What is the cheapest siding material?

Vinyl is the cheapest mainstream siding at about $4 to $12 per square foot installed, followed by wood and engineered wood. Stone veneer and brick are the most expensive, at $9 to $28 per square foot.

What is the longest-lasting siding?

Brick and stone veneer last the longest, 75 to 100+ years. Fiber cement lasts 30 to 50 years, and metal 40 to 60. Vinyl and engineered wood typically last 20 to 40 years.

Which siding is best for a low-maintenance home?

Vinyl, brick, stone veneer, and metal need the least upkeep — none requires repainting. Wood needs the most, with refinishing every few years, and engineered wood and field-painted fiber cement need periodic repainting.

How do I choose between siding materials?

Weigh four things: your budget, your climate (cold, heat, coastal, or wildfire risk), how much maintenance you'll tolerate, and how long you'll stay in the home. The comparison tool lets you filter on those, or the siding selector ranks materials for your specific situation.

Compare Siding Materials Side by Side

Every major siding material on one screen — installed cost, lifespan, maintenance, fire rating, and climate fit. Filter by budget or climate, sort any column, and tap a material for the full breakdown. No brand agenda.

Max $30/sq ftLow maintenance onlyNon-combustible only

			Maintenance	Repaint	Fire	Wood look
Vinyl	$4–$12	20–40 yrs	Very low	Never	Melts / burns	fair
Wood / Cedar	$5–$15	20–40 yrs	High	~4 yrs	Melts / burns	excellent
Fiber Cement	$6–$14	30–50 yrs	Medium	~12 yrs	Non-combustible	good
Metal / Steel	$7–$16	40–60 yrs	Low	Never	Non-combustible	low
Stucco	$7–$12	50–80 yrs	Low	Never	Moderate	low
LP SmartSide	$8–$15.5	20–30 yrs	Medium	~10 yrs	Moderate	excellent
Brick	$9–$28	75–100 yrs	Very low	Never	Non-combustible	low
Stone Veneer	$13–$25	75–100 yrs	Very low	Never	Non-combustible	low

Installed costs are 2026 planning estimates per square foot; lifespan and maintenance are typical ranges, not guarantees. Tap a material for the full cost breakdown.

How to read this

There's no single “best” siding — only the best fit for your priorities. A few things the numbers don't say on their own:

Installed cost is material plus labor. The low end is builder-grade in a low-cost region; the high end is premium in an expensive metro.
“Repaint: never” is a real long-run saving — wood and field-painted engineered wood carry a recurring cost the sticker price hides.
Fire rating matters most in wildfire-prone areas, where a non-combustible material may be required, not just preferred.

What this tool doesn't tell you

These are typical national ranges and general attributes — they can't price your specific home, and they don't account for local labor rates, your wall complexity, or an HOA's material rules. Use it to shortlist, then price your shortlist and, if you want a recommendation rather than a table, run the selector.

Keep going

Siding SelectorGet a personalized ranking, not just a table.Types of SidingA plain-English overview of every material.Cost CalculatorPrice your top pick for your own home.LP SmartSide GuideThe under-the-radar engineered-wood option.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest siding material?: Vinyl is cheapest (~$4–$12/sq ft installed); stone veneer and brick are the priciest ($13–$28).
What is the longest-lasting siding?: Brick and stone veneer (75–100+ years), then metal (40–60) and fiber cement (30–50).
Which siding is best for a low-maintenance home?: Vinyl, brick, stone veneer, and metal — none needs repainting. Wood needs the most upkeep.
How do I choose between siding materials?: Weigh budget, climate, maintenance tolerance, and how long you'll stay. Filter on those here, or let the siding selector rank them for you.