Damaged siding rarely announces its real cost from the curb. A couple of soft boards might be a quick repair, or they might be the visible edge of rot that has spread into the wood behind them. That is why the cost to repair or replace siding in the Seattle area is always a range until someone looks at it in person. After twelve years of siding and carpentry work across the region, here is what drives the price and how repair compares to replacement.
Repair vs. full replacement
The single biggest factor in your cost is whether you need a repair or a re-side. They are very different jobs.
| Option | What it addresses | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Spot repair | A few cracked, split, or rotted boards while the rest is sound | Lowest |
| Partial replacement | A damaged wall, corner, or section | Middle |
| Full re-side | Failing siding across the whole home | Highest |
When most of your siding is in good shape, repairing the damaged boards is far cheaper than tearing it all off. A full re-side makes sense when the siding has failed broadly or you are changing material. Most homeowners who call us about a few bad boards need a repair, not a re-side.
What drives siding cost
Within any of those options, several factors move the number:
- Material. Cedar, fiber-cement (Hardie), engineered wood (LP), and vinyl each cost and install differently. Matching existing material matters for a seamless result.
- Area affected. More square footage means more material and labor.
- Height and access. Second-story and hard-to-reach walls need staging, which adds time.
- Hidden rot. Damage behind the siding, in the sheathing or trim, expands the scope once it is uncovered.
- Paint after. New siding needs priming and painting to match the rest of the home.
- Removal and disposal. Tearing off and hauling away old siding adds cost on larger jobs.
None of these are a regional markup. They are the real variables that make one home’s repair different from the next, and the reason a phone quote cannot be accurate.
Want a real number for your home? A free written estimate at /services/carpentry-wood-repair/ settles it. Call (206) 250-9193.
The hidden-rot factor
Here is the factor that catches homeowners off guard: siding damage often hides dry rot in the wood behind it. The siding takes the visible hit, but the sheathing, trim, or framing underneath may have been absorbing moisture for years. You cannot price what you cannot see, which is exactly why a walkthrough matters more on siding than on almost any other repair.
When we open up damaged siding and find rot, that wood has to come out and be replaced too, or the new siding goes right back over a failing surface. We address the moisture source and the rot together, which ties siding repair directly to our wood-rot work. The signs to watch for are covered in our guide on signs of dry rot and water damage on PNW homes, and the cost of that rot work in how much dry rot repair costs.
Repair-then-paint workflow
A real advantage of having carpentry and paint under one roof is that there is no handoff gap. We replace the damaged boards, then prime and paint them to match the surrounding siding, all with one crew. You are not chasing a separate painter weeks after the carpenter leaves, and the new wood gets sealed and protected right away instead of sitting exposed. Our exterior painting team finishes what the carpentry crew repairs.
The Pacific Northwest angle
Greater Seattle’s persistent rain is hard on siding and the wood behind it. Cedar and fiber-cement (Hardie) are the common materials here. Cedar is beautiful but more rot-prone in our climate; fiber-cement resists rot and moisture well but is heavier and more labor-intensive to work. Damaged siding on older North Seattle and Eastside homes frequently hides dry rot in the sheathing and trim, which is the single biggest reason an on-site look, not a phone quote, sets the real number.
How Hedlund prices it
We give you a clear written estimate after inspecting the siding in person, with no surprise change orders. We are not the lowest bid, and we will tell you why: we replace the damaged wood, address any rot and its moisture source, and prime and paint to match, then back it with our 10-year workmanship warranty. Carpentry and paint are in-house, so the repair and the finish hold together.
“Replaced exterior siding with hardie board and painted. Had to coordinate with an electrician to detach the service mast.” Stanton, 5 stars (Google)
Learn more on our carpentry and wood-rot repair service page. We repair siding across Seattle, Edmonds, and the greater Eastside.
