its range with an all-in bid.
A Northeast Ohio installer, Peak & Valley Roofing, publishes $4–$12 per square foot installed in its January 2026 guide. It also gives material at $3–$7 per square foot and labor at $2.50–$5. Those component bands are not endpoints to add into a new promise: the installer presents them as broad ranges and does not specify which combination describes a particular house. The local business publishes a lower installed floor than Homewyse's national model, while their upper ends are fairly close. The different lower end may reflect different project assumptions; neither publisher gives bid-level details that would let me prove which assumption accounts for it.
As a Portland siding contractor explains, a siding square is 100 square feet of wall covering. The following conversions are arithmetic from the linked per-foot ranges, not additional price observations:
| Published source and scope | Installed per square foot | Calculated per 100-square-foot siding square | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homewyse, September 2026 national basic-work model | $7.59–$12.94 | $759–$1,294 | A starting allowance before excluded work |
| Peak & Valley Roofing, January 2026 guide | $4–$12 | $400–$1,200 | An installer-published guide, not a measured house bid |
The per-square unit solves one vocabulary problem, but not the wall measurement. A house advertised as having a given number of square feet usually describes interior floor area. A siding square measures wall area. A second story, garage, large gables, or many dormers can change the amount of siding even when floor area stays the same. This is the wall area versus floor area question to settle before accepting a per-square estimate. Homewyse explicitly asks for finished surface plus enclosed openings; an installer may subtract openings when measuring panels and charge trim around them separately. Ask each bidder to show gross and net areas and which one sets the unit price.
What a vinyl bid needs to name
The national siding replacement cost guide compares materials and whole-house projects. For vinyl alone, the product line matters more than that blended average. A quote reading only “premium vinyl” leaves out measurable choices: panel thickness, profile, color, corner and opening trim, fastening method, and whether the specified line is insulated or hollow. A factory description does not establish an installed price for that line; I found no public manufacturer price sheet that allows an honest CertainTeed-versus-Mastic price table. The table below therefore compares published specifications, not invented brand prices.
| Named Mastic line | Published nominal panel thickness | Published design pressure | Published reference wind claim | What I would check on the bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek | .040 inch | 40 PSF | Up to 129 mph | Profile and color; this is the thinnest listed panel in this comparison |
| Carvedwood•44 | .044 inch | 56 PSF | Up to 153 mph | Whether the selected color uses SolarDefense and whether the bid specifies Dutch lap or another profile |
| Quest | .046 inch | 64 PSF | Up to 163 mph | Whether the longer panel is specified where fewer seams matter |
| Western Extreme | .048 inch | 56 PSF | Up to 153 mph | Whether a western-climate color and profile are actually available in the market |
These are manufacturer claims for particular products and test conditions. The wind-speed number does not say that a panel is suitable for every wall on a house in a hurricane area. Design pressure, exposure, fastening schedule, substrate, building height and the local approval must be checked together. The table deliberately preserves the manufacturer's design-pressure figure next to its wind-speed wording, because a headline “mph” figure alone strips away conditions. Mastic's own pages point readers to the specification guide for detail; an installer should identify the precise profile and approval for the job.
Panel thickness is likewise a specification, not a durability score. The thicker Western Extreme panel carries the same published 56 PSF design pressure as Carvedwood•44, while Quest lists 64 PSF at a thinner nominal gauge. That comparison is one reason not to select a line by thickness alone. Lock design, fastener placement and profile affect how the assembly performs. Product pages do not disclose an installed price for each combination; a quote should state the product line, profile, and color so that the price and warranty can actually be checked against a document.
The regional choice behind Western Extreme
Mastic says Western Extreme was designed for damaging infrared light, low humidity and rapid temperature changes in western climates. That is a named regional design claim, not proof that it is the only suitable line for an Arizona, Nevada or Colorado house. It tells a homeowner in a dry western market which product option to ask a distributor about, and a homeowner elsewhere why a proposed line may be offered only in selected profiles or colors. Compare the actual supplied sample and the local code approval; do not infer a price premium from the word “Extreme.”
Why an apparently cheap square can grow
The first unpriced decision is old-siding removal and disposal. Peak & Valley's guide describes $1,000–$3,000 as a possible removal charge. That figure is an installer-published guide, not a second mandatory fee to add automatically to every quote. Homewyse shows removal as an option in its unit model and separately lists debris handling. So a bid that says “installed” can still differ materially from a bid that includes tear-off, haul-away and dump fees. Ask for those steps as separate lines, or for an explicit written statement that they are included.
The second decision is what happens when the old covering comes down. The base model does not cover modifying damaged framing or bringing other systems to current code. No source I fetched could assign a credible national allowance for hidden damage in a vinyl job. A proposal can solve the uncertainty without pretending to know the total: specify how rot is documented, who authorizes repair, and the unit price for sheathing replacement before work begins. The contract page's guide to comparing contractor bids covers the same scope issue across window, door and siding work.
The third decision is the wall assembly around the panel. Homewyse's basic labor description assumes installation over a vapor barrier with corner and edge flashing and J-channels. Those few words are not a detailed water-management drawing. A good written scope identifies the weather-resistive barrier, how it is tied into windows and doors, new versus reused corner and J-channel trim, and any soffit or fascia work. The cost of cutting around a bay window or wrapping a gable is not explained by panel gauge. It appears in labor and trim. A quote can be lower because it excludes that work, not because its siding is cheaper.
Finally, material and labor totals in a general guide are broad cost bands, while a brand-specific quote will reflect profile and color availability, waste, delivery and the installer's crew. That is why I have not assigned $/square to Mill Creek, Quest, Monogram, or any other named line. A searchable, current manufacturer retail list for the same color and profile in the same market would be needed before that table would mean anything.
Two vinyl warranty PDFs, read as payment promises
A “lifetime warranty” is not a statement that every future repair is free. I opened the actual CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Products warranty PDF and Mastic/Ply Gem warranty PDF. Both set different terms for the original owner and a later owner. Both limit the manufacturer's remedy. The exact warranty that applies to a purchase depends on the product and installation date, so retain the document supplied with the bid.
| PDF term | CertainTeed standard vinyl products | Mastic standard vinyl products | Why it changes a cost decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original owner | Lifetime period for an individual living in and owning the original single-family home | Lifetime period while the original individual owns and resides in the property | “Lifetime” is tied to who owns and occupies the home |
| Later owner | Transferable, 50-year prorated schedule measured from installation; fade protection does not transfer | Transferable, no more than 50 years from installation, prorated | Selling the house changes the recovery amount and, for CertainTeed, ends fade protection |
| Example late schedule | 10% after year 14 through year 50 | 10% after year 14 but before year 50 | The headline term persists while the covered share falls |
| Labor for a covered claim | Remedy may be repair, replacement, refinishing, coating, or refund capped at original product and installation costs | Explicitly no responsibility for labor to remove, replace or install the product | Ask separately about warranty labor from the installer |
| Important exclusion | Painting or refinishing the factory finish voids coverage unless CertainTeed authorizes it | Standard fade coverage excludes Musket Brown and Black used on sidewalls | Color and future repaint plans are warranty questions |
The CertainTeed PDF is expressly dated March 1, 2023 and says it applies to vinyl products installed on or after that date. Ask the seller for the warranty that covers the quoted line at the time of installation, especially if the product is Cedar Impressions, Northwoods, CedarBoards or CERTAplank: the standard-vinyl PDF itself excludes those lines and points to separate warranties.
The CertainTeed proration schedule makes the transfer issue tangible: a later owner receives full scheduled coverage only early in the installation timeline, then a smaller share, reaching 10% after year 14. That percentage applies to a covered claim under the document, not to the whole cost of residing a house. The PDF also excludes melting from external heat, including reflected sunlight from windows and heat from grills. Before relying on “fade and weather” language, read what the document calls ordinary weathering and which damage it excludes.
Mastic's PDF is unusually clear that, for its standard vinyl section, it may refund the original purchase and installation price but is not responsible for labor required to remove, replace or install a product in response to the claim. Those are different amounts and different times. An original-installation allowance on a refund does not mean the crew doing the later repair is paid by the manufacturer. The Mastic document has separate sections for SolarDefense and Cedar Discovery; their additional fade or heat language should not be assumed to apply to every Mastic panel. Request the exact section for the line and color on your contract.
How the warranty changes after a home sale
The “transferable” word on each PDF deserves a closer read when a buyer is comparing houses or an owner expects to sell. CertainTeed says its original-owner lifetime term is available to an individual who owns and lives in the original single-family home. The same PDF places later owners and other buildings in a prorated schedule that runs from the original installation date. Mastic also moves later owners into a prorated schedule. CertainTeed's fade protection does not transfer. Neither document restarts the clock when a house sells. A person buying a home with existing siding should therefore ask for the original installation paperwork, not just a seller's statement that the panels are “still under warranty.”
The schedules do not mean a later owner will be handed a percentage of the entire re-side cost. They apply to the manufacturer's defined remedy for a covered defect, within the limitations and exclusions in the document. A homeowner might need only a small section repaired, and matching an older color can itself be difficult if a line has changed. CertainTeed's PDF reserves the right to discontinue or modify products and colors; the original product's warranty does not guarantee that an exact replacement color remains for sale. That is a practical reason to keep a sample and product code from the install.
The documents also make color selection a cost issue rather than merely a design issue. In Mastic's standard vinyl section, the fade coverage specifically excludes Musket Brown and Black when used on sidewalls. Its SolarDefense section is separate and has different language. CertainTeed's standard vinyl PDF uses a definition of excessive fading rather than promising that no color change will ever occur. If a darker color is central to the project, ask for the exact color name and the warranty section that covers it. A showroom sample and a headline “no fade” phrase are not substitutes for that document.
A quote comparison that preserves the important differences
Ask each bidder to write one total and a short line-item schedule: measured wall area, the calculation method for squares, panel line, profile and color, trim and accessories, old-siding removal and disposal, barrier and flashing, sheathing repair procedure, permits, and a separate workmanship warranty. Compare the same scope on both bids. A low per- square number without tear-off or trim can produce a higher final invoice than a higher figure that includes them. The manufacturers' product warranties do not replace a promise from the installer about installation defects.
Save the product schedule with the final invoice. If panels from two lines appear on different elevations, the paperwork should show which line went where. Ask for leftover labeled pieces or a photograph of the carton label if the crew cannot leave a sample. This is especially useful when a small area needs a color match years later: the color name alone may not identify the profile, finish technology or manufacturing version. The same paperwork helps a later owner use the transfer provision rather than guess what was installed.
If you are still deciding which material to use, the siding materials comparison examines the tradeoffs among vinyl, fiber cement, wood and others. The fiber cement cost page goes deeper on Hardie and Allura pricing and warranties. Here the question is narrower: what a vinyl square costs under identifiable assumptions, which exact panel is specified, and who pays if something fails.
What we could not verify
All cited sources were reached during this review.
Questions to ask before you compare quotes
Sources
All retrieved 2026-09-29.
- Homewyse, "Cost to Install Vinyl Siding"
- Peak & Valley Roofing, "Vinyl Siding Cost Per Square Foot in 2026"
- Mastic by Ply Gem, "Mill Creek"
- Mastic by Ply Gem, "Carvedwood•44"
- Mastic by Ply Gem, "Quest"
- Mastic by Ply Gem, "Western Extreme"
- CertainTeed LLC, "Vinyl Siding Products Lifetime Limited Warranty" (PDF, effective March 1, 2023) (primary-document extraction)
- Mastic by Ply Gem, "Use and Care Guide & Warranties" (PDF) (primary-document extraction)
- Cornerstone Renovations, "How Much Does James Hardie Siding Cost in Portland?"